February 17, 2010 – 9:12 pm
TRADITIONAL STYLED PLASTIC CAST IRON RAINWATER SYSTEMS IN A RANGE OF GUTTER AND DOWNPIPE PROFILES WHICH PROVIDES AUTHENTIC TRADITIONAL CAST IRON EFFECT IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN.
A unique patented manufacturing process combines with authentic cast iron architectural detailing on guttering, rainwater pipework, soil pipework, fittings, hoppers and water butts to give the full appearance of traditional cast iron with all the benefits of plastic. The full range comes ready to fit with no need for jointing compounds, primers, undercoat or topcoat paint finishes preventing corrosion. The complete system is UV stabilised which means it will retain the authentic Black cast effect for many years to come. When fitted to a white Fascia Board the Black Cast effect texture of the guttering and downpipe system compliments the Fascia board and adds real substance whether fitted to PVCu Fascia boards or traditional timber.
It goes without saying plastic is a modern building material with thousands of applications, its robust and is very lightweight ensuring installation at height is safer and easy for drainage and rainwater systems this is no exception. The UK is seeing a growing trend in the replacement of traditional cast iron systems with those made of plastic rainwater systems that closely resemble traditional cast iron.
This is an ideal way to replace older damaged systems, ensuring that the building is protected and that the traditional appearance of the exterior is safeguarded. In selecting the replacement system on this basis it is important to ensure that it has been developed with cast iron in mind and that it replicates the subtle details, such as central joining seam on fittings or the availability of curved pipes to resemble more traditional applications on heritage buildings, for example, for a really convincing finish.
However, achieving this look can prove to be cost prohibitive and of course cost is a driving issue. Traditional cast iron is expensive, it is also time consuming to work with because grinders are needed to cut it to size, after which it needs to be primed, sealed and painted onsite. Because of the weight of real cast iron, contractors have to be extra vigilant when working at height, with more time taken to lift joint and fix a system into place. This represents an added cost that can see the price of specification and installation rise significantly for the local authority or housing association, particularly when older buildings in the public sector are in need of repair and maintenance and the main reason for the replacement of a rainwater system is a practical one. The guttering needs a secure fixing, if the timber fascia board is rotten then now is the time to fit maintenance free PVCu Fascia Board. Water from the roof of the building needs to be directed away preventing the ingress of moisture and its effects on the building’s fabric, the right traditional styled plastic Cast effect rainwater system can have significant impact on the aesthetics of a building.
Size matters, for example the plastic effect Cast Iron Style range features three styles of domestic gutter (106mm Profiled Ogee, 112mm half Round and 115mm Deep gutter profile, all utilising 68mm round down pipes and a 65mm square down pipe range). However for larger scale commercial buildings such as council offices, leisure, or education applications there is a high capacity system with a choice of half round gutter and a choice of round and rectangular down pipes. Guttering is available in 4 metre lengths to reduce joints thus speeding up installation times saving time and labour costs, downpipes Feature external fixing lugs, enabling easy access with power tools speeding up installation, even the pipe fixings are matt black coated for that authentic finish. Gutters are push fit clipped together so no nuts, bolts, lead strip spacers, jointing compounds, spanners, and metal primer, paint or disc cutters required.
So when contemplating the next renovation or refurbishment project where the roofline products such as Fascia boards and Guttering are to be considered remember there are some fantastic cost effective choices with TRADITIONAL STYLED PLASTIC CAST IRON RAINWATER SYSTEMS WITH STYLE AND SUBSTANCE.
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