Rain gutter

One Gutter ( colloquially rain gutter or roof Kalle, regional (roof) candelabra or (roof) Kännel, also hangers, (roof) Kähner ( Alemannic ), in Switzerland often called Dachhengel ) is a collection trough that the draining of the roof covering rain water collected on the eaves and is derived by a hopper via a downpipe. As part of the roof drainage it is used to avoid damage to the house as well as from injury or even harassment from people and house road users. Where water is missing, difficult to obtain or prohibitively expensive, the function is added to collect the rain water with rain water collectors in cisterns or rain barrels for use.

History

The earliest gutters were probably made ​​of wood (which itself gets bad). In antiquity and the Middle Ages they were chiseled out of stone or brick built out of shape; which was derived mostly about gargoyles. They are found mostly in the Merovingian mansion, then again in the 12th and 13th centuries. At sacral they persisted in stone, the joints were sealed with cement or fat, which, however imperfectly succeed in northern climates. In residential buildings, they were made of wood with inner lead sheet lining or entirely of lead, sometimes copper. Pipes made of lead or hollowed-out stone columns first appear in the 12th century in England and France. Gutters and pipes of metal are common until the 18th century. Cantilevered gutters of metal provide, inter alia, the advantage of being able to expand or contract slightly, without causing any damage.

Designs

Gutters are available in different profiles (eg half-round, box- shaped) and for different uses ( eg pre- mounted gutter Aufdachrinne, internal gutter, deck gutter, etc.). In addition to standard gutters any profiles plumber technically feasible.

Materials

Gutters are made from titanium zinc, galvanized steel, copper, stainless steel, aluminum, PVC or wood. The main criteria for the selection of the material are the cost, durability, appearance, design and aesthetic taste. Galvanized steel and titanium zinc look externally similar, but can be easily distinguished by a permanent magnet. Both look new and shiny bright weather soon to gray. Copper is in new condition bright red gloss, the bright red color is always darker due to weather over time - up to dark brown or almost black. Only in the course of many years or decades creates the typical green patina, which is famous for historic buildings. Wood gutters have recently been re-used in the wooden architecture still in the traditional peasant house construction, in garden design, in areas far from civilization and.

Dimensioning

The size of a gutter as well as the number and diameter of the down pipes depend on the associated roof surface and the strength of a normal local thunderstorm rain.

Curtain and internal roof drainage systems need to be investigated since July 2001 with a hydraulic calculation on their adequate size.

For economic reasons and to ensure the self-cleaning ability only average rainfall event shall be used. According to DIN 1986-100 this is the local five-minute rainfall intensity - the down is statistically once in five years.

Other influencing factors are the connected roof area ( in plan projected rainfall area), the runoff from roofs (depending on roof slope and the time delay between rainwater donation and actual outflow ) and the influences of channel length, channel angle, leaf trap baskets and Fallleitungsverziehungen which may lead to reduce the outflow assets ( see DIN 1986-100 ).

Execution

Zinc sheets used to be made in the so-called pack-rolling process. The maximum size of the steel plates was 1 × 2 meters. Bends made ​​due to the poor ductility preferably perpendicular to the rolling direction. Therefore, the panels were broken down into 1 meter sections. They named the gutters therefore after the divisor of the 2 -meter-long metal sheet. Although gutters are manufactured from titanium zinc in any length and with folds in the rolling direction, was retained this designation in Germany and used for other materials. The blanks of the raw material depend only on the final product. The dimensions and other details are regulated in Europe in EN 612. Is less the size of the starting material as that of the finished channel of interest for home improvement. In hardware stores the diameter of a semicircular channel ( or the width of a box- shaped channel ) is usually rounded as a benchmark (RG ) in millimeters, stated:

For box-shaped gutters or downspouts each result in different dimensions.

Depending on the material, installation conditions and nominal size are motion compensations schedule to ensure the temperature-induced length change ( thermal expansion ) without constraints. For example, at half-round box-shaped external gutters zinc (NW ≤ 500 mm) is 612 every 15 meters provided according to DIN EN a Dilatationsausgleich. This can be made as expansion joint or overlapped with corresponding moldings.

The attachment of the gutter is generally with prefabricated gutter brackets (according to DIN EN 1462 ). These are mounted on the fascia board, the rafters or to the wall. The blanks must be of sufficient size to meet the requirements. The DIN EN 1462 / DIN 612 breaks down the gutter bracket in four rows and stress derives the maximum allowable distances from.

Troughs to be laid both with and without gradient to the processes. Standing water in the channels leads to no apparent detriment. When Aufdachrinne however, a minimum slope of 5 mm per meter is recommended for installation on the roof.

A slope of the gutter across the longitudinal direction is not required. However, the DIN EN 612 specifies exact dimensions for a cant ( 8-20 mm ) of the rear gutter edge to prevent backflow at a penetration of water into the roof structure.

Standardize

• DIN EN 12056-3 Gravity drainage systems inside buildings, Part 3 - Roof drainage, layout and calculation
• DIN 1986-100 Drainage systems for buildings and land, Part 100 - Additional specifications to DIN EN 752 and DIN EN 12056
• DIN EN 612 Eaves gutters and downpipes made ​​of sheet metal; Definitions, classification and requirements
• DIN EN 1462 gutter bracket for hanging gutters; Requirements and testing
• "Guidelines for the design of metal roofs - external wall cladding and building plumbers work - technical rules of the Plumbers craft " from the Central Association of Plumbing, Heating and Air.