Architectural Flashing Supply
Start a Quote
Gutters, scuppers and conductor heads · Lesson 4 of 4

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.

11 min · 11 slides · 8 questions

All lessons in this module
Slide 1 of 11

Right and wrong at a glance

Four pairs to know on sight: laps with and against the flow, the front edge below and above the back, a conductor head wide and low enough or too narrow and too high, and an overflow free or piped into the primary head.

Correct and incorrect: laps, front edge, head, overflowFour rows, correct on the left, incorrect on the right. A, laps: the upstream piece over the downstream piece, versus the downstream piece facing its edge into the flow. B, gutter section: front edge lower than the back so overflow spills outward, versus a higher front that spills toward the wall. C, conductor head: wider than the scupper with its rim below it, versus the same width with its rim above the scupper bottom. D, overflow scupper: higher and spilling free, versus piped down into the primary conductor head.CorrectIncorrectflowflowlap 1 in minedge faces flowABCD

Four rows, each with a correct drawing on the left and an incorrect one on the right. Laps: upstream piece over the downstream piece, versus the reverse. Gutter section: front edge lower than the back, versus higher. Conductor head: wider than the scupper with its rim below, versus the same width with the rim above. Overflow: spilling free above the primary, versus piped into the primary head.

A
Gutter laps in the direction of flow
B
Front edge lower than the back
C
Conductor head wider than the scupper, rim below it
D
Overflow scupper higher, discharging free
Rules: laps at least 1 in in the direction of flow (UFGS); front edge at least 1 in lower than the back (CDA guide specification, not code: the library box gutters measure about 7/8 in, and the project specification governs); head at least 2 in wider, rim 1 in below where it has no overflow (CDA); overflow set higher, needing no head (CDA), independent of the primary head.

Sources

Glossary

Lap in the direction of flow
A lap where the upstream piece lies over the downstream one, so water crosses the joint.
Free discharge
Water leaving an overflow scupper clear of the wall, with no head or downspout.
Wire ball strainer
A wire ball set in a gutter outlet to keep debris out of the downspout, of the same metal as the gutter.