GUTTERS AND RAINWATER GOODS
complete design solutions
Gutters might not be the most eye catching aspect of the building envelope, but they are essential to ensure that rainfall is collected and discharged from the building. This must be done what ever the eventuality, shower or storm, so that the inside of the building remains dry and that the building envelope does not suffer from unnecessary deterioration. It is therefore essential that the gutter is large enough to handle the worst case scenario, and that there is consistency of manufacture to prevent leaks after installation.
We are passionate about what we do!
Fabricolor delivers both these requirements with CRM Gutterflow calculations and quality of manufacture through ISO 9001 Quality Management System.
Structures and designs are rarely the same, therefore our customers require a bespoke service. We have the flexibility, equipment and experience to handle requirements from one off prototypes to large prestigious projects. These are a few example projects we have worked on : ■
New GCHQ Headquarters - Cheltenham
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Centre Court - Wimbledon
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Millennium Stadium - Cardiff
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RNLI World Headquarters - Poole
Fabricolor are accredited with ISO 9001 Certification, the quality management principles that underpin ISO 9000 are: ■
Customer focus
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Leadership
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Involvement of people
Fabricolor Gutters and Rainwater Goods Product Range
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Process approach
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System approach to management
At Fabricolor we offer:
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Continual improvement
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Factual approach to decision making
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Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
Insulated Valley Gutters ■
Aluminium; galvanised steel (optional TCN440 coating); membrane; stainless steel
Eaves Gutter ■
Pre and post coated aluminium; Plastisol coated steel; membrane; stainless steel.
Rainwater Goods ■
Square and round down pipes; swan necks; shoes; brackets; Roding eyes; anti climb solutions; dilaprene expansion joints; corners and intersections; CRM gutter flow calculations.
Our investment in ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ensure our products are supplied to site with customer confidence, first time.
Roof Drainage Calculations The flow capacity for gutter systems tend to be based on a rainfall rate, the gutter being laid nominally level. It is important to design a valley gutter so it can manage the worst case scenario and does not overflow into the building. The CRM Gutterflow is a programme dedicated to calculating flow rates taking into account rainfall in various parts of the country to calculate the correct gutter size for the roof design and location. A major consideration is to allow the water to escape from the gutter as quickly as possible. In addition to the number and size of rainwater pipes, weirs, overflows, and symphonic systems can be introduced to the gutter system.
The roof drainage system is an important aspect of the overall roof design. This is particularly the case for parapet and valley gutters, which are inside the building line and are effectively part of the roof. Any overflow or leaks into the building would be unacceptable. It is therefore important to calculate the correct size of gutter required, taking into consideration roof area, location, highest potential rainfall and number and size of outlets. Eaves gutters are outside of the building and pose less of a problem, potential overflows can be addressed with the introduction of weirs. When specifying a guttering system it is important to remember that the gutters are subject to relatively severe conditions and the specifier must be careful to choose the correct materials, seals and coatings.
Material Protection
Fabricolor Aluminium Gutter
Fabricolor Galvanised Steel Gutters
Aluminium has excellent corrosion resistance, however aluminium expands at a greater rate than steel and designers should build into the design a dilaprene expansion joint to allow for natural expansion and contraction of the aluminium. This means that the gutter should be allowed to float and not be fixed to a sub structure.
Galvanised steel gutters can either be GBM galvanized before manufacture or GAM galvanized after manufacture. GBM means that the galvanised steel sheet that Fabricolor processes arrives already galvanised. Normal commercial grades of galvanized steel have a galvanized coating to a thickness of 275g/m2.
At the eaves aluminium gutters can be externally powder coated. All powder coated parts carry a Dupont or Synthapulvin warranty. For marine environments additional Marine Warranty’s are available. Assembly of aluminium gutters Aluminium eaves gutters can be fixed together with rivets or stainless steel nuts, bolts, washers and a suitable sealant. Aluminium valley gutters are usually site welded to produce one continuous length; this guarantees that there will be no joints where potential leaks can occur. Expansion joints are also welded into the gutter run to ensure water tightness.
Fabricolor Stainless Steel Gutter It is recommended for gutters that G600 galvanised steel sheets are specified, as these have a 600g/m2 coating and will offer greater corrosion resistance, and therefore longer life. GAM is mild steel that is manufactured into a gutter, including the welding of stop ends and outlets and is then dipped into a bath of molten metal. The gutter is then completely coated to BS729 (1986). This process deposits a thick galvanised coating on top of the mild steel for good long term corrosion resistance. This type of process has the advantage of having welded areas and exposed edges coated by the galvanising process. All galvanised steel gutters can be further coated by factory applied TCN440 which is an organic epoxy coating, and with the correct maintenance increases the gutter life up to 25 years. Assembly of galvanized steel gutters The industry standard for the assembly of galvanized steel gutters is based on a joggled end that has holes pre punched to accept butyl mastic and galvanised nuts, bolts and washers. A rubber washer should be placed between the galvanized steel washer and the gutter face to avoid electrolytic reaction, or in the case of insulated gutters where stainless steel fixings are used, a reaction from dissimilar metals.
Stainless steel is very good for long life and corrosion resistance, grades 304 and 316 are recommended. Assembly of stainless steel gutters Stainless steel gutters are usually assembled similar to galvanized steel gutters, based on a joggled end that has holes pre punched to accept butyl mastic and stainless steel nuts, bolts and washers. A rubber washer should be placed between the stainless steel washer and the gutter face to avoid electrolytic reaction. As with aluminium, stainless steel gutters can be site welded, but dilaprene expansion joints will be required.
We have the flexibility, equipment and experience to handle requirements from one off prototypes to large prestigious projects. Our investment in ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ensure our products are supplied to site with customer confidence, first time.
Fabricolor Membrane Gutter PVC and EPDM membrane linings bonded to a steel substrate are now becoming more popular with contractors due to the heat-welded joint and the durability of the membrane finish. These products have a life expectancy in excess of 35 years and can be provided with a specific project warranty of up to 20 years. Assembly of membrane gutters Membrane gutters are becoming more and more successful due to the ease of installation and jointing. Membrane gutters employ the same methods as flat roofing in that the joints are heat welded to ensure a water tight seal. Products such as Raintite which uses the fatra membrane, offer a flap over detail that eliminates 50% of welding. Raintite also offers a unique durable slip resistant surface. Membranes are 1.2mm thick bonded to 1.2mm galvanised steel substrate, giving a highly durable product with a weather resistant surface. Membranes offer excellent colour stability as well as resistance to ultraviolet light, heat and harsh weather conditions, including ponding and general wear and tear. A major benefit is that membrane gutters are easily repaired by heat welding a membrane patch over the problem area.
CASE STUDY Centre Court Wimbledon
Fabricolor uses its 20 years of manufacturing experience to contract review the customer order and determine the process requirement. This ensures that the finished product will comply with the appearance that the architect envisaged. Modern CNC machinery, up to date manufacturing software and trained personnel enables Fabricolor to produce complex bespoke architectural products.
An existing customer enquired if Fabricolor could produce an insulated membrane gutter in olive green to match the roofing materials on the planned covered roof for the Centre Court at Wimbledon. Although Fabricolor is a manufacturer of membrane gutter, this was different in that the colour was a departure from the industry standard of light grey. Fabricolor eventually sourced the material from Raintite, whose product use’s Fatra membrane. Fatra were willing to produce a membrane in an olive green colour.
THE FABRICOLOR RANGE ■ LOUVRES Fabricolor Louvres are manufactured from high quality extruded and profiled aluminium, available in a range of louvre blade profiles and pitches. Louvres can be supplied as factory assembled modules, in kit form for site assembly to give continuous lines, and in cassette format to interlock with composite wall cladding systems. ■
SOLAR SHADING
Solar Shading provides an aesthetic design solution to the practical problem of protecting a building against solar heating and glare. A range of blade designs, Standard and Smooth Flow to allow flexibility in length span and shading depth in order to provide the required solution.
Accessories
Steel, aluminium and membrane can all be used to manufacture an insulated gutter.
Stop ends, weir overflows, outlets, junctions, T-pieces, corners and sumps are all available and factory assembled.
Valley gutters form part of the overall roof envelope and therefore require to be insulated to the same value as the roof. A typical insulated gutter will consist of an upper skin (galvanised steel, aluminium, stainless steel or membrane), a lower skin which is sometimes internally visible and manufactured from a steel white liner to match the rest of the internal roof and a rigid PIR insulation core. Depending upon the design these gutters are fully walkable, as the core should be 80mm thick to help achieve an overall roof U-values of 0.25W/m2k. Insulation properties are normally expressed as thermal conductivities. This can be translated as a thickness of insulation, which is required to meet the correct U-value as specified in the Building Regulations. The table below shows the different thickness of most common insulation with typical K-values, required to meet these requirements.
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Rainscreen panels and insulated panels enable the designer to provide a flat surface to the outer skin of a building. A wide range of materials and finishes are available to create crisp lines and an aesthetic appearance. Systems are available to suit new build projects and refurbishments fixed to existing facades.
Downpipes and Accessories To suit the application there is a variety of aluminium down pipe sizes available from 50mm to 200mm, square and round. Aluminium is corrosion resistant, light and can be polyester powder coated to provide an attractive finish. The quantity and size can be calculated using the CRM Gutterflow software. Swannecks or offsets can be produced in any angle and length combination to suit site conditions. Rodding eyes, collars, square to round connectors and brackets are available to suit site requirement.
In addition to this, there was the additional benefit to the customer of the membrane extending beyond the steel it is bonded to, thus providing a jointing piece that required only one edge to seal when the gutter was fixed together. Some of the gutters on the new Centre Court roof were so large that the length of the sheet, in excess of 3 metres, became the girth or width of the gutter. Raintite were able to offer sheets of membrane bonded to a steel liner with the overhanging membrane along its length (as opposed to the normal practice of the ends of sheets). This once again allowed the large gutters to be joined with only one edge to seal.
‘U’ value (W/m2K)
Composite thickness (mm) PIR
Rock fibre thickness (mm)
0.25
80
150
0.30
70
130
0.35
60
100
0.45
40
75
METAL FACADES
The covered roof of the Centre Court at Wimbledon has used 3000 linear metres of Fabricolor insulated olive green membrane gutter. The project involved the manufacture of complex gutter corner fabrications which were constructed and sealed in house before delivering to site.
Insulated or composite panels designed around a curtain walling system provide infill when glazing is not required. ■
SMOKE VENTS AND ACCESS HATCHES
Fabricolor offers a range of Smoke Vent and Access Hatch systems which are engineered by computer selection to determine the effect of the development of fire and the passage of smoke on the configuration of the building. This is essential in order to provide the most appropriate solution to meet individual project requirements. ■
ARCHITECTURAL FABRICATIONS
Architectural Fabrications include a wide range of architectural products that complete the building envelope. These products will require the same technical excellence as the other products listed here. Fabricolor has the experience and expertise to offer the following bespoke products: Column Casings; Select Eaves System; Copings and Capping; Soakers; Curved Fascias; Complex Fabrications.
Designed and produced by Gough Allen Stanley, tel: 01527 579555 www.gough.co.uk
Fabricolor Insulated Gutters
LOUVRES SOLAR SHADING GUTTERS AND RAINWATER GOODS METAL FACADES SMOKE VENTS AND ACCESS HATCHES ARCHITECTURAL FABRICATIONS
Fabricolor Ltd. Foley Business Park Stourport Road Kidderminster Worcestershire DY11 7PT t f e w
01562 865856 01562 865825 enquiries@fabricolor.co.uk www.fabricolor.co.uk