Gutters, scuppers and conductor heads
The parts of a roof drainage system and who sizes what, the materials and specifications that govern them, CDA's Chicago example and the AFS box gutters worked through, and the common defects and checks before a piece ships.
4 lessons · about 56 min · 11 diagrams · 1 video
Version 1.1.0
Builds on these modules
Lessons
0 of 4 complete
Lesson 1 · 12 min · 10 slides · 11 questions
Gutters, scuppers and conductor heads: principles and terminology
The parts of a roof drainage system and what each does, primary and overflow scuppers, who sizes what, and the hazards in the shop and at the roof edge.
You will be able to: Trace the path of roof water through gutters, scuppers, conductor heads and downspouts, name each part, tell primary from overflow scuppers, and state who sizes the system and the safety boundaries.
Not startedStart →Lesson 2 · 17 min · 12 slides · 16 questions
Gutters, scuppers and conductor heads: materials, standards and design constraints
Copper weights, the materials and bend limits AFS works to, expansion joints, laps, slope and hangers by specification, GT-1, and how codes and rainfall data change by edition and place.
You will be able to: Read material weights from the specifications, check a gutter against what AFS can make, account for thermal movement, laps, slope and hangers, and name the tests and code sections that apply, edition by edition.
Not startedStart →Lesson 3 · 16 min · 12 slides · 14 questions
Gutters, scuppers and conductor heads: methods and worked application
The method in order, CDA's Chicago example worked through, a conductor head and its downspout laid out, the AFS box gutters read leg by leg, and the pieces and laps for a run.
You will be able to: Follow a documented method from flow to a shop-ready gutter or conductor head: check the arithmetic on a drawing, lay out a head, read a FlashDraft box gutter, count pieces and laps, and record assumptions, units and inspection points.
Not startedStart →Lesson 4 · 11 min · 11 slides · 8 questions
Gutters, scuppers and conductor heads: defects, verification and case study
The common defects and their fixes, a correct and incorrect comparison, the checks before a piece ships, and a case study of an overflow scupper piped into a conductor head.
You will be able to: Recognise common gutter, scupper and conductor head defects, explain why each fails and how it is corrected, inspect a piece before it ships, and document the evidence for review.
Not startedStart →
Practical task
Prepare a documented job packet for one eave gutter run and one primary scupper with its conductor head, from the approved drawing to inspected pieces ready to ship (or, without shop access, fully on paper), as a packet a reviewer can check.
Hand in
- A decision record: the FlashDraft box gutter chosen and why, its girth and legs checked against AFS limits, the material and thickness from the project specification and checked against what AFS can make, and the overflow arrangement as the drawing shows it
- The calculations with units and sources: the flow to each outlet with the rainfall source named, the CDA downspout area check, the conductor head width, top-opening depth and rim height, and the piece count and laps for the run
- A marked-up sketch: the gutter section with back, bottom, front and bead dimensions, lap direction arrows, outlet and expansion joint positions, and the head in front and side view
- A checklist record for the pieces made, using the inspection checks in lesson 4
- A defect analysis for one problem found or planted (for example a lap against the flow, or an overflow piped into a head): the evidence, the rule broken with its source, and the corrective option sent back for approval
Rubric
| Criterion | Meets the standard when |
|---|---|
| Sources | Every number names where it came from: the AFS register, the CDA, UFGS, the code edition, or the drawing. |
| Calculations | Flow, downspout area, head size and piece count are correct, with units, and rounded the right way. |
| Roles | Sizing and overflow are taken from the designer's approved drawing; the packet checks them and never sets them. |
| Geometry | Laps run in the direction of flow, the front edge sits below the back as the specification requires, and the head is wider than the scupper with its rim below it. |
| Diagnosis | The defect analysis ties the evidence to a sourced rule and gives a fix that is approved before the piece is remade. |
| Safety | The packet records hand protection for cut edges and guarded machines, and leaves roof-edge work to installers with fall protection. |