Category: Guttering

Today, we carried on with the creation of the Downpipe Channels by having a large 110mm diameter hole cut into the base boards at the bottom of the sloping drainage channels. We took some left-over plastic rain water underground pipes and cut them up into about 180mm long pieces so it will stick downwards underneath these chutes and connect to the main downpipe that is going down into the rain water collection pipework.
But we had to reinforce the surrounding area around the large hole (with another 20mm thick half circle of Oak) so the plastic pipe will be securely held by the glue and survive being push about when we connect all the pipes together.
We also got out some spare left-over rubber sheet and cut this up into two strips of 500mm wide by 3metres in length. Using a spare smaller piece, we tested to how small a hole in the rubber we could go down to and still push in a modified plastic ring (cut from more of the same 110mm plastic pipe but also a vertical chunk missing so it becomes like a springy C clip) which allows us to squeeze the rubber down inside the main pipe and securely hold (with friction and glue) into the top of the downpipe.

We finished off the day by having all four of our wooden Oak channels fitted with their little plastic pipe segments.
And tomorrow, we will stick down the rubber membrane inside these channels and that will be that!

The last two days have seen the development and creation of the first four Downpipe Channels or chutes. Using our lovely Oak timber we planed last week, we made the base boards with a 44° and 46° angled “arrow” on one end, then took them outside with some straight metal bars (to act for the Fascia boards) and measured the real world situation regarding exactly where these Downpipe Channels are positioned in relation to the main Fascia boards and the gutters.
Then, we made a simple plywood end caps, and sliced a compound angle of 45degrees and 1degree angle on both ends of each side wall of the channel (another Oak timber piece).

The biscuit joiner was employed to help keep the two side walls neat and locked into position and then all was glued together using our brown silicone glue. Everything was clamped together and left to dry overnight.
Tomorrow, we will drill a large 110mm wide hole into the base board right at the bottom end of the channel and then wrap and glue a piece of rubber membrane inside surfaces to provide the waterproofing layer for the wood. We are using rubber as it is far more flexible than fibre-glass resin as any timber constructed building will have a bounce and movement in its structure and hard resin will crack eventually.

Today, we processed nine pieces of Oak Timber, this being the results of some design work a couple of days ago in order to provide a path for the rainwater back from the main guttering channel and feeding the water to the down pipes in the corners of the building. These horizontal Downpipe Channels are made up of a base board 160mm wide which has two vertical sides also 160mm high sitting on the outer edge, and these pieces are all 20mm thick.

The pile of planed Oak Timber, which originally started off being 26mm thick rough sawn of variable widths (from about 170mm to 200mm wide) and all 2metres long. The planer (with help from the circular saw too) did a great job of generating nine flat and straight planks. Lovely!
On Monday, we can start making these Downpipe Channels which will allow us to then start putting up the Fascia boards – At Last! Hurray!

With the wet weather suddenly dropping on our heads, we went back to the task of analysing and quantifying what we will need to put up a facia board right around the whole house and also to build the gutters too, all using Oak Timber.
The approximate measures are as follows:
. 77 metres of Facia – 150mm high by 25mm thick
. 85 metres of gutters – 100mm wide by 19mm thick
Then the downpipes which are 100mm wide types, needs to be covered up in the corners so that is another quantity of Oak Timber.
This set of numbers all gets added to the next analysis task of quantifying the amount we would need to do the window and door frames plus covering up the outside corners and also the porch pillars too.