Installing Guttering and Rainwater Systems

Domestic rainwater systems Objectives By the end of this session you will be able to: explain how to install guttering and rainwater systems; describe good working practice at height and when lifting; give solutions to installation problems.

Tools Hand tools Power tools Screwdrivers (pozidriv) Claw hammer Hacksaw Bradawl File and rasp String plumb line 110V SDS power drill 24V cordless drill The correct tools to use when installing gutters and rainwater pipes Table no 1

Installing the gutter Confirm the position of the outlets. Locate the high point of the gutter and fit a bracket with zinc plated roundhead screws (25 mm × 10 mm). Use a plumb line to align the outlet with gully or drain below. Measure the distance between the high fascia bracket and the outlet at the lower point with a fall of 1:600. Fix the outlet to the fascia board. String a line between the high fascia bracket and the outlet. Fix the rest of the fascia brackets at 1 m intervals to follow the fall ensuring that they touch but do not distort the string.

Installing the gutter Note the position of the string Setting the fall of the gutter Illustration no 1

Installing the gutter Installing the fascia brackets Illustration no 2

The fascia bracket should be fitted no further than 150mm away from a fitting or end of gutter if they are unsupported. Installing the gutter Installing gutter angles Illustration no 3

Installing the gutter If there is no fascia board there are two other ways that gutters can be fixed. Top or side-fitted rafter brackets are galvanised brackets which are made of steel and are screwed to the top or the side of a rafter. Always check rafters before installing. Drive in fall and rise brackets (aka fall irons) are fitted into brickwork joints, they are flat with pointed ends. A bracket attached to a threaded rod is then fitted, with the ability to be raised up or down.

Installing the gutter Top- and side-fitted rafter and rise and fall brackets Illustration no 4

Installing the gutter Rise and fall brackets Drive in brackets © HOT © HOT Rise and fall brackets Drive in brackets Illustration no 5

Quick questions Make a list of the tools you would require to install gutters. What type of screws should you fix fascia brackets with? From which points should fix the string on a gutter installation? How could you ensure that the outlet is in line with a gully? Which part of the fascia bracket lines up with the string? If there were no fascia boards how could you fix a gutter? How would you fix an unsupported gutter angle? Stretcher: If a gutter was located in an area that received heavy snowfall what could you do with fixings to ensure that the gutter could handle the weight?

Measure the gutter to the required length and mark. Installing the gutter Cutting the gutter Once all of the fascia boards have been installed the gutter can be installed. Start from the outlet towards the high point then cut with a fine tooth saw or hacksaw with 24 teeth in blade. Measure the gutter to the required length and mark. Carefully cut the gutter with a fine tooth saw and remove any rough edges with a rasp or file. Smart tip: When marking out, a straight machined edge from a previous offcut can act as a perfect template to draw a line or even make the first cut to help create a straight neat edge.

Installation of pipework Cutting pipework with a hacksaw Filing and deburring with a rasp Illustration no 6

Snap joint fittings are used to make a watertight joint. Locate the gutter on the expansion mark then push it up to the back of the fitting clip then use the your thumb to push the clip over the front edge of the gutter and secure in the bracket. . Installing the gutter Illustration no 7

Installing the rainwater pipe Installing the rainwater pipe (RWP) involves installing two 112.5° bends which should be made up before fitting the RWP. Insert the RWP and then glue the offset with solvent weld cement. Wait for joint to dry. Fit the offset into the outlet and measure the distance to the shoe or the position of the drain connection below.

Rainwater pipe to drain connecters Installing the rainwater pipe Rainwater pipe to drain connecters Once the RWP has been cut to length and deburred it can be fitted into the offset. Line the pipe up using a spirit level and fit the lower pipe clip. Smart tip: The cutting process used for the gutters can be applied to pipework by splitting a machined end offcut of the same dimension of the work and sliding it over the pipe you are going to cut.

Rainwater pipe to drain connectors Installing the rainwater pipe Rainwater pipe to drain connectors © HOT © HOT © HOT Square PVCu RWP into below ground drainage plastic connector Round RWP into below ground drainage plastic collar

Installing the rainwater pipe Mark and then drill using 50 mm × 10 stainless steel or alloy screws. Fix clips according to table no 2. You can use several bends on RWP as there are no restrictions. Where two RWPs converge they can both discharge into a hopper head. Cast iron hopper head in situ © HOT

Installing the rainwater pipe Pipe size diameter (mm) Rainwater clip support centre. Vertical (m) Horizontal (m) 55 1.2 0.6 62 2.0 68 70 82 110 Clipping distances for RWP Table no 2

Installing the rainwater pipe Testing the installation can be carried out by aiming a hosepipe at all the high points on the system. Check that water discharges down the outlets without any signs of leaks. Look in the gutters to ensure that no pools of water remain. Once you are satisfied handover to customer.