I’m working out the design details for a Conservatory/Summerhouse that I’ll start building in a few weeks, and I was hoping for some advice on rain gutters.
This building will be all wood construction, approx. 16’x20′, with a gable roof, 5/12 pitch, cedar shingles, and copper flashing. It’s basically going to be a little Classical temple in the garden, with pilasters, entablature, etc. all articulated in painted wood.
I would like to use old fashioned concealed, or boxed, gutters on this because I don’t want to obscure any construction details with standard gutters. Construction details for this type of gutter exist in my Architectural Graphic Standards, as well as several of the old pattern books, so building these wouldn’t be a problem.
However, I’d also kind of like to construct downspouts concealed within the walls–I know it’s been done, but I have no idea how. I’ve been unable to find any sort of construction detail for this whatsoever.
So….if I wanted to do it, how? 4″ PVC? Galvanized? Naturally I don’t want to create something that will just freeze, burst, and leak into the walls. Is this whole idea just dumb?
Or should I just dispense with gutters entirely? It’s a small building with a small roof, and the drip-edge will stick out about 10.5″ past the walls. Would I have problems with water on all the glass, and all of the wood detailing?
Thanks.
Replies
Be very carefull, the only experience that I have is with repairing the mushy mildew wall in a closet after somebody unknowingly put screw through the hidden downspout. Since it sounds like a very detailed building, how about disguising them as columns or beams? That way it they do leak, they won't be hidden in the wall itself. Just a thought. The one I fixed used PVC, so it didn't rust away anyway. Sounds like a neat building, have fun.
Search for "roof drain". Lots of commercial building use interior drains, so they are designed for flat roofs. Shouldn't be too difficult to adapt to the flat bottom of a built-in gutter.
Most commercial buildings that have roof drains have too large of an expanse of roof to get rid of the water by directing it to the perimeter. It is by necessity that they have roof drains and they are often problematic.
gl
I've told you a billion times not to exaggerate.
Edited 5/14/2002 6:46:49 AM ET by grantlogan
I have worked on several buildings that had interior downspouts. All had massive damage to the interior, but in some cases the box gutter was over the exterior wall, rather than outside it. If there was any failure in the gutter water was directed inside the building. The downspouts were galvanized and all had failed. PVC would be an improvement. Common sense dictates eliminating the gutters (can you modify the plan to get a wider overhang?) or using the box gutter idea and still having downspouts. With the size of this roof, you only need two downspouts. Can they be obscured on the least visible side? What about rain chains?
Good luck.
gl
I've told you a billion times not to exaggerate.
I've only had one experience with built-in gutters, and it was a bad one. The gutters were set up so when they leaked all the water ran down into the exterior walls. No one knew it until the mold started showing through the plaster, or the plaster started falling off.
Since this isn't a house, I'd vote for no gutters. Maybe you could put in a gravel bed along the sides of the building so the dirt didn't wash where the water dripped off the sides.
I disagree with unanimity.