Drainage system — step-by-step installation instructions and optimal choice of materials (85 photos)

The main element of the dacha economy, undoubtedly, is the dacha itself. The natural desire of every summer resident is to try to make it more convenient, comfortable, beautiful. Those who have purchased a suburban plot with ready-made buildings, as a rule, begin to redo everything to their liking, change and complete something, carry out redevelopment, bring "to mind" already erected buildings.

In the case when you build "from scratch", of course, you do not need to rebuild and redo, but you need to design and perform all the work based on your understanding of comfort and convenience, in the context of your ideas of beauty. In both cases, the roof is an important element of the main structure of the entire dacha economy – a country house.

How well it is done depends on the warmth, comfort and comfort of the home, its durability. One of the key and important structural elements in the roof structure is the drainage system. The importance of this technical element cannot be overestimated.

In general, in order to properly design a drainage system and mount it, it is not enough to look at photos of the drainage system on the pages of websites, you need to know all the features, principles of operation, as well as many implicit moments of practical assembly. It is all this that will be discussed in this article.

It would seem that the purpose of the drain is obvious, but not everything is as simple as it may seem at first glance to an inexperienced home craftsman in construction. The classical definition of a drainage system is as follows:

Drainage is a complex of individual elements and technical devices mounted on the roof and facade of a building in a strictly defined sequence, in order to reliably protect all elements of the building structure from moisture penetration, as well as to drain rainwater.

As can be seen from the definition, in this particular case we are dealing with a certain technical design in which the functions of each of its elements are uniquely defined. Thus, the drainage system is designed to collect precipitation from the roof, as well as moisture from melting snow and ice in the spring, and take it outside the building structure, namely, to a specific collection point.

Among other things, the installation of the drainage system is carried out in strict compliance with certain rules aimed at ensuring its effective operation for a long period of time.

It will be important to note that the entire design of the drain should not spoil the appearance of the structure, i.e., in addition to technical, certain aesthetic requirements are put forward to it, which include compliance with the general concept of the building design.

Of course, you can purchase a ready-made drainage system. Its main advantage is the standardization of all elements, i.e., a home craftsman can easily connect individual parts into a ready–made structure, and if necessary, rebuild and redo without changing the parts themselves.

 

However, sometimes an industrial design is not suitable, and it's not even about the high cost. It's just that sometimes it will be more correct to assemble it yourself, since there is simply no way to pick up an industrial one, and also if you want to do everything with your own hands.

In addition, a self-made design to assemble it under a specific roof, while fully taking into account all the requirements, both technical and aesthetic.

All drains are distinguished by the type of material used in the construction.

The first type that is gaining popularity at the moment is plastic. In this case, we are dealing with two varieties: a structure assembled by connecting individual elements with glue, and also with the help of special rubber seals.

In general, plastic drainage systems have a number of undeniable advantages:

• low weight of the finished structure;
• resistance to corrosion and UV solar radiation;
• a wide range of color shades;
• relative ease of assembly;
• durability.

The disadvantages include:

• This disadvantage determines the range of use: they can only be installed on single-storey buildings;
• Impossibility or excessive cost and difficulty of carrying out repair work;
• Flammability of the material;
• If rubber seals are used, they must be changed periodically.

The next type is metal structures. In this case, the name determines the material.

The advantages will be determined by the specifics of the material:

• High structural strength – it withstands prolonged mechanical loads and single impacts;
• Fire safety;
• Wide operating temperature range.

However, in addition to the "advantages", metal drainage systems have specific disadvantages:

• High weight of the finished structure;
• The complexity of the assembly and manufacture of individual elements;
• Corrosion and the need for periodic maintenance;
• The inability to connect many individual elements does not allow the use of metal drainage on roofs with complex projections;
• High cost price.

Choosing the type, start from the characteristics of your building, from which option will be more preferable in each particular case. When designing, remember, the question of price should not prevail, functionality and reliability are of paramount importance.

Designing

Drawing up a draft of a future drain is a necessary guarantee that the drain will effectively cope with its tasks, and also allows for rational use of materials and, accordingly, to some extent will save your family budget.

For the correct calculation, it is necessary to take into account the average amount of precipitation in your area, as well as the roof area. You need to start calculations from measurements of the perimeter of the building.

In general, when determining the length of gutters, increase the resulting length by 5%, this margin is made taking into account the necessary slope of the gutters. Consider possible bypasses of any roof elements or protrusions.

For every ten meters of the roof, it is necessary to install one funnel for water intake. If the roof has a complex perimeter, the number of funnels may be greater.

The number of downpipes should be equal to the number of funnels. The length of the pipe is made equal to the height of the building – from the edge of the roof to the ground surface.

Assembly Features

In order for the roof drainage system to be effective, it is necessary to comply with a number of requirements during assembly.

Remember. Installation begins even before you start covering the roof with a roof, since the gutter holders themselves must be attached to the bottom of the crate.

Naturally, for installation work you will need a certain minimum of tools, namely:

• Screwdriver Set;
• Screwdriver;
• Hacksaw for metal;
• Bulgarian;
• Ruler, folding meter or tape measure;
• Metal Scissors;
• Drill and a set of metal drills;
• Hammer, mallet.

Among other things, before starting installation work, think about a ladder, a stepladder or scaffolding — without this you are unlikely to be able to do anything.

Based on the type of material used, there is some peculiarity of the connection of individual elements: special locks and sealing gaskets are used for metal structures, and glue or a special welding machine is used for plastic ones.

For the installation of a drainage system, a certain set of mandatory rules is predetermined, namely:

• You need to start all installation work from the top point – i.e. from the roof, and gradually move down;
• When connecting individual gutters, be sure to observe a certain angle of inclination along the entire length. On average, it should be about three centimeters per one meter of the gutter.

Drainage system assembly rules

Experts advise a certain order of assembling the system with your own hands, it is by following it that you can do everything without unnecessary problems and unexpected "surprises", getting a quick and expected result. This sequence of installation works looks like this:

• All necessary holders are installed;
• Fix funnels of weirs;
• Install gutters and necessary plugs;
• The corner knees are fixed;
• Stock knees are mounted;
• Downpipe systems are installed;
• Mount all the necessary clamps;
• Install and fasten the final drain elements.

Naturally, you will be able to check the quality of the work performed only during the rain, but if everything is done correctly, the drainage system will serve flawlessly for many years and your house will be dry, warm and cozy.

Photo of the drainage system