Roof water drainage systems, in addition to the absence of water accumulations near the house, can significantly extend the life of the building foundation and are an integral attribute of almost every building. The most widespread today are plastic gutters for the roof, usually made of PVC. Their positive qualities include resistance to corrosion, mechanical and, of course, atmospheric phenomena. Among other things, plastic gutters are easier to transport.
Design features of gutters
A roof drain usually consists of three main elements:
- gutters;
- pipes;
- fittings.
Gutters are elements of a system of square, semicircular or trapezoidal section, mounted in places where water is drained from the roof (with four-pitched hip roof - around the perimeter of the roof).
Water through the water intake enters through them directly into the drainage system. At the beginning of the gutter, a plug is mounted to prevent water from escaping in an unnecessary place.
The elements of the gutter are interconnected by means of couplings and adapters. If it is necessary to bend the gutter, external and internal angles of 90, 120 and 135 degrees are used.
Do-it-yourself connection of a pipe with a funnel, as well as bending around a facade ledge, is carried out using a knee. As for the water distribution at different corners of the roof, special branching tees are used for this. A drain is made at the end of the pipe.
The gutters are hung on the edge of the roof with hooks, the downpipe is attached to the wall with clamps, these measures are very important if you are making a structure such as do-it-yourself bath roof.
The following devices can serve as additional elements of drainage systems:
- storm water inlets - used to connect downpipes to storm sewers;
- nets and baskets - preventing leaves and other debris from entering the pipes;
- drippers - improving the rolling of water and preventing it from accumulating under the roof.
Design of drainage systems
Downspouts vary in shape and size. How to choose the right ones?
For small dachas, houses, sheds, gazebos and canopies, a gutter with a diameter of 70 to 115 mm and pipes of 50-70 mm in diameter will suffice.For cottages with an average roof area, most likely, you will need larger products: gutters with a diameter of 115-130mm, pipes with a diameter of 75-100mm.
Well, for large houses with, respectively, an impressive roof area, gutters 140-200mm in diameter and pipes with a diameter of 90-160mm are suitable.
The drainpipe is selected based on the length of the gutter no more than 8m, i.e. with a gutter length of more than 8m, two downpipes will be required.
If you ignore these rules and install pipes or gutters of a smaller diameter than recommended, during heavy rainfall the system will not be able to cope with water drainage, as a result of which part of the water will spill from the gutter onto the blind area.
Installation of a drainage system
Roof drains are installed simultaneously with the construction of the roof itself, which significantly saves both time and money spent.
The installation method of the drainage system is chosen depending on the materials used for installation, the type and quality of fasteners, the scheme of the drainage system and other features.
However, there are general installation rules that you should definitely pay attention to:
- Gutters are fastened to the roof using brackets (hooks), which, as a rule, are screwed to the front board. In its absence, they are attached to the rafters or roofing board. If metal brackets are used, they can also be fixed to a brick wall.
- When fastening the brackets, be sure to observe the installation step of the brackets necessary for each type of structure. For plastic structures, the distance between the brackets is usually 50-60cm, for metal structures - 70-150cm. In addition, brackets are installed on both sides of the corners of the gutter and funnels.
- The slope of the gutters should be 2-5 cm per 1 m of length towards the funnel.
- The gutter is mounted in such a way that water from the roof flows down approximately to the central axis of the gutter or with a slight offset from the house. This will allow, in case of heavy rain, when the flow of water from the roof occurs under high pressure, to avoid water overflowing over the edge of the gutter.
- To avoid the accumulation of water under the roof, as well as to facilitate the entry of storm water into the drain, a drip should be mounted, which is screwed to the roof board in such a way that it enters the gutter profile with an overlap of about 15 mm.
- The distance from the wall of the house to the eastern pipe is kept within 3-8 cm. If the pipe fits snugly against the wall, mold may appear on it due to dampness.
- Pipe fasteners are arranged under all joints every 1-2m, depending on the load applied to the gutter.
- The distance from the pipe drain to the ground is provided for at least 30 cm, in the presence of a drainage system - 15 cm.
Advice! When connecting sections of the gutter, it is necessary to provide an overlap of 25-30 mm. To ensure increased tightness, rubber seals are installed at the joints.
Gutter system maintenance
Pipes and gutters must be kept clean to prolong the life of the drain. From clogging with leaves and branches, special gratings are installed in the funnels, especially when the house is located among tall trees.
It is not recommended to clean a clogged pipe with sharp tools.If possible, the blockage is removed with a strong pressure of water from a hose, so that even a do-it-yourself roof made of ordinary corrugated board
The same applies to contamination from the outside of the pipe.
The icing of the drain in winter has a negative effect on the period of operation. To combat this problem, anti-icing of roof drains is installed in the gutters and pipes of drainage systems, which is a system of heating cables that prevent the remaining water in the system from freezing.
In addition, heating of this type allows you to get rid of icicles that can damage the gutter and pipe when falling.
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