has anyone heard of or had any experience with a product called “rainhandler” gutters? they are a louvered gutter system that lets water through, but directs or fans it out into a 3 foot spray onto the ground beneath. they don’t need cleaning, supposedly. i am curious about how well they hold up against winds, ice, snow, etc.
i have an 80 year old house with a tile roof that has old copper gutters that sit on the roof and am looking for ideas to replace these. thanks to all. maggie
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Replies
Once I finish my fascia I'm gonna try them. I've been told they work with some houses and not with others. The reason I think they might work for me is 1) I can have a long drop from the drip edge to the "gutter", and 2) it's a porch roof that is 10' from the house foundation. I've heard they are less effective with a small distance for the water to fall to the louvers, and do you really want to dump all the water next to the foundation, even if it's spread a bit?
Never really understood those things. We've spoken "gutters" not all that long ago. Major debate. Seems to me that those things just turn a steady line of heavy water into a misty fall (if that). Seems to me the water still drops in excess next to ones foundation....just a bit more spread out. Question is.....avoiding gutters? Cloud.....if thats YOUR question then why not ( I forget what theyre called,,,,wheres Piffin when ya need him.....lol) "built into the roof gutters"? I know theyre a real lot of work to build in but I've worked on a real lot of them in old houses here on the north shore (Gold Coast) of LI. I've lined them with rubber roofing when they were beyond repair from excessive NON CLEAN OUT! I dried them all out after cleaning and lined them......Not sure how'd ya'd do em on a dome but after all you've done I think you might figure something out. Those "palstic wate spreaders" would sure be easier and cheaper....but since when have you done things that way? LOL....Seems you should do something more within the design of your dome.
BE well
Namaste
andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 10/13/2002 11:35:20 AM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)
Andy, I don't have a problem with gutters or rain off the dome. Off the flat porch roof, though, the rain does fall about 25' to the ground, and that does cut a groove in the mulch and landscaping, but that's 10' out from the footer and on a 45 degree slope. So if I can soften the fall, which Rainhandler would seem to do, then I've solved MY gutter issues. Much better for me that collecting it and then having to disperse it from a downspout.
Never have had a problem with it coming off the dome. Don't know exactly why. Maybe it's just slowed by the surface tension, so there's no force to the water and no splashing. Maybe it's even across the whole surface, so there's no focal point for the erosion. Have seen zero water in the french drain, so I know it's not seeping that far down through the 18' berm.
Domes don't get icicles either! Or ice dams. Can't happen if there's no edge. The snow just gathers and then is melted by the sun and eventually slides off. Tell ya what, though, when a 10' or 20' wide section lets go from its own weight, the sound of it sliding down the side sure gets your attention!
Sorry Cloud..Didnt realize you were talking about a flat roof...Youre right. I think the rain hnadler could be the right choice in your case. Good luck.
aIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I have had one of these unit installed over my front door for about three years now. Seems to work ok.
As long as it is solidly attached to the facia, it seems to hold up to ice pretty well, though I do try to knock off the big icicles.
They have multiple bracketing options available, as well as corner units.
I hope to use more, in the future.
HTH,
-TJ