Advantages and disadvantages of the plastic gutter system

To protect the building and its foundation from the negative effects of rain / snow, it is important to take the drainage system seriously. PVC gutter systems are very popular. Technical characteristics of the material plus favorable prices for communication elements allow products to maintain a leading position for more than one year.

The device and technical characteristics of the plastic gutter system

Elements of the drainage system

Gutter system made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) exactly repeats the complete set of metal tides. Communication consists of the following elements:

• horizontal gutters for collecting drains from the entire surface of the roof;
• funnels into which rain drains from trays fall;
• vertical pipes transporting water down;
• knee - necessary for the device of vertical segments of the system bypassing the protrusions at the box of the building.

In addition, the PVC system contains special clamps, brackets, brackets, as well as rubber seals. Thanks to the exact parameters, convenient docking of the elements, the drain is collected quickly.

The main technical characteristics of polymer wastewater systems:

• Frost resistance up to -25 degrees. The polymer does not crack, does not lose its strength.
• Inertness to aggressive environments, acids, alkalis.
• Lack of response to ultraviolet radiation.
• Good sound absorption. Even in heavy rain, water flows through gutters and pipes almost silently.
• Light weight does not burden the overall construction of the house, which means that it does not exert additional pressure on the foundation.
• Excellent throughput, subject to well-selected cross-section of pipes, funnels, gutters.
• Flammability class G2 - polymer does not burn. At a temperature of +120 degrees, it will melt, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Polymer drains are prone to linear expansion at positive temperatures and have moderate ductility - they cannot break under the load of rainwater.

Installation and operation of PVC drainage system

Installation of a plastic drain

One of the positive features of PVC drainage is simple installation. It is enough to dock the trays together until they click into place. Previously, a rubber seal is placed in each groove of the gutter. In general, the installation of the drainage system looks like this:

• At the stage of roofing, brackets are fixed to the frontal board of the frame with self-tapping screws. The step of their location is 50-70 cm, depending on the section of the trays. The smaller it is, the larger the step may be.
• In the process of mounting the brackets, they are bent so that in the future the trays have a slope towards the funnel of at least 3-5 mm per linear meter. The slope is primarily determined using a control cord.
• A funnel is mounted, which in the future will also act as a connecting element.
• All trays assembled in a single line, necessarily protrude from the roofing material at 2/3 or 1/2.
• It is allowed to make a section of the drainage system with a maximum length of 24 meters to the receiving funnel. If the length of the trays on the side of the building is greater, then for every 20 meters you need a separate funnel and a vertical pipe.
• The vertical drain should be 5-8 cm from the wall. This will prevent vibration and shock to the wall during the discharge of water.
• The tube is fixed to the wall with special clamps in increments of 1 meter.

In order not to accumulate large debris, a special mesh can be installed on the gutters

It is possible to mount a drainage system made of polyvinyl chloride at a minimum temperature of +5 degrees. This will ensure the wear resistance of the material in case of accidental impacts, falls.

When operating a gutter made of PVC, the following rules apply:

• To protect the breakage of the trays under the mass of snow coming down from the roofs, it is important to install snow holders on the roof. They will fix the layers of the ice crust for a while and ensure its smooth melting.
• Twice a year (in spring and autumn) you need to clean the gutters from dry garbage, branches, foliage. Otherwise, the funnel or vertical pipe become clogged.
• When cleaning the drain, it is necessary to rinse its horizontal and vertical sections. If clogging is detected, remove it with a soft-tip cable.

The sharp ends of the cable without a rubber seal at the end will damage the smooth polymer wall of the pipe. This will lead in the future to a possible siltation of the system.

Advantages and disadvantages

One of the advantages of plastic systems is its wide color range.

Experienced craftsmen note such positive features of PVC gutters:

• Light weight. Transportation and installation are not difficult.
• Easy to install. The master can cope with the device system without assistance.
• The wall thickness of the products is 2.2-3.3 mm, which ensures silent transportation of effluents around the perimeter of the building.
• Great durability. Even at high loads, polyvinyl chloride does not deform.
• No corrosion. It is provided due to the fact that the system does not provide metal parts.
• Absolute tightness. A properly collected drain does not leak even with a large amount of rainfall.
• Polyvinyl chloride is an inert medium for the reproduction and growth of microorganisms. The formation of mold on the surface of the polymer is excluded even during prolonged use of the weir.
• Wide color range of products. You can pick up trays, funnels, pipes and all accessories for the shade of roofing material or building boxes. Moreover, all elements retain brightness and brilliance for a long time due to the special technology of their manufacture. Even when exposed to ultraviolet, polyvinyl chloride does not fade.

Some masters claim that the polymer gutter needs to be dismantled for the winter because it deforms at low temperatures. But this is nothing more than fiction. Practice has confirmed that polyvinyl chloride reacts calmly to operation at temperatures up to -15 degrees.

So that in the days of active melting of snow and night frosts, the water in the gutters does not freeze, you can lay a heating cable under them.

The cost of plastic gutters

Prices for plastic roof drainage systems vary depending on the manufacturer of the products and the cross section of pipes, trays, funnels. Average cost of elements for spillway:

Tees, clamps, funnels, vertical pipes made of plastic are slightly cheaper than gutters. Based on this, you can roughly calculate how much a fully assembled communication will cost.

A properly mounted gutter is guaranteed to protect the stone box of the building and its foundation from constant exposure to moisture, mold growth, and further deformation.