Rainwater Systems Guide

Rainwater guttering systems are designed to channel water away from a buildings base to protect its foundation. They also help to reduce erosion, prevent leaks in basements and crawlspaces, protect painted surfaces by reducing exposure to water, and provide a means to collect rainwater for later use.

Popular materials for guttering systems include metal, GRP, copper, zinc, plastic and timber.

Rainwater gutters collect water from the roof and drain it down a leader pipe to the bottom of the building where it is collected or directed to a drainage system. A barrel may be used to collect water from the guttering system.

Rainwater Systems are made up of the following components:

Gutters - the horizontal pipe that sits on the roof edge and collects the water as it drains off the tiles. Many different finishes and shapes are available in a guttering systems. The shapes are referred to as profiles.

Pipes - used to drain the water from the roof level to the ground. The down pipes needs to follow the contours of the building so are made up of sections connected by a series of joints.

Hoppers – down pipes from different areas of the roof line can meet at a junction called a hopper where they are joined into a single pipe.

Accessories - brackets, clips, ends and outlets are used to connect the rainwater system together and to secure it to the building.

Rain gutters can be equipped with gutter screens, louvers or solid hoods to allow water from the roof to flow through, while reducing passage of roof debris into the gutter.

Most modern guttering requires no maintenance other than periodical cleaning out. Water can leak down the side of the building if the gutters become blocked or clogged up. Blocked gutters can also lead to stagnant water build up which allows grasses and weeds to grow in the gutter.