Hi my name is "Eavetroughbill". I'm a friend of Nathan McDaniels. Nathan has asked me to put in writing just what rain gutters (eave troughs) are used for and what are the best material to use for rain gutters.
Rain gutter's number one function, in my book, is the directing of the flow of rain water around your house or any building structure.
Your house has a foundation. That foundation must stay put to hold up your house. Water is one big way erosion happens. Rain gutters are used to collect and direct the rain water from the roof eave to a leader pipe (downspout). The leader pipe then carries the water to where it can do no harm to the foundation and/or be used for some other useful purpose.
On the Big Island, in Hawaii, a popular function the rain water does is to provide drinking and bathing water. You see some homes are on land with no reachable ground water or too far from the public water lines. This rain water is very clean but needs to be kept that way with a clean storage container and filtering apparatus.
With a one horse power electric pump or larger you can supply your whole house with running water. Nathan can supply the info on solar electricity for your electric water pump.
Getting back to the other functions of rain gutters, the number two reason for controlling where the water goes is to eliminate the feeding and watering grounds of insect type pests. Along the drip line that forms on the ground around your house is where the eave allows the water to drain. Without gutters the cockroaches and termites are drawn, for their water needs.
The insects are drawn to the roof drip line on the ground for water. Then they have just a little farther to go, to your house, for food. Eliminate the water source around your house and the bugs will not hang around either.
The third reason to have gutters is a design function. Rain gutters can provide added designed aesthetics to a water feature. In Hawaii some people have Koi ponds in certain areas around their homes. The Japanese fish pools are great design features that add a touch of nature and out door environmental wonder to their yards.
At times depending on the house and design of the ponds there is a need to place downspouts at the location of these pools. You see the house design and function of the rain gutter system need to be in tune with each other in order to keep the water moving in the desired direction.
Rainchain is one alternative to use around Koi ponds. The Rainchain was invented in Japan to channel rain water to the ground while keeping in touch with the art of Feng Shui.(attracting positive energy)
Rainchains can be simple hardware store looped chain going thru a hole in the rain gutter at the appropriate location. A funnel is normally use in the gutter hole to focus the water on to the chain. In the hardware store the chain is sold by the foot.
Rainchains sold as a more decorative item can be found online. Their design can range from simple loops of copper to cup like structures that fill, then drip into the sequentially lower cups.
They are normally sold in eight foot sections. However, they can be connected together to accommodate any length required. Usually the longer you allow a chain to be the more wind blown water is deposited on your house. Consequently you may want to limit your chains to one story applications only.
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Rain gutters can be made out of any material you like. However, the three most commonly used materials for home installation are aluminum, copper or plastic. All three work well for a one to two year period.
After that initial couple of years the plastic will begin to leak at every seam, corner and end cap. Plastic is not recommended for their leaking seams and their limited color selection.
The two most highly recommended materials for rain gutters is either copper or aluminum.
Aluminum is the most used material because it is inexpensive, can be rolled to any length your house requires (seamless) and the baked on enamel finish is tough, weathers well and comes in colors that will match or compliment your house colors nicely.
Copper has all the qualities of aluminum but is more expensive (three times). Does not come in but one color that will take on a patina green or brown depending on where your house is, relative to water.
Copper is highly recommended for homes on or within a couple of blocks from the ocean. Salt water will have devastating affects on aluminum products that are close to the ocean spray.
For more specific info on Rain Gutters please email me at: Klobucar@mindjourney.info Say Nathan sent me. If you are in Hawaii I can get you a free estimate for a complete rain gutter system.
If you have any general questions or comments please share them with us at the comment area below
Thank you for reading this post and I also would like to thank Nathan for asking me to contribute. Have a great day and enjoy good health!
Rain gutter's number one function, in my book, is the directing of the flow of rain water around your house or any building structure.
Your house has a foundation. That foundation must stay put to hold up your house. Water is one big way erosion happens. Rain gutters are used to collect and direct the rain water from the roof eave to a leader pipe (downspout). The leader pipe then carries the water to where it can do no harm to the foundation and/or be used for some other useful purpose.
On the Big Island, in Hawaii, a popular function the rain water does is to provide drinking and bathing water. You see some homes are on land with no reachable ground water or too far from the public water lines. This rain water is very clean but needs to be kept that way with a clean storage container and filtering apparatus.
With a one horse power electric pump or larger you can supply your whole house with running water. Nathan can supply the info on solar electricity for your electric water pump.
Getting back to the other functions of rain gutters, the number two reason for controlling where the water goes is to eliminate the feeding and watering grounds of insect type pests. Along the drip line that forms on the ground around your house is where the eave allows the water to drain. Without gutters the cockroaches and termites are drawn, for their water needs.
The insects are drawn to the roof drip line on the ground for water. Then they have just a little farther to go, to your house, for food. Eliminate the water source around your house and the bugs will not hang around either.
The third reason to have gutters is a design function. Rain gutters can provide added designed aesthetics to a water feature. In Hawaii some people have Koi ponds in certain areas around their homes. The Japanese fish pools are great design features that add a touch of nature and out door environmental wonder to their yards.
At times depending on the house and design of the ponds there is a need to place downspouts at the location of these pools. You see the house design and function of the rain gutter system need to be in tune with each other in order to keep the water moving in the desired direction.
Rainchain is one alternative to use around Koi ponds. The Rainchain was invented in Japan to channel rain water to the ground while keeping in touch with the art of Feng Shui.(attracting positive energy)
Rainchains can be simple hardware store looped chain going thru a hole in the rain gutter at the appropriate location. A funnel is normally use in the gutter hole to focus the water on to the chain. In the hardware store the chain is sold by the foot.
Rainchains sold as a more decorative item can be found online. Their design can range from simple loops of copper to cup like structures that fill, then drip into the sequentially lower cups.
They are normally sold in eight foot sections. However, they can be connected together to accommodate any length required. Usually the longer you allow a chain to be the more wind blown water is deposited on your house. Consequently you may want to limit your chains to one story applications only.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rain gutters can be made out of any material you like. However, the three most commonly used materials for home installation are aluminum, copper or plastic. All three work well for a one to two year period.
After that initial couple of years the plastic will begin to leak at every seam, corner and end cap. Plastic is not recommended for their leaking seams and their limited color selection.
The two most highly recommended materials for rain gutters is either copper or aluminum.
Aluminum is the most used material because it is inexpensive, can be rolled to any length your house requires (seamless) and the baked on enamel finish is tough, weathers well and comes in colors that will match or compliment your house colors nicely.
Copper has all the qualities of aluminum but is more expensive (three times). Does not come in but one color that will take on a patina green or brown depending on where your house is, relative to water.
Copper is highly recommended for homes on or within a couple of blocks from the ocean. Salt water will have devastating affects on aluminum products that are close to the ocean spray.
For more specific info on Rain Gutters please email me at: Klobucar@mindjourney.info Say Nathan sent me. If you are in Hawaii I can get you a free estimate for a complete rain gutter system.
If you have any general questions or comments please share them with us at the comment area below
Thank you for reading this post and I also would like to thank Nathan for asking me to contribute. Have a great day and enjoy good health!
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