A good building should have a good roof. And a good roof should have a good drain. The article will focus on the drain, the materials for it, the slope of the gutter and everything else that may be related to this issue.
Types of drains
Today, there are several types of materials for drainage systems. Let's name the main ones:
- metal;
- copper;
- tree;
- plastic.
Now we need to say a few words about each type of drainage system.
Metal gutter system
This is a classic that is still found everywhere in our lives. The main advantage of such a system is its durability, which is measured in tens of years. The main disadvantage of such a system may be its price. Metal has greatly increased in price in recent years, in addition, many cheap analogues of this material have appeared.
Copper drain
In short, it is expensive, exclusive and expensive again. Extremely rare. Such a gutterthe system is installed on luxurious country houses, decorated in a certain style. This option is rare for the reason that you and I very rarely visit such houses. The shelf life of this option is practically unlimited, since copper will not rust during operation. It only needs to be occasionally cleaned of oxide.
Wooden drain
An outdated option, but sometimes it can be found in modern buildings, if their design is stylized antique. Such a system is not very durable. Plus, debris and dirt accumulate in the gutter made of wood, for this reason the slope of the gutter made of wood must be made more significant than in the case of any other modern material. The desired slope can be found in this case by trial and error. Mount a trial version, if it is not enough, then make the slope of the gutter steeper. SNiP and norms will not help you in this case, they are designed for modern options, and this is clearly not the case with a wooden drain.
Additionally, it is worth treating such a drainage system with special compounds that protect against rot and mold. This will allow you to extend the life of the system for a while.
Plastic gutter
This is a variant of our times. Convenient, simple, easy and inexpensive. You can’t even mention durability: we all know that plastic can last for centuries! Today you can choose the plastic drain you need in color and shape. The choice in thiscategories are just incredible. Prices for plastic drainage systems are also acceptable. This option is found everywhere on various types of buildings, from residential to utility and industrial.
Gutter slope
This is the most important moment in the issue of arranging a drain. It is important to make the slope correct. If it is insufficient, then the system simply will not work, if it turns out to be too large, then it will not look very attractive, and the receiving funnel may simply not be able to cope with the flow of water that will enter it. It is necessary to determine the golden mean in this matter, especially since there is no need to look for anything, because there is a clear regulation for the slope of the gutter by 1 meter. SNiP regulates this issue. The norms have been written for a long time and do not raise any questions.
If the length of your drain is less than 24 meters, then you can make a normal slope to one of the sides, if the drainage system is longer, then its length is divided in half and two slopes are made from the middle in different directions. The minimum gutter slope is one centimeter per linear meter of gutter. This is the lower limit, but there is another value in SNiP, it is considered average. This indicator is two to three centimeters of the slope of the drainage system for each of its running meters.
For a wooden version, such a slope may not be enough, in this situation you need to start with an indicator of two to three centimeters per meter of length. If suchthe slope is not enough, then you can add another centimeter, and so on, until you get the best option.
Importance of the issue
Why is it so important to maintain a gutter slope of 1 meter? Norms in SNiP are not taken from the sky. Everything that is given there is the result of long experiments in practice, disputes and theoretical calculations by people who know a lot about construction. SNiP gives minimum indicators and sufficient numbers. It is not difficult to follow these rules, so there are usually no problems in this matter.
As a rule, in almost all cases, it is enough to have a drain on your personal plot with one receiving funnel. In personal use, buildings exceeding 24 meters in length are extremely rare. This moment is positive, since one receiving funnel assumes one vertical channel in the drainage system, that is, saving materials and money. Since if your drain had two receiving funnels and two vertical channels, they would take twice as much materials. This is a kind of money saving, and each of us loves to save without losing quality.
SNiP on other drainage issues
You need to understand that in SNiP you can find not only the above norms, but also something else on the gutter. We have already considered the slope per meter. Now let's talk about the installation step of the gutter system brackets. SNiP recommends installing brackets at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other, if we are talking about a plastic gutter system. If the gutters are made of metal, then the step of the brackets will be75-150 centimeters, depending on the thickness of the material.
Installation
Installation is easy. It consists in the correct fastening of the brackets. After their installation, the elements of the drainage system are simply fixed on them. The only thing to consider during installation is that you need to choose the right place for installing the gutter (so that the flowing water from the roof falls into the gutter, and does not flow in front of it or fly away behind it).
After you mark the location of the gutter, you can conduct a little experience. In its course, you will need to pour a sufficient amount of water on the roof and see if it will fall into the gutter. If the experiment fails, then appropriate adjustments should be made and the procedure repeated. The experience should be continued until you get satisfactory results.
Reviews indicate that intuition will not let you down. Chances are you'll find the right gutter location the first time around. If not the first, then the second for sure. This has been proven empirically by people who have already de alt with gutter systems and their installation.
How to slope?
At the highest point of your gutter system, you install the starter bracket. At the lowest point of your drain, the final bracket is installed (the height difference between the initial and final brackets is calculated based on the information in SNiP). Next, a cord (rope) is pulled between these two brackets. After that, you can install intermediate brackets, focusingon a cord (rope). Remember to comply with SNiP regulations when installing intermediate brackets for your gutter system.
Tips
Experienced people who are building more than the first building on their site create a downpipe slope without using any measuring tools.
Reviews of the masters of construction indicate that if we are talking about building on your site (that is, the roof is not too large), then you can make the slope of the drainpipe using your own eye. But we would still recommend using specialized measuring tools and acting within the framework of SNiP.
Gutter cleaning
If we are talking about a modern PVC drain, then there is a special protective mesh on sale for it. It is installed directly on the gutter and protects it from foreign objects (leaves, branches and other debris). If such a grid is not provided by you, then periodically you will need to clean the gutters. This procedure is simple and rarely required (usually no more than once a season). Cleaning is done by hand or with a cloth. In addition, make sure that the vertical pipes of the system are not clogged, although this is extremely rare.
In closing
Today we learned what the gutter slope should be and why it should be that way. In addition, they got acquainted with various materials for creating a drainage system. There is nothing complicated in this matter, you just need to know the rules and observe the correct biasgutter systems during installation.
