Is your house equipped with rain gutters made of copper? The wind and rain carry all kinds of stuff into rain gutters. There are many different kinds of gutter protection systems available today including gutter guards, gutter covers, gutter screens, and gutter filters. If you have half-round gutters, the Half-Round Hinged Gutter Screen is available to fit 5-inch or 6-inch gutters. A gutter screen will prevent all except rather fine material from passing into the rain gutter.
Almost every home is equipped with rain gutters. Fortunately, there is—install some kind of a rain gutter protection system that will keep the debris out of your rain gutters. They come in a number of different types and styles including gutter guards, gutter covers, gutter screens, or gutter filters. K-style rain gutters are more popular than half-round gutters, and other kinds of gutter protection products are available for K-style gutters.
When deciding on gutter guards, gutter covers, gutter screens, or gutter filters, one of the factors that must be considered is the environmental conditions the parts will see during their lifetime. Remember, those are air temperatures. Many materials, particularly many plastics, just won’t perform throughout a wide temperature range. Many roof parts are made from metal. This uses polyether-polyurethane foam as the filter material. The material is open cell foam.
Often driven by the desire to avoid the necessity of cleaning the gutters two, or three, or even four times a year, various different ideas have led to the creation of gutter guards, gutter covers, and gutter screens. Gutter screens are not like the window screens you use to keep out flies and mosquitoes. Screens with smaller holes trap more small particles on top. So what about gutter filters?
Snow accumulated on the roof. The water ran down the roof. Time to start planning to (1) clean out the rain gutters in the spring, and (2) install a gutter protection system. This would consist of gutter guards, gutter covers, gutter screens, or gutter filters. Inevitably, the debris level builds up and blocks the rain gutter. A gutter protection system will keep most of the debris out of the gutters (Note “most”—not “all”). The gutter cover is shaped so the water flow will follow a curved surface and fall into the gutter while the debris falls outside the gutter. Any one of these types of systems will improve the cleanliness of your rain gutters and reduce your gutter maintenance requirements. For further information about the different types and models of gutter guards, gutter covers, gutter screens, and gutter filters go to GutterSupply.com.
The simplest solution is some kind of gutter screen. When water is poured on the screen it readily runs through the holes. This fine material will readily pass through the diamond-shaped holes. Capillary action makes the water try to stick to the surface of the gutter cover. On a rain gutter cover, the lip of the cover is positioned so the debris falls outside the rain gutter, but the water falling from the tab falls inside the gutter.
Unless you are alert for small signs like this, water damage can go unchecked, emerging only when it has caused serious damage to your home.
1) Water Stains
Stains on your drywall are the most obvious sign of interior water damage. If water lines inside your home are leaking, you may be able to tell by reading your water meter.
Spotting Exterior Problems
A leaky roof, poor drainage around your home and clogged or leaky rain gutters are the biggest causes of exterior leaks.
Copper gutters are the heart of this new upscale rain gutter market, since copper trim can give a house a rich, luxurious appearance. Copper gutters are especially popular for luxury French Manor and Tuscan-style homes. Copper is more expensive than the aluminum traditionally used in rain gutters, which is why copper gutters have so far been limited to the luxury home market. Sock Woodruff is founder and partner of GutterSupply.com, the leading manufacturer and distributor of Copper Gutter.
Industrial Downspout Machines: Several U.S. companies produce industrial-grade machines for roll forming downspouts. These machines are larger, heavier, and more expensive than portable roll forming machines. Artos produces standard pipe machines which can produce round pipe in sizes from 2-inch to 6-inch diameters, corrugated round pipe in 3-inch or 4-inch sizes, square corrugated pipe in 3-, 4-, or 5-inch sizes and 2x3 or 3x4 plain square pipe.
(Your seamless gutter machine probably produces about 30 feet per minute.)Jobsite’s CTMe Series machines can produce 2x3, 3x3, 3x4, or 4x5 profile downspouts, and elbows. Jobsite also produces the RTMe Series machines, which can produce round downspouts and elbows in 3- or 4-inch sizes. Elbow Machines: There are also few U.S. manufacturers producing elbow machines. Jobsite also produces a portable elbow-forming machine, the ELF, which can produce 2x3 or 3x4 elbows.
Starting a new business isn’t hard—thousands upon thousands of people do it every year. A major reason many new businesses fail is unrealistic expectations about what the business will produce. It is a mature product with a mature market. Lower prices (and lower profits), better quality, some specialized market niche? What? What is your business concept? How will you structure your business? Will you work alone, or hire employees to assist with the work? What equipment do you have to buy (trucks, trailers, gutter machine, other machines, hand tools, handling equipment, office equipment, supplies, gutter coil, other inventory, etc.)? General contractors? Homeowners? How are you going to make them aware of your company and get their business?
Realistically, it will take a while to capture business for your new company. What happens if the housing market slows down? You will need the help of a lawyer to determine the business structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation) and handle the legal issues of setting up the business. What about Workmen’s Compensation and general business insurance?