Rutland Architectural Blog - Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

CAD is an abbreviation for computer aided design and is sometimes also referred to as CADD, or computer aided drafting and design. CAD is used to create technical drawings for printed distribution or electronically by computer file. CAD is used in many industries to design almost any kind of product, proving very useful in rendering different shapes and configurations for new product concepts from perfume bottles to automobiles to space ships. CAD is also being used to create computer animation or special effects for movies, web sites and advertising. Architectural CAD drawings provide multiple or three dimensional views of individual architectural structures or whole buildings. Construction, engineering and architectural CAD show multiple views or images of objects exactly to scale and like manual drafting they may specify dimensions, materials, tolerances and attachments. Architectural CAD working drawings provide useful, detailed information for all phases of architectural design, planning, building material requisition, construction details and installation.

copper finial - roof finial architectural CAD drawing and specifications pictured

copper chimney cap architectural CAD drawing and specifications pictured

leader head - conductor head architectural CAD drawing and construction specifications pictured

Rutland regularly works with architects, builders, general contractors, designers, renovators and LEED green builders to supply them with CAD drawings and specifications of Rutland products and also to create custom designs for their building projects. Many of Rutland's wide array of architectural products already have an architectural CAD drawing PDF file available for viewing, downloading or printing. Architectural CAD drawings may be requested for any of Rutland's other products or for custom architectural designs based on your own requirements and specifications. Rutland is also able to work from your own building CAD drawings or blueprints to design custom gutter systems and architectural features such as cupolas, chimney caps, finials, spires, copper domes, turret roofs, gazebo roofs, dormers, roof vents, wall vents, louvers, chimney pots, awnings, deck railings - widow's walk, fire pits, copper kitchen hoods, sinks, canopies, leader heads, historical restoration work, etc. View some of the over 250 Architectural CAD Working Drawings and Construction Details already available from Rutland, manufacturer and wholesale supplier of architectural copper work, gutter supplies, building decorative metal fabrication, roof structures, copper kitchen decor, copper sculpture, copper home decor and natural stone products.

8/10/2010 12:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Sunday, August 08, 2010

Rain Spout - Gutter Spout

Before downspouts were implemented, rain spouts used to throw water off a roof top with parapet walls or directly from rain gutters mounted around the edges of a roof line. Ancient rain spouts typically took the form of lions, eagles or mythical creatures. Then some grotesque creatures such as gargoyles, griffins, centaurs or chimeras became common centuries ago. Today downspouts are typically used to drain rain water from flat roof openings or from gutters, away from building walls and foundations. You will still see rain spouts and gutter spouts implemented occasionally, as unique or distinctive architectural features of homes and buildings, especially those located in warmer climates.

gargoyle rain spouts mounted on Notre Dame Cathedral in France pictured

gargoyle rain spout mounted on Notre Dame Cathedral in France close-up picture showing water channel

Rain Spout Gargoyles on Notre Dame Cathedral
(photos courtesy Wikipedia Media Commons - CC by SA)

Rain spouts which spew water from flat roof openings are also commonly referred to as roof scupper spouts. Roof scuppers are used to provide an outlet through parapet walls (low walls) on flat and built-up roofs to allow drainage of excess water. They can be used in conjunction with gutters and downspouts to divert the flow to the desired location. Installed scuppers may direct water into gutters or directly into a scupper box or leader conductor head connected to a downspout. When neither conductor heads nor gutters are used to catch the water, roof scupper spouts are installed which should extend past the exterior surface of the building to avoid wetting of the building's walls. A roof scupper can simply be a round or square opening in the low wall or parapet which typically encircles a flat roof. Plain pipe can be inserted into these roof openings or a more decorative piece such as a gargoyle rain spout - roof scupper spout may be used. Other types of roofs which have gutters installed along the horizontal edges of the roof, might have openings along the sides or at the ends or corners of the gutters, to which rain spouts also may be attached in lieu of downspouts. These rain spouts may be simple funnel outlets or be more decorative such as the popular fish rain spout - gutter spout or gargoyle rain spout shown below.

rain spout - fish gutter spout made from pure copper pictured here

Fish Gutter Spout - Rain Spout
gutter spout - copper fish rain spout copper pictured here mounted on copper gutter

fish downspout extension copper elbow pictured here

Fish Gutter Rain Spout - Matching Copper Fish Downspout Extension

rain spout - gargoyle gutter spout made from pure copper pictured here

Rain Spout - Copper Gargoyle - Gutter Spout
rain spout - copper gargoyle gutter spout made from pure copper - rear view pictured here

Rutland fabricates custom rain spouts such as the gargoyle and fish gutter rain spouts and fish downspout extension elbow above or the gargoyle rain spout - roof scupper below out of pure heavy weight copper. The gargoyle rain spout above is intended to mount at the ends or corners of a gutter system. The custom fish gutter spout above may be ordered for either k-style or half round copper gutters in 6 inch, 7 inch or 8 inch gutter sizes. The fish downspout extension elbow shown above may be adapted for use with 3 inch or 4 inch copper downspouts. The gargoyle roof scupper rain spout below is intended for mounting into a 4 3/16" roof scupper opening. Rutland creates a large array of unique architectural copper work and assorted metal fabrication. Rutland's custom copper craftsmen will take your decorative or architectural concepts and turn them into reality, according to your specifications from your sketches, drawings, descriptions or pictures. Additional pictures, CAD design drawings and specifications are available for Rutland's custom Rain Spouts - Gutter Spouts and roof scupper spout.

gargoyle rain spout - copper gargoyle roof scupper water spout pictured here

Rain Spout - Gargoyle - Roof Scupper Spout

8/8/2010 6:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Finials

A finial can be thought of as an architectural finial, which simply is a decorative or ornamental architectural piece usually mounted at the apex or very top of any architectural structure. Finials can also denote the decorative ornaments, knobs, balls, terminations or tops to posts, poles, rods, furniture or lamps. In typography, finials are the curves terminating type font strokes. This blog concentrates on architectural finials which may be placed on top of a roof, gable, tower, turret, pinnacle, steeple, spire, arch, dome, gazebo, canopy, cupola, chimney cap, wall, garden structure or other architectural device. Finials are used decoratively to emphasize the apex, peak, ends or corners of these architectural structures. Finials also provide heightened architectural interest, flourish, elegance, majesty and provide the crowning touch to distinctive architectural structures, fine homes and distinguished buildings.

finial with large copper pyramid finial base, large finial ball and finial cone shown here

Copper Finials - Outdoor Roof - Garden Finials

Finials are usually thought of as the ornament or decorative piece mounted at the very tip of related architectural structures which are all taller than wider, such as pinnacles, turrets, spires, steeples and towers. These various architectural structures are somewhat similar or related, primarily differing in size, scale, location, shape or historical context. Often one of these structures is placed on top of another and the transition between them may either be obvious or be fairly seamless. Finials mounted at the very peak of these structures have historically been a cross, star, ball, spear, cone, needle or may have been something more elaborate or ornate. Tall finials fitted with an extension and insulated may also be utilized as a lightning rod. Architectural devices such as finials have sometimes been scaled up in size to where some finials start to resemble and perhaps becomes a small spire or pinnacle.

copper finial spear octagonal finial base and finial cone pictured here

finial aluminum with pyramidal base - hexagonal thick cone - finial ball and needle pictured

copper finial with conical finial base, two copper finial balls, scroll designs,and solid copper spear on top pictured

Octagonal Finial Spear - - Hexagonal Finial Ball Aluminum - - Scrolled Copper Finial

Pinnacles are simply defined as small decorative turrets or spires historically located at corners of a roof, parapet, buttress, tower, pier, gable or elsewhere. Pinnacles are largely an ornamental structure, usually round in shape like most turrets or else tapering like a spire and are terminated at their peak by a pyramid, small spire or finial. Pinnacle is also described as an architectural ornament forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret and used on parapets at the corners of towers and other locations. Pinnacles while decorative also help promote the loftiness or towering majesty of a building structure.

copper finial with octagonal faceted finial base, finial ball, and sharp copper finial cone pictured

finial copper with large finial ball, arabesque scroll design, finial cone and smaller finial ball on top pictured

copper finial with pyramidal faceted finial base, finial ball, and sharp copper finial cone pictured

Finials - Octagonal - Pyramidal Base with Finial Balls - Finial Cones

Spires are simply any slender, pointed architectural structures on top of buildings or other structures such as towers. Spires can be conical, pyramidal and octagonal in shape terminating in a point or else have a decorative finial perched on top. Many centuries ago, spires originally were a simple, four sided, squat, pyramid shaped roof capping on top of church towers. Spires evolved towards ever slimmer and much taller forms with a more organic connection to the tower below. Early spires had crockets or steps at their edges for ease of maintenance by steeplejacks. The word spire is derived from the Anglo Saxon word for spear. In fact many modern spires can be even more pronounced spear or needle shaped than their pointy predecessors. Spires may convey several symbolic attributes. Pointing at the heavens, they can have a celestial or religious connotation which is why they were popular on top of cathedrals and churches. Spires provided a spectacular visual culmination to churches while being a symbol of heavenly aspiration. Spires also connote the religious order's or building patron's wealth and prestige. A spire's spear shape can also be symbolic of martial power, might and strength or in public buildings of civil power and hope. Reaching to the skies, spires can also be symbolic of aerospace, outer space and the future. Modern spires include the Space Needle in Seattle and the extremely tall spires located on the tallest buildings or skyscrapers in the world. The planned Freedom Tower in New York will be topped with a spire. Spires are never out of fashion and continue to be used in modern architecture. At the very top of spires you often will find a decorative or ornamental finial. Modern day finials have taken on many forms or shapes with unlimited designs and the pointy, spear shaped finial designs are reminiscent of spires. Some pointy finials have increased in size and scale and are perhaps considered smaller spires and called spires by some.

copper finial with tall, square tapering base with steps, copper ball and square finial cone on top pictured

pineapple finial - pure copper finial pineapple with sculpted pineapple sides, green patina pineapple leaves and round finial base pictured here

copper finial with octagonal tapering and faceted finial base, copper finial ball, and sharp copper finial cone pictured here

Finial Square Tapered - - Pineapple Finial Copper - - Octagonal Finial

Steeples are tall mostly ornamental towers usually topped with a spire and finial. Steeples usually comprise a series of stories, each typically diminishing in size and topped off by a small pyramidal roof, cupola or oftentimes a spire. Steeples are very common in Christian churches and the use of the term typically connotes a religious structure or church steeple. Steeples may be free standing towers or else are incorporated structurally into the entrance or center of a building, such as a church or temple. Steeples usually taper towards a point at the top, are surmounted or topped by a spire, or are themselves simply a large spire. Steeple design was possibly originally influenced by obelisks and pillars dating back to ancient Egyptian architecture. Obelisks are simply four sided tapering towers or pillars ending in a pointed or pyramidal top. Obelisks were historically monolithic, meaning carved out of a single stone and were used as monuments placed at the entrance to temples.

Norwich Cathedral with tower, turrets, pinnacles, spires and finials is pictured here

Belgium Cathedral with large spire, pinnacles, spires, finials and prominent weathervane is pictured here

Cathedrals with Turrets, Spires, Pinnacles and Finials
(photos courtesy Aleister Crowley and Georges Jansoone - CC by SA)

Turrets are simply small attached towers or tower shaped projections from a building. Typically most turrets are round with a conical or other pointed roof though sometimes a domed roof. Some turrets are square or octagonal in shape. Turrets are usually topped with a pinnacle, spire or decorative finial. Turrets are always smaller structures attached to the edge of a building compared to towers which are larger and invariably start from the ground. Turrets can extend out from the sides or corners of a building via corbels or extend up from the roof top effectively adding another story. Rounded turrets also provide contrast to angled lines of a building.

Assorted Turrets - Copper Finials - Conical Octagonal Copper Roof

Towers are slender buildings characterized by great height, always much taller than their width or length. Often very tall towers taper from story to story towards their top and often terminate in a pyramidal roof or pointed spire, usually octagonal or conical. Many church towers and public building towers were designed to incorporate a spire. Towers symbolize prestige, supreme power, authority, majesty and might, similar to what steeples and spires convey.

roof finials installed on top of this distinctive fine home on each roof peak pictured here

copper dome with hemispherical dome shape has weathered copper panels and a copper finial, shown installed here at a Caribbean resort

copper dome with pyramidal dome shape made from custom copper roof tile, has a copper finial mounted on top, shown here installed at Caribbean resort

Roof Top Finials - Copper Domes with Copper Finials (weathered)

Modern day finials come in all shapes, designs and sizes to enhance any style of current architecture. Finials add a decorative, crowning touch to most any architectural structure including roof peaks, domes, turrets, towers, steeples, spires, chimney caps, cupolas, gazebos, canopies, landscaping - garden walls and posts. View 50 different finial designs including weathervanes, pineapple finials and ornate finials at Rutland's Copper Finials webpage. Rutland also provides CAD design drawings and specifications for all of their standard finials, located on each individual finial model's webpage. Rutland finials come in many different sizes; many of Rutland's larger finials are 3 to 6 feet in height and still larger finials and spires may be constructed. Rutland's architectural copper work and metal fabrication craftsmen will fabricate any of Rutland's standard finial designs in a number of different sizes, different base shapes and will also custom manufacture finials and spires to your own architectural design and exact specifications.

copper cupola with hexagonal louvered sides, hexagonal copper cupola roof and copper weathervane rooster finial mounted on top pictured here

cupola with hexagonal aluminum sides, hexagonal cupola roof, copper weathervane horse finial on top shown here installed on the roof peak of a home

cupola with octagonal aluminum sides, tapered octagonal copper cupola roof, finial ball and finial cone on top pictured

Cupolas with WeatherVane Finials and Copper Ball Finial

finial base layout sketches shown here for custom roof finial mounting options

Finial Assorted Base Shapes (may be specified for any Rutland Finial Design)
copper chimney cap with copper lattice work sides, domed copper top, finial ball and sharp finial cone on top pictured here

copper chimney cap with copper lattice work sides, domed copper top, finial ball and sharp finial cone on top pictured here

copper chimney cap with majestic arched legs, copper dome top with copper finial spear on top pictured

Chimney Caps with Copper Finials

Copper Finial Video on YouTube

8/3/2010 3:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Sunday, August 01, 2010

Roof Vent - Attic Ventilation - Gable Vent - Copper

Roof vents provide ventilation for the space underneath a roof. If an attic is present, roof vents, soffit vents and gable vents also provide attic ventilation. Roof ventilation and attic ventilation are necessary to help remove moisture in the air that may damage wood, insulation and other building materials underneath the roof, susceptible to damage or deterioration from moisture or condensation. The air conditioned living space underneath your roof or attic is usually at a much different temperature than the airspace underneath the roof or in the attic and can lead to condensation forming from humidity rising up from the living space below or especially in summer months from humid outside air. Winter attic ventilation must be sufficient to remove moisture vapor rising from the living space to the attic. In general, ventilation adequate for summer cooling is more than adequate for winter ventilation. Constant air movement or ventilation can help keep the building materials under a roof or in the attic dryer. In hot summer months, a cooler attic or space underneath your roof will also help keep trapped super heated air from pushing down into your living space and will promote more efficient cooling of your living space below. Attics or spaces under a roof can reach temperatures of 150 to 160 degrees F during a summer day, although outside air temperatures may only be 95 to 97 degrees F. The cooling load for a home air conditioning depends on the difference in temperature between the inside and outside air, and reduction of roof space or attic temperatures from 155 degrees to 105 degrees F will result in a significant reduction in cooling load. In a home with poor ceiling insulation, heat movement through ceilings may account for 30 percent or more of the total cooling cost. Heat movement through well insulated ceilings may still account for 12 to 15 percent of the total cooling cost. Roof shingles, roofing tile and other roof structure materials benefit from optimum roof ventilation, which can help prevent deterioration from this excess heat and lengthens the life of roofing. Natural cross ventilation for roofs is typically supplied with high mounted roof vents such as ridge vents or domed pot vents and low mounted roof edge vents or soffit vents, typically mounted in the overhangs (soffits or eaves) of a building. The cooler air enters through the low mounted soffit vents and exits through the high mounted roof vents, providing cross ventilation. Heated air becomes less dense and rises and wind movement around and over a home creates areas of high and low pressure. Natural cross ventilation utilizing this chimney effect and wind movement is the most common and energy efficient method of achieving lower attic temperatures and moisture control. Air powered turbine vents can provide increased ventilation over regular vents.

roof vent - domed pot vent shown in pure copper

Roof Vent - Copper Domed Pot Vent

turbine roof vent - copper roof vent turbine vent pictured

soffit vent - continuous soffit vent copper and square copper soffit vent with copper mesh shown here

Turbine Roof Vent - Copper Soffit Vents

A rough rule of thumb to figure out much roof ventilation is needed is to take the square footage underneath your roof and divide that by 300 (for new homes with good vapor barriers). That gives you the square footage of total ventilation opening or net free area required. About 60% of that total ventilation opening should be for low mounted roof vents or soffit vents and the other 40% for high mounted roof vents. For example say a home has dimensions of 40 feet by 75 feet and 3000 square feet of space under the roof. Divide 3000 by 300 to get 10 square feet of ventilation space or opening needed. 60% of that 10 square feet or 6 square feet should be low mounted or soffit vents and 40% or 4 square feet should be high mounted roof events. If there are no soffits or overhangs on a building then roof vents alone may be used but the recommended square footage of roof ventilation doubles. So in this example of a 40 foot by 75 foot, 3000 square foot building, 20 square feet of roof ventilation without soffit vents is suggested rather than 10 square feet with soffit vents. Older homes or those without good vapor barriers should use 150 (instead of 300) to divide into the total home square footage to get ventilation area. Local building codes specify the minimum attic ventilation requirements and while you should always at least meet building code requirements, a larger total roof ventilation area usually will provide even better performance.

dormer roof vent - arched roof dormer vent shown in pure copper

dormer roof vent - triangular roof dormer vent pyramidal shown in pure copper

Dormer Roof Vent - Arched and Triangular Copper

In addition to or otherwise in lieu of soffit vents, low mounted dormer roof vents may also be employed for their decorative touch and functional roof and attic venting.opening area required. Gable vents or attic vents such as the ones pictured below, whether they be round, octagonal, square, arched or triangular in shape also contribute to cross ventilation for roofs and attic spaces. A cupola mounted right at a roof's peak provides excellent roof and attic ventilation while also providing visual appeal and architectural interest. Roof dormers can be one piece metal dormers with flashing and louvers such as the copper roof dormers shown above or can be custom built dormers such as the one below. These roof dormers typically have a louvered vent opening similar to gable vents or wall vents and contribute to and provide some of the roof and attic ventilation

dormer roof vent - custom roof dormer vent with copper panel roof and copper louver vent shown here

Dormer with Copper Vent and Copper Panel Roof

attic vent - round gable vent shown in pure copper

gable vent - octagonal attic vent shown in pure copper

Attic Vent - Gable Vent - Copper Round and Octagonal

cupola - roof cupola- octagonal copper cupola with 8 sides pictured

cupola - copper cupola - roof cupola with 4 sides and copper finial shown here

Cupola Roof Vents - Octagonal and Square Copper

Rutland supplies a large assortment of metal roof vents, attic vents, gable vents and soffit vents. These roof and attic vents are available in elegant, durable, eco-friendly pure copper or other metals such as aluminum and paint-grip steel. Rutland carries many in stock standard sizes and also offers custom designs and custom sizes to meet project specifications. Dormer roof vents for roof ventilation with integral flashing are available in any size and cupolas which may be used for roof and attic venting are available in both standard and custom sizes with mounted finials and weathervanes available as a cupola option.

8/1/2010 3:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Friday, July 23, 2010

Green Building Materials - Copper - Natural Stone

Copper and natural stone make ideal green building materials for both the exterior and interior of all buildings, including commercial, public and residential buildings. What is green building? Simply put green building means the construction, renovation or remodeling of houses, public and commercial buildings so they are more durable, environmentally responsible, energy efficient and healthier for their occupants throughout the building's lifespan or life cycle. This is basically accomplished by designing and constructing buildings that last a long time, are more efficient, use less energy and water and are healthier spaces to occupy and live in. Historically, well designed and constructed buildings have delivered short term goals of utility, economy, durability and comfort. Green building really just takes the next step in building even better homes, commercial and public buildings by improving on their long term durability, quality, efficiency, high performance, human health, environmental impact, life cycle cost and sustainability. A building's total life cycle cost includes it's design, siting, construction, operation, maintenance, repairs, replacements, renovation, deconstruction, salvage, disposal and recycling. Green building materials typically include: renewable plant materials such as quick growing straw, bamboo and wood from sustainably managed forests; materials which are non-toxic, reusable and recyclable such as dimension natural stone, recycled stone and recyclable metals. Eliminating construction materials and interior finishes which have emissions of toxic gases such as formaldehyde and VOC's improve a building's indoor air quality and is healthier for occupants. Moisture control and eliminating biological or organic sources of mold, bacteria, fungi and pathogens will also promote healthier air and living space. Implementing green building techniques reduces negative impact on human health and the environment during multiple phases including the production of building materials, building construction, occupation, building operation and maintenance of a green design building. While many green buildings cost a premium which averages just less than two percent initially, green building will typically yield a financial return or savings of over ten times that initial premium during the life of the building. Green building simply saves money, protects the environment and provides healthier living spaces. The strong case for green building is abundantly clear considering the positive impact on human health, our environment and our finances.

copper mining quarry in Chile pictured here

natural stone quarry shows dimensional stone from mined natural stone deposits in Beijing, China pictured here

Copper Mining Quarry and Natural Stone Quarry

Natural resources such as copper and natural stone are mined or quarried and minimally processed natural materials as opposed to artificially manufactured materials, faux or simulated materials. Pure copper and natural stone share many green building material qualities: they are mined or quarried directly from the earth and minimally processed using environmentally conscious techniques; all waste material can be used or recycled; they require no external finishes or chemical treatments; they generate no harmful emissions or byproducts; they do not promote growth of mold, germs or other harmful pathogens; they are healthy, hygienic and non-toxic; they promote more even indoor temperature and healthier indoor air quality; they are moisture and corrosion resistant; they weather extremely well naturally; they are not flammable materials; they are not damaged by water; they do not break down, decompose, decay or deteriorate like previously living organic materials and most man made materials; they age beautifully and gracefully as natural patina formation, discoloration, pitting, dents or cracks enhance character and natural appearance; they require little upkeep or maintenance; they are extremely durable, outlasting the owner's lifetime and the building's lifespan; they are salvageable, reusable, absolutely recyclable and retain their value extremely well. Copper and natural stone are two of the oldest, most durable building materials used by mankind and countless buildings and structures incorporating natural stone and copper architecture stood for centuries. Copper and natural stone were used because they were abundant resources found directly in the natural environment, required minimal processing and were fairly easy to work with. Today spending even a little more for natural, earth friendly, durable materials has proven cheaper in the long run because they won’t have to be replaced as often, maintained as much and can be recycled. Considering on building materials life-cycle cost, rather than focusing solely on initial cost can yield some eye opening results.

green building Sala at Penn State with Gold LEED certification pictured here

City Center building with Gold Leed certification in Las Vegas pictured here

LEED Gold Penn State SALA and City Center LEED Gold in Las Vegas

We spotlighted the Penn State Sala building above in a previous blog for it's heavy use of copper (over 80,000 pounds) helping it achieve it's U.S. Green Building Council Gold LEED certification and remarkably at no additional cost over conventional building. The recent City center in Las Vegas also received LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for six of it's buildings, including Aria, Vdara, Crystals, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers. That made City Center one of the largest sustainable green building developments in the entire world. The immense project entailed collaborative involvement by eight renowned architecture firms. Green building material selection, included extensive use of natural stone for interior spaces and exteriors of the buildings. While other green materials were considered, natural stone provided the architecture with a natural textured, tactile feel and the richness, warmth, comfort, earthy look and colors they sought. The Aria building encompasses 70,000 square feet of natural quartzite stone cladding in a varying thickness mosaic pattern on it's exterior walls. Inside the buildings, different uses of natural stone were employed including a mosaic stone, stacked stone, flat honed or polished stone, to provide contrasting looks and changes in texture. Everyone involved with the project was happy with the results and the buildings continue to garner positive feedback and compliments. See additional pictures of City Center and information on it's green building features in the Stone World article Stone Contributes to LEED Certification for New Las Vegas Landmark

architectural copper work and natural stone masonry on home pictured here

natural stone wall cladding and copper gutters on house pictured here

Architectural Copper Work and Natural Stone Wall Masonry

View additional natural stone pictures of genuine natural stone installations at the Rutland Minstone website, encompassing natural stone tile flooring, natural stone walls, natural stone patios, garden stone paving, landscaping, slate roofs and stone columns. Slate, travertine, quartzite, limestone, sandstone and flagstone tiles, wall veneer panels and pavers are some of the featured natural stone applications. With large advances in mining, processing and shipping technology, use of natural stone has grown from use primarily only in major buildings and large expensive estates to becoming a staple in homes and buildings of every size and budget today. There has been a drastic reduction of genuine stone prices over the last decade or so. Around the world there is now an enormous inventory of natural stone and even more is being discovered every day. A combination of many technological advances and this very plentiful supply have combined to make natural stone very affordable and price competitive with man made materials, while having better green building characteristics and life cycle cost benefits. People have embraced the beauty and elegance of this unique, all natural material for their floors, wall coverings, kitchens, baths, outdoor landscaping and paving. Consumers prefer natural stone because it is the real thing which can not be duplicated in a laboratory or factory but is nature's very own genuine product. Natural stone is created by nature in many thousands of color variations with no two natural stone pieces exactly the same. Nothing approaches the uniqueness, durability, wide applicability of genuine natural stone and pure copper. From the beginning of time to far into the future, copper and natural stone have always been excellent green building materials while having natural beauty, grace, warm richness and timeless elegance.

7/23/2010 9:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Copper Elbow Downspout Extension Gooseneck

Rutland has the capability to fabricate a custom copper downspout elbow - downspout extension gooseneck. These one piece gooseneck offset elbows or downspout extension elbows are less prone to leaks than three piece downspout elbow extensions and are also much more visually appealing especially in attractive round or square downspout styles. These custom downspout elbow extensions - gooseneck offset elbows with one piece design are further enhanced by seamless TIG welded construction, offering smooth unbroken surface or sight lines, best durability and strength. Gooseneck downspout elbow extensions are most often used with roof overhangs or to merge multiple gutters into one downspout or leader head.

copper downspout elbow gooseneck offset designs - round copper angled- square copper angled and square copper arched downspout elbow extension shown

Round Angled Downspout Elbow - Square Angled Gooseneck - Square Arched Elbow
custom downspout elbow - copper gooseneck with mild radius design shown

custom downspout elbow - copper gooseneck with mild radius design shown

Copper Downspout Extension Elbow Radius Square Gooseneck Design

copper downspouts - copper gutters shown installed incorporating copper elbow downspout extension goosenecks

copper downspouts - copper gutters shown installed incorporating copper elbow downspout extension goosenecks

Copper Gutter - Downspout System with Round Downspout Gooseneck Elbows
Custom Downspout Elbow Gooseneck Design, available in aluminum, stainless steel or copper pictured here

Custom Downspout Elbow Gooseneck Design

Rutland custom manufactures custom gooseneck downspout elbow offsets and extensions to the requirements of the architect, builder, contractor or property owner. The shape, angle, arch, radius, length and height may all be customized and specified. These downspout elbows and extensions may be specified in round, square or rectangular downspout styles in a variety of materials and with any dimensional size. Rutland's one piece custom gutter downspout elbow gooseneck extensions look fantastic by themselves or coupled with one of Rutland's many stylish leader heads - downspout conductors. Rutland gooseneck downspout elbow extensions additional information including CAD design drawings - custom construction specifications may be found on their Downspout Extension Elbow Gooseneck webpage.

custom copper gutter system with sculpted copper downspout extension elbow gooseneck shown here

Copper Downspout with Sculpted Elbow Gooseneck Offset

7/17/2010 1:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Downspout Diverter

Rutland has released three new models of downspout diverters - rain collection diverters. In addition to the existing 3"x4" corrugated rectangular model, Rutland has now added a seamless round downspout diverter, a seamless square downspout diverter and a crimped round downspout diverter to it's offerings. All of Rutland's custom downspout diverters are available in standard downspout sizes including: 3", 4", 5" or 6" round (smooth or crimped); 3" or 4" square (smooth); 3"x4" or 4"x5" rectangular (corrugated); other custom sizes are also available. Rutland's downspout rain diverters are available in either aluminum or pure copper. These corrosion resistant all metal heavier gauge materials ensure excellent durability, weathering ability and long life. All downspout diverter models feature a simple yet very reliable metal two-way valve or valve flap, that promotes maximum rain water flow without restriction and provides decades of trouble-free performance. Aluminum rain diverters are available in mill finish aluminum (unfinished - paintable) or else may be ordered pre-painted in one of Rutland's many gutter - downspout colors. Copper rain diverters are available in heavier gauge pure unfinished copper or may even be ordered in a custom pre-patinated finish to better match existing weathered copper gutter systems.

downspout diverters - seamless round copper rain barrel diverter shown here

downspout diverters - aluminum rain diverters shown here

Additional information on Rutland's downspout diverters may be viewed on their Downspout Diverter - Rain Diverter webpage, including CAD design drawings of their various downspout diverter models. Rutland Gutter Supply also supplies all the downspout extensions, downspout elbows, downspout offsets, downspout goose-necks, downspout funnels, downspout strainers, downspout clean-outs, downspout brackets, downspout adapters and other downspout parts you require to properly install a downspout diverter - rain barrel diverter. Downspout rain diverters can be used for rain water harvesting or rain water collection in a rain barrel or in one of many different shapes and styles of water storage tank. Diverted and collected rain water is used for many purposes including gardening, irrigation and washing. Rain water is free, naturally soft, without the sediment, hardness and chemicals found in regular tap water or in well water, is usually healthier for plants and also cleans well without leaving typical hardness spots or scum left after washing. Downspout rain diverters are eco-friendly and also integral part of green design.

downspout diverter first flush T-adaptor with inline downspout cleanout and downspout elbows shown here

Downspout T-Adaptor - Inline Downspout Cleanout - Elbows

If you wish to add optional first flush capability to your downspout diverter, a downspout T-Adaptor with an appropriately sized bottom extension connected will do the job. First flush routes the first flow of rain water away from your rain barrel or water storage tank and eliminates much of the contaminants lying on your roof such as dust, dirt, pollen, insects, residues, bird and rodent droppings. Larger debris should be filtered by a combination of gutter screens, downspout strainers and a downspout cleanout located upstream (higher) from the diverter. The downspout cleanout either box or inline types, allows you to more easily empty out filtered debris and minimized servicing of your T-Adaptor's first flush extension or standpipe. The T-Adaptor extension will be capped on the bottom and have very small (pin-hole) drain holes near the bottom which allows the water to gradually drain out, perhaps routed over to a planted area. During a rain shower the bottom portion of the T-pipe extension will first fill with the rain water until the level reaches the horizontal outlet then subsequent rain water will exit the T-adaptor and drain into your water tank or rain barrel. Recommended first flush rain water diversion is at least a gallon of water per 100 square feet of rain collection area. For example: say you are using 4 inch round downspout pipe, then you would need a 18 inch length of extension pipe per gallon while 6 inch downspout pipe only requires about 8 inches extension length to hold a gallon. If your one downspout services say 400 sq feet of roof area, the first flush T-adaptor extension would need to be 32 inches in length using 6 inch diameter pipe or 72 inches (12 feet) in length using 4 inch round downspout pipe. Depending on how often it rains, amount of debris accumulation and how well you filter out debris and sediment upstream, you will need to occasionally remove the bottom cap of your first flush extension, to clean out accumulated debis or residual sediment to keep the bottom drain hole open and unobstructed. The pinhole drain hole(s) should be located higher than absolute bottom of the capped extension to prevent residual sediment from quickly clogging the small drain hole(s).

7/14/2010 8:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Natural Stone Tile Flooring - Natural Stone Wall Veneer

Natural stone products are the focus and specialty of Rutland Minstone, a natural stone wholesale distributor and newest member of the Rutland group of companies. Rutland Minstone is wholly a natural stone importer - supplier and is the sole wholesale stone distributor for the United States, North America, Caribbean and South America for manufacturer Minstone. Minstone is the source of the highest standards in pure rock, slate and genuine natural stone, mined directly out of the ancient hills around Beijing, China. Natural stone products now available through Rutland include: stone tile flooring; natural stone wall veneer; flagstone patio pavers; garden stone walls; landscaping stone; walkway stone paving; stone columns; cobblestones; stepping stones; random slate pavers; roof slate tile; castle stone; bar stone mosaic tile; stone tile mosaic floor and mosaic wall; bullnose tile for stone steps and stairs; slate tile flooring and slate wall; travertine tiles and tumbled tile; limestone tile flooring and limestone wall; sandstone tile; quartzite tile; antique stone wall cladding; stack stone wall panels; fireplace stone veneer; interlocking stone corner and stacking stone wall panel system.

natural stone mining, natural stone processing and manufacturing pictures

Natural Stone Mining and Processing

Natural stone products are very versatile as stone can be used equally inside or outside. Natural stone is very durable, easy to maintain, weathers well and natural stone is also beautiful, elegant and timeless design wherever it is used. Natural stone tiles can be used on all interior walls and floors including kitchens, bathrooms and showers, especially low water absorption slate tile. Stone fireplace surrounds or stone veneer walls have always been particularly popular. The natural stone wall cladding that is used on interior walls can also be used on a building's exterior walls and on stone retaining walls and stone columns. Natural stone tile patterns and mosaics lend attractiveness and heightened architectural interest to walls and floors anywhere. Natural stone tile mosaic patterns and stone wall systems have been developed that allow builders, designers, landscapers, architects and property owners to create the most visually pleasing and stunning genuine natural stone, rock and slate profiles. Natural stone thin veneer is a lighter weight, easier to install, more affordable genuine alternative to full stone veneer and makes natural stone wall coverings a viable option for any project by architects, builders, designers and re-modelers.

natural stone fireplace veneer - stone fireplace surround pictured here

Natural Stone Fireplace Surround
flagstone patio pavers flagstone flooring pictured here

Flagstone Patio Pavers in Sunroom
black slate tile flooring pictured

Black Slate Tile Flooring

Rutland Minstone genuine natural stone products can be applied to virtually any structurally sound surface inside or outside and are designed to be easily and quickly installed. This enables you to quickly get professional looking results and a richly elegant appearance. A system of interlocking stone wall veneer panels, stone mosaic and tile patterns presents a very cost effective application of fantastic rock, slate and natural stone effects for new and existing homes, commercial building projects and landscaping work. Rutland Minstone supplies pure rock, slate and natural stone products for builders, architects, contractors, interior designers, landscapers, re-modelers, homeowners and property owners. Minstone has over 25 years experience providing pure rock, slate, limestone, travertine, quartzite, sandstone and flagstone products which meet the highest international standards yet are available at the most competitive wholesale pricing. Rutland provides natural stone imports at wholesale distributor direct prices and offers natural stone shipping throughout the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Rutland has over 40 years experience in construction, roofing, guttering, architectural copper work and metal fabrication with manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and abroad. Rutland has extensive experience with international shipping and is a global wholesale supplier of product. Visit Rutland Minstone's Natural Stone Products website or peruse their Natural Stone Catalog for additional stone products information and to view many more pictures of Minstone natural stone installations and Minstone products.

garden stone wall using natural stone veneer wall panel cladding pictured

Garden Stone Wall - Landscaping Stone - Ledgestone

7/7/2010 8:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Friday, April 30, 2010

Rain Water Collection - Downspout Diverter

Rain water collection or rain water harvesting is becoming more and more popular these days as people become more aware of the many benefits and possible uses of diverted rainwater. Instead of allowing rain water falling on a roof top to drain in limited spots around the perimeter of a home's foundation or else be channeled into the sewer system, rain water can be collected in rain barrels, conserved and put to good use. Assuming your home already has a gutter system and downspouts, rain water collection systems can be fairly simple and relatively low cost or they can be very elaborate systems which run into thousands of dollars. Collected or harvested rain water can be used to water plants, gardens, lawns, house plants, for cleaning or washing and to distribute rain water to sheltered or protected areas which don't normally get much water. Rain water is naturally soft and free of fluoride, chlorine and other additives found in tap water and is healthier for plants and the lack of hardness improves cleaning and washing. Rain water is perfect for washing your car leaving no hardness spots. There can be savings too on the purchase of city water if significant rain water is collected and used instead.

How much rain water can be collected? Even very small roofs, say for example a 1000 square feet roof is capable of collecting up to 600 gallons of rain water run off with 1 inch of rain accumulation. Quick rule of thumb to estimate how much water falls off your roof with a 1" rainfall, is to multiple the square footage of your roof by 3/5th. Most rain water collection involves some variation of a rain barrel or storage tank and those average about 55 gallons in size. They fill up surprisingly quickly with a decent rainfall.

What do you need to get started? To collect rain from most roofs, you usually need to have a gutter system with downspouts. Flat roofs with low retaining walls require roof scuppers or rain spouts feeding scupper boxes and downspouts. If you don't yet have a gutter system then get one not only to harvest rain water but to protect the walls and foundation of your building from water damage. Now assuming you have a gutter or roof drainage system with downspouts, you need to splice into, attach or insert a downspout diverter or rain water diverter into one or all of your downspouts. A downspout diverter simply put has a two-way valve which can either divert the roof rain water flowing through the downspout into a rain barrel, storage container or tank or otherwise allow the rain water to exit the downspout normally.

Downspout Rain Diverters Copper & Aluminum Shown With Reliable 2-Way Valve

Virtually any style. type and size of gutters and downspouts will work. Downspout rain diverters are available for rectangular corrugated downspouts (shown above), smooth square or rectangular downspouts and round downspouts in virtually any durable gutter downspout material such as aluminum, copper, zinc, galvalume or stainless steel. Rusty steel gutters and downspouts should be refinished or replaced though to prevent staining. There is no reason to use plastic downspout diverters or rain collection system parts. Plastic gutters and downspouts may detract from your home's appearance and are not as strong or as durable with temperature extremes, UV radiation and such as metal gutters and downspouts. Among metal gutters and downspouts, copper gutters are the most attractive pick, for copper requires no finishing, coating or paint, copper requires no maintenance, copper weathers beautifully with it's own built-in natural corrosion protection, copper is the most durable architectural metal lasting nearly a century and copper is 100% recyclable when it finally is replaced. This also makes copper the greenest, most environmentally friendly choice. Copper is also unique in that it possesses remarkable natural antimicrobial and fungicidal properties which are a great attribute for gutter and rain water collection systems. The small traces of copper salts present in the runoff water are also needed and healthy for plants and vegetation as well as for humans and animals.

Downspout Strainer - - - - - - - Gutter Screens Pictured

To keep large debris from clogging up your gutters, downspouts and entering your rain collection it is advisable to at minimally use a downspout strainer at the top of each downspout and better yet gutter screens or gutter guards to catch even smaller debris from entering. An inline downspout cleanout or cleanout box may be also be used to filter larger debris and are designed to be serviceable closer to the ground. Some sort of basic filtration or screen may also be used at the input to your rain barrel, container or storage tank. Screening or filtering placed inside or over all exposed openings and sealing or caulking any gaps also helps prevent mosquito breeding. The rain downspout diverters pictured above are designed to present no restriction and allow full flow downs throughout the downspout system. Some types of diverters and also use of rain barrel screening with very tight mesh or foam filtering can restrict your water flow and cause excessive back pressure or backup where eventually your gutters might overflow. Using larger diameter downspouts and downspout conductor head reservoirs inline high up on the downspout can help alleviate this and maintain flow.

Downspout Cleanout Box - - Inline Cleanout - - Downspout Elbows

Storage tanks, containers and rain barrels come in hundreds of styles, shapes, sizes and materials. They can range from costing virtually nothing such as old discarded metal or food grade plastic barrels or large containers to ornamental urns with decorative planters on top, architecturally attractive lined wooden containers, faux granite or terra cotta and even hidden tanks underground or low profile tanks under a deck. Use your own personal preference as to the look, shape, size and materials for your rain water collection container as long as you ensure the top is enclosed and other exposed openings such as the overflow outlet are screened to keep out mosquitos, bugs, wildlife and domestic small animals. Unless they are already present, the rain barrel or tank container should allow you to cut openings to attach or insert your downspout pipe and plumbing fittings such as a faucet to which you can also attach a water hose.

Rutland Gutter Supply is one of the largest downspout gutter suppliers in the world and can equip you with virtually everything you need to set up your rain collection system such as downspout diverters, downspout extensions, downspout brackets, downspout elbows, downspout offsets, downspout goosenecks, downspout adapters, downspout strainers, downspout clean-out box, downspout conductor leader heads and gutter screens. Visit Rutland's downspout diverter - rain diverter web page to gather more ideas, explore the links or just get started collecting rain water. Rain barrels or storage containers can be such stylized and very individual choice, you should decide what kind of look you want or prefer and easily obtain your choice from many local sources. Plumbing fittings for hose attachment, screening and caulking for your rain water container are all available from any hardware or home improvement store. This has been a general overview of rain water collection. In future blogs we will go into more detail on rain water collection system installation, sophisticated underground water tanks with pumps and water lines, filtering and disinfecting the rain water for potable use, rain water conservation benefits and useful ideas on constructing your own custom rain barrels or decorative water tanks.

4/30/2010 1:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Gutter Installation - Copper Work Florida

Today we give a shout out to Rutland Guttering in Florida. Rutland Guttering is an affiliated sister company to Rutland Gutter Supply, providing extensive product installation services while operating from several regional offices located across Florida. Rutland Guttering performs seamless rain gutter installation and architectural copper work throughout the whole state of Florida, including all types and sizes of commercial gutters and residential gutter systems. Rutland Guttering has extensive expertise with both commercial and home gutter systems as well as outdoor copper work. They also perform gutter service, gutter repairs, gutter system design, gutter inspections and the occasional gutter cleaning for larger gutter systems. Rutland Guttering's residential seamless gutter installations provide homeowners with complete lifetime warranty protection. Rutland Guttering provides complimentary gutter system evaluation, free gutter quotes and copper work estimates at the customer's own site. Rutland Guttering assists builders, contractors, renovators and architects with gutter design and architectural copper work planning utilizing Rutland's expertise and in-house CAD gutter design and architectural drawing capability.

Rutland Guttering provides their residential and commercial customers with truly the largest selection of gutter styles, gutter materials, gutter sizes, gutter types, gutter colors and architectural copper work selection throughout the state of Florida. Gutter types include common K-Style or Ogee gutters, elegant half round gutters and quarter round gutters and more commercial box gutters to accommodate heavy rain water volume. Unlike most gutter companies, Rutland Guttering has the fabrication capabilities to make a large range gutter sizes from 5" to 12" wide as well as custom sizes to accommodate any seamless guttering project. Rutland also offers a wide range of gutter downspout material options including aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, galvalume, stainless steel, Freedom Gray - zinc coated copper and zinc. Rutland's decorative architectural copper work includes but not limited to: cupolas; roof finials; chimney caps; chimney pots; dome roofs; turret roofs; gazebo roofs; roof caps; door and window awnings; copper deck railing or roof widows walk; wall vents; soffit vents; roof vents; copper dormers; copper gutters; outdoor copper accents; garden sculpture; copper canopy; copper fire pit bowls and covers.

Rutland Guttering maintains a large fleet of architectural copper work and seamless gutter installation trucks along with well trained installation crews. Rutland has at it's disposal a large scale metal fabrication facility including custom paint shop.

seamless gutter installation truck and custom architectural copper work

metal fabrication shop, copper work warehouse and custom paint shop facilities

Rutland Guttering has installed seamless rain gutter systems and expansive array of architectural copper work throughout the state of Florida and across the Caribbean for over 15 years. Rutland Guttering has extensive experience with all types and sizes of residential homes, businesses, churches, hotels, public and commercial buildings. Rutland Guttering also lends it's expertise to precise historical preservation and restoration work. Wherever or whenever local installation contractor resources are either unavailable or otherwise unacceptable, Rutland Guttering crews are also available to travel across the U.S. and even world wide depending upon the scope of the project. Rutland can drop ship all required products and materials ahead of time, waiting for installation crew arrival to any remote location. Visit Rutland Guttering's "Seamless Gutter Installation - Architectural Copper Work" website for contact and additional information.