Drainage is part of the roofing and facade system, which does not allow water from rains and melting snow to excessively moisten the walls, basement, foundation. Thus, it provides protection of structures from getting wet and premature destruction.
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Installation of a drain is included in the project of the house at the stage of choosing the material for the roof and methods of its installation, since the system is fastened inside the ply structure under the finish coat. If a building is being built without preliminary calculations on its own (country house, cottage, outbuilding), you should determine in advance what the drain will be made of:
- galvanized steel;
- made of polymer-coated metal;
- made of plastic.
The most budget option is a steel drainage system. It will cost less than others, but it is worth remembering that its installation requires special care: the parts are not always tightly adjacent to each other, steel is most susceptible to corrosion, and during rain, the noise from drops will be heard in the house.
Metal gutter coated with anti-corrosion polymer materials is the most versatile: it is notit is deformed under the influence of temperature changes, the sun, it does not make noise during rain. In addition, modern manufacturers offer a wide color range of system performance, which allows you to choose the appropriate option for a particular facade and roof shade. The only caveat is that such a drain must be periodically treated with an anti-corrosion compound, since it tends to wear off the pipes over time.
Plastic is optimal for use in combination with colored shingle roofing - they can complement each other well. PVC is able to serve for a long time, but under the influence of temperature changes, the fragility of pipes and gutters may appear, and their periodic replacement is required.
What's included
It doesn't matter if the master or the owner of the building collects gutters, installing them yourself is quite possible and does not require special knowledge. The main thing is to buy everything you need:
- Gutter under the roof slope.
- A funnel that transfers water from a gutter to a pipe.
- Vertical pipe along the height of the facade.
- Elbow, corner of the gutter for connecting working parts.
- Gutter end cap.
- Filter grid.
- Brackets for attaching the system to the building.
- Clamps on rods for fixing vertical risers.
- Interlock connectors for gutters.
In addition, you will need self-tapping screws, a screwdriver, a tape measure and a marking pencil, a hacksaw, strong adhesive.
Armed with these materials and fixtures, you can start assembling.
Drainage installation should be carefully thought out: material, shape of the gutter, pipes, brackets, fixing points for vertical risers.
Step by step action plan
Installing a drain is a responsible task, since the fastening of elements to the building is further hidden from view under the roof and facade decoration. Therefore, you should stock up on attention and patience at the very beginning of work.
In order for a high-quality installation of gutters, an instruction with a step-by-step algorithm is given below, it is relevant for systems made of any materials.
Before starting work, it will not be superfluous to make a plan-scheme, on which all attachment points, locations of funnels, risers should be displayed. This will help to avoid possible errors and inaccuracies during the installation of the system, which will be difficult to correct in the future.
Guidelines
Before proceeding with the installation, you need to learn the important rules for installing gutters:
- The collection and fastening of elements is carried out in the direction from the upper tier to the lower one, from the roof to the base.
- The slope of the gutter under the roof should be at least 2-3 cm for 8-10 meters.
- Vertical drains should be installed at a distance of 10 meters from each other, no more. In this way, the greatest efficiency of drainage can be achieved and the load on the risers can be reduced.
- Strictly adhere to the assembly instructions supplied with the kit by the manufacturer, if you purchased one.
Sticking theseprinciples, you can easily assemble a system that will serve you for a long time and reliably.
Step 1 Mounting Mounts
Installation of brackets for gutters is the first and most important stage of work. It is performed after the installation of truss systems before further roofing. Fasteners are fixed to the rafter legs or frontal board. It is worth giving preference to metal brackets, since their service life and degree of reliability are much higher than that of other materials, they practically do not require replacement.
The fastening step of the elements depends on the gutter material:
- for metal - 70-90 cm;
- for plastic, PVC - 50-60 cm.
In the corners of the roof (10-15 cm to the edge), in places where vertical drainage and funnels are installed, holders must also be installed.
How to make a slope?
Fix the first and last brackets with a height difference of up to 15 cm for every 10 meters of the roof edge. Then pull any string taut and fasten the remaining brackets along it, adhering to the required distances.
Step 2. Installation of funnels
These works can be done after the installation of the entire roof structure. Funnels serve as guides for moving water from the gutter to the vertical riser. Work steps:
- If it is necessary to connect the gutters in the element, holes are cut out and the resulting edges are cleaned of fibers. Horizontal rails are fixed with glue.
- The funnel itself is fixed to the frontboard on self-tapping screws. Brackets should be installed on both sides of it at a distance of 2 cm so that they take the load from the gutter.
- If the funnel does not have a garbage filter mesh, you should install it separately after fixing the element.
Step 3. Lay the gutter
It should be noted that it can have a round or rectangular section. Functionally, they are no different, the choice of one or another option depends on personal preferences. Depending on this, you should choose the appropriate shape of the brackets.
The gutter is installed in fixed support elements along the edge of the roof. If the length of the element is enough, then it is simply inserted into the brackets or rested on the funnel. If you want to connect two gutters, use special fasteners that are appropriate in size and shape. They are put on the ends of the connected elements and form a reliable lock.
The free ends of the gutters are closed with plugs.
Step 4. Vertical Risers
After the installation of roof drains is completed, you can proceed to the installation of outlet pipes.
The work can be divided into 3 stages:
1) Fastening the knees - the transitional parts from the gutter to the riser, located under the eaves. The element can have a rounded or angular shape, a different angle of inclination, depending on the type of riser and gutter. The knee is attached to the funnel by a regular insert, which is fixed with a clamp.
2) Installation of riser - vertical pipe. It is attached to clamps fixed to the wall. Assembly is very simple: the pipe is inserted into the free end of the elbow, then connected to other pieces until the riser reaches the desired level at the base.
3) The installation of the finishing knee is done in the same way as the top one, only the fastening is carried out to the riser.
Where to put the water
Gutter installation completed, but where to direct the flows that will come from the roof?
- The free end of the knee can be sent to the storage tank (barrel) for further use of water for household purposes, for example, for irrigation.
- Set up a chute towards a road or storm drain.
- Direct water directly to the sewer well under the house.
- In some cases, the chute is directed towards the lawn, in which case the receiving area should be compacted to avoid soil erosion.
In any case, the flow of liquid should not fall on the blind area, so that the concrete does not become excessively wet and further damage and destruction.
At least once a year, it is necessary to clean the system from contaminants: leaves, insects, dirt, corrosion. The optimal time for prevention is spring, when the snow has already left the roof, and heavy rains are not yet expected. At the same time, metal pipes should be treated with anti-corrosion compounds, if necessary.
Featuresassembly
As already mentioned, the basic system assembly technology for any material is the same: first install the fasteners, then install the gutter and riser. However, there are still some differences in the process:
- Installation of plastic gutters can be carried out after assembly on the ground, and not in stages on the wall. Since the PVC elements are lightweight, they can be connected without much difficulty, and then the structure can be fixed to the installed brackets. Fragments of the system are inserted into each other, they do not require clamp fixation. Thus, loose or damaged parts can be easily replaced.
- When working with metal drains, it is important to observe the tightness of the joints. If suddenly the elements do not fit snugly together, you can use silicone sealant. It will ensure a secure connection and prevent corrosion of weak areas.
- To prevent the gutter from being torn off by a sliding layer of snow, it should be positioned so that its outer edge is 3-5 cm below the roof plane.
Outdoor gutters are ideal for a small house with a pitched roof. Do-it-yourself installation does not take much time and effort, installation can be done independently, without using the services of specialists.
There are internal roof drainage systems, they are used in high-rise buildings with flat roofs. In such, the roof has a slope to the inside, where the receiving pipe is located. It is installed in each entrance, it sends water directly to the sewer. Of course, this typecan be created for a private house, but its installation is very troublesome and more expensive.
