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| 6" Lily gutter brackets, Cubic Leaderheads with Mission Panels, mitered ends. |
Copper gutters are not only beautiful, they last longer than any other type of material when installed properly. With the proper care Gutterglove can be compatible with ornate copper gutter systems even though the metals are dissimilar.
Rain Water Systems makes and sells the most extreme copper gutter parts you can imagine as well as being zealous about water conservation. Extreme gutters call for the very finest in leaf protection and in our opinion the top shelf product is Gutterglove.
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| One of a kind leaderhead at a graveyard in Hollywood California |
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Gutterglove is on the higher end in terms of cost, but the fact is that it will be subject to accelerated deterioration if the metals are not separated in some fashion.
A internet search with the term " IS ANODIZED ALUMINUM SAFE WITH COPPER? " will yield a lot of results but the consensus is NO.
Fortunately, this is a mild problem if you have a good plan and the best gutters can have the best gutter protection. Here is how;
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| 5" seamless half round copper gutters with external fascia brackets and Gutterglove Ultra |
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The first thing you need to do is remember that even if anodization creates a thin barrier between the metals you have to pierce the aluminum with screws or rivets, so no matter what you do the metals will have a contact. The key is to keep it to a minimum.
The larger amount of metal wins; a large aluminum gutter system draining onto a small copper roof will have some effect on the copper but the aluminum will not be affected much even if they are in contact. A large copper gutter system in contact directly with aluminum, such as gutter screen will corrode the aluminum much quicker than otherwise. The point is your clients expensive copper gutter systems will not be damaged by the aluminum Gutterglove, but the Gutterglove may deteriorate and that may cause warranty issues or client unhappiness. Expansion and contraction of the copper ( 1'8" per 40' in a twenty degree temperature span ) will quickly rub the anodization off the screen, no matter how thick and awesome it is.
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| The Gutterglove is laid on its back on our saw table. |
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| We use 3M Temflex Corrosion barrier tape. |
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| Pre-place the barrier on the Gutterglove and trim it clean with a razor knife. |
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| Have an assistant pull the tape tight and press it into the corner where the Gutterglove will contact the copper gutters. | |
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I use an oversized drill bit ( compared to the #42 rivets ) and attach the Gutterglove to the copper gutters with a stainless steel rivet. The stainless is compatible with the copper, the 3M tape wraps tightly around the mandrel of the rivet and the oversized hole reduces contact between the steel rivet and the aluminum screen.
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| Gutterglove is an elite product. I spare no step in doing it right. |
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If you have done it right the clients will have a virtually maintainence free product that you can be proud of. As always, feel free to email me or call me with questions or comments. If you are in San Diego or Orange Counties and need expert gutter beyond the average, we want to talk to you today.
See it on the News and Consumer Reports:
