Reading the Date on the Drain: How to Date Historic Hopper Heads on Listed Buildings
How to date historic hopper heads from material, fixings, ornament, dates and initials, why cast dates mislead, and how to record and copy cast them.
Tag: hopper heads
Freeze-Thaw and Cast Iron: Why Winter Cracks Gutters and Downpipes, and How to Prevent It
Why frost splits cast iron downpipes, sockets and hopper heads, why the damage usually shows in spring, and the pre-winter checks, like-for-like repairs and paint upkeep that prevent it on listed and period buildings.
Hopper Heads Below a Parapet: Through-Wall Outlets and Rear-Inlet Cast Iron Hoppers
How to take water from a parapet or flat roof outlet into a cast iron hopper head: the traditional lead chute, shallow and side-outlet patterns, and rear-inlet hoppers made to order, with the overflow risk explained.
Parapet Gutters and Flat Roof Drainage on Historic Buildings: Box Gutters, Valleys and Hidden Roofs from Georgian Terraces to Victorian Bathhouses
Discover the intricate world of parapet gutters and flat roof drainage on historic buildings, from Georgian terraces to Victorian bathhouses. This technical guide delves into the hidden mechanisms that keep these architectural marvels dry, exploring the construction and maintenance of box gutters, valley gutters, and lead flats.
Hopper Head Capacity and Downpipe Sizes: How Cast Iron Rainwater Heads, Outlets and Roof Area Work Together
Hopper head capacity is determined less by how much water the head can hold than by how much it can discharge. A hopper is a collecting box: water rises inside it until the depth above the outlet pushes the incoming flow down the pipe.
The Measure-Up Checklist: What to Count, Measure and Photograph Before You Order Cast Iron Rainwater Goods
A field checklist for builders, roofers and heritage contractors: how to identify the gutter profile and pipe size, count every length and fitting, record brackets, offsets and hopper heads, photograph the right details, and know when to book a site survey instead.
Ten Signs Your Cast Iron Guttering Is Failing: What to Check From the Ground This Autumn
Cast iron guttering rarely fails without warning. Here are ten signs you can check from the ground this autumn, what each one means, what happens if it is left through the winter, and whether repair, replacement or a site survey is the right next step.
Armorial and Monogrammed Hopper Heads: Bespoke Casting for Estates
How bespoke armorial, monogrammed and dated cast iron hopper heads are designed, patterned and cast – with the permissions, conservation and approval questions set out plainly.
Cast Iron Rainwater Systems for Listed Buildings in Perthshire: Conservation at the Gateway to the Highlands
Perthshire boasts one of Scotland’s richest concentrations of listed buildings, each facing unique challenges from the region’s steep rainfall gradients. This guide delves into the essential specifications for cast iron rainwater systems,
Bespoke Cast Iron Gutters, Downpipes, and Hopper Heads: Copy Casting for Listed Buildings
The standard range of cast iron gutter profiles, downpipes, and hopper heads covers the vast majority of period and listed building requirements. But where an existing system uses a non-standard profile, a distinctive decorative detail, or a configuration that cannot be matched from stock, bespoke and copy casting provides the solution. Tuscan Foundry specialises in […]
Bespoke Cast Iron Rainwater Systems: Pattern Matching, Copy Casting, and Custom Creation for Heritage Buildings
Discover the art of bespoke cast iron rainwater systems, where heritage meets craftsmanship. When a Victorian ogee gutter fractures or a family crest hopper head is damaged, authentic restoration becomes essential.