Ornamental Iron Gutters
In the foregoing chapter plain semi-circle gutters vor rlicmes, as they are sometimes called), which may possibly be considered to partake more of the character of an excrescence and a necessary evil than an ornament to the building, were treated of. In this case, however, we come to treat of ornamental iron eaves gutters, which are necessary to the completion of the design, and which, as the old saying has it, " kill two birds with one stone," and at one and the same time they serve either as the whole or a part of the cornice mouldings, as well as acting as gutters for the rainwater.
These ornamental iron gutters do not, generally speaking, require hooks, as provision is made for them being screwed to the woodwork of the roof, a board about 1 in. or 1^ in. thick, and about the same depth as the back of the gutter being fixed up along the back of where they go for that purpose. In some cases all the weight of the gutter is borne by the screws, as per Fig. 28. In other cases a great part of the bottom of the gutter lies on the wall head, as per Fig. 29. In some cases they are upheld by ornamental iron brackets, as per Fig. 30, which brackets are of various styles to suit the place.
These ornamental iron gutters require to have close ends —unless in cases where they go all round the building, as in some cottages and villas—and nozzles, just as the plain haK-circle ones do, only they are not put up with a declivity to the nozzle, for that would spoil their appearance ; they are fitted up quite level or horizontal, but owing to their being several times deeper than the half-circle gutters they can dispense with a declivity. The depth of a 4j-in. semi-circle gutter is only about (or scarcely) 2 in., whereas the depth of ornamental gutters may be 3 in., 6 in., 8 in., &c, with a corresponding breadth, according to circumstances, and as the size of the roof or the character of the building may require.
In order to keep an unbroken line of frontage, ornamental iron gutters have no faucits, the plain end of one gutter acting as the faucit, as in Fig. 31, while the end of the other length is contracted so as to slip into it, as in Fig. 32.
Before concluding this section, allusion may be here made to iron centre gutters, which, as they are not put up for ornament, but simply for use, can be made with any declivity wanted, in which case the sole or bottom of the gutter is cast tapered, perhaps 6 in. broad where the water runs off, and 10 in. or 12 in. broad at the higher end.
In other cases they are cast without any declivity, being laid level, and therefore the same breadth throughout. The two sides, however, in all cases require to be made to suit the pitch or inclination of the roof, or else the inclination of the roof is set so as to fit them, if they are selected beforehand; generally, however, the gutter is made to fit the roof as at R, Fig. 41, where the nozzle is also shown for the outlet, by which the water may be conveyed away by the rain-water pipes as circumstances may require.
These iron centre gutters are made with enlarged faucits, the same as semi-circle gutters, not with contracted ends the same as the ornamental iron gutters above alluded to. They are joined with putty and red lead, and bolts and nuts, the bolts being 1£ in. long and about f in. thick. Three bolts are used for each joint, but in some very broad gutters four bolts may be used. Each length may be had either 6 ft. or 7 ft. long, according to the usage of the foundry they are got from ; shorter lengths may be had to order or to make up the exact length required.