Eaves flashing

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-2644352

This invention pertains to eaves troughs or gutters and more particularly to an improved eaves-trough assembly for an associated building, the assembly providing improved protection from water damage.

Overflow of gutters occurs as a result of any one of several reasons alone or in combination; for example, in geographic areas where freezing is experienced, ice blockage of gutters is a major problem. An ice collection in a gutter causes water to back up along the edge of the rooi This water will flow under the shingles and behind the facia board, causing rotting and decay of the roofing components and doing water damage to the building interior. It has been discovered that ice damage can be materially reduced through the provisions of this invention wherein a protecting lip is extended from the back wall over the gutter. Under proper circumstances, this lip forces the build-up of ice to be at the outer extremity of the eaves trough. It substantially prevents the build-up of ice at the rear of the gutter, which ice in prior known gutters causes water to back up onto the roof and over the back of the gutter.

Heavy rain in some Instances will cause overflow. In buildings equipped with prior known gutters, water coming off the roof into the trough win splash back up and. over the rear lip of the eaves trough. This water win, work into and under the roofing material and penetrate into the •hull/ling. This splashing and subsequent penetration will cause rotting of materials in the vicinity of the gutter as well as damage to the interior of the building. Heavy rains, particularly in gutters which have a collection of leaves and other foreign material, can cause similar damage.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a protection device which will prevent water damage to the roof edge or frcsa leaking to the interior.

Another principal object of the invention is to employ the normal waste heat loss of a Tmiii fling to control ice formation In an eaves trough.

-3Yet another of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a novel and improved gutter having a rear over-hanging lip which extends beyond the roof edge and thereby conducts water to an outward portion of the gutter and which also serves as a splash guard in order to prevent water from splashing out at the back or building contacting side of the trough.

Another and related object of the invention is to provide a ηονβλ and improved gutter assembly wherein an over-hanging lip is placed in a position abutting the under side of the roof throughout substantially the entire longitudinal extent of the gutter and wherein the trough slopes downward relative to the roof to conduct water by gravity flow to a downspout.

Prior known eaves troughs have another disadvantage, which is that water tends to get in behind the eaves trough and then freeze. This action may gradual ly force the gutter out away from the associated building. Thereafter, water freely gets between the gutter and the building and a high rate of rotting and decay can result. Once displacement is started, ice accumulations often cause the fasteners to pull out entirely and drop the gutter from the building.

A very high percentage of normal gutter installations permit ecus degree of this water seepage to take place. Over a period of time, this will result In deterioration to paint and to the wood itself, even though the gutter may not be displaced fully as described above.

Therefore, another object of the invention is to provide an eaves trough assembly wherein the over-hanging, or water-diverting, lip is a flashing element independent from the eaves trough. With such a construction, the diverter flashing element bugs tightly to the top of the facia board against the roofing edge the full length of the building, and the gutter may be sloped at any desired angle, without special custommade construction and with the full advantage of water and ice protection at all times.

-4Yet another principal object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved gutter assembly which has an over-hanging lip extending a substantial distance over the trough and beyond the roof edge to prevent a damaging ice build-up.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the improved eaves-trough assembly of separate shield and standard (gutter connected to a building, the end being on a cleavage plane to show the related construct!or ;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a gutter assembly substantially identical to that of Figure 1, with the associated building modified to the extent that the asphalt roofing is extended upon the flashing diverter member beyond the normal roof edge;

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to a section view and shows an alternate form of the improved flashing; and,

Figure 4 is a standard half round contoured gutter with a lip made ln accordance with the present invention.

In the drawings, a trough assembly is indicated generally by the reference character 10. A house roof-eave section is shown which has a facia board 11 to which the trough assembly 10 is affixed. Any wellknown attachment means may be used and since the attachment ie not a part of the invention, the attachment means ie not shown.

The roof-eave section shown has a shingled roof indicated at 12. The shingles are shown somewhat schematically since they do not form a part of the invention. The features of the invention are—of course— to protect the roof and building

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Referring to the preferred embodiments shown in Figures 1 through 3, a diverting member flashing is disclosed which is a unit separate from the eaves-trough member. An overhanging lip portion l4 and a mounting portion 15 form the diverting member flashing. It will be seen that the diverting member flashing is an elongated angle member with the portions 14, 15 at an acute angle with one another. When made of sheet metal, the outer extremity is folded upon itself at the edge 19 to provide reinforcing part 16 which strengthens the overhanging lip portion 14.

In Figures 1 and 2 the reinforcing part extends rearwardly past the plane of the building contacting portion 15 to a roof contacting overlayment portion 21 which extends back under the shingles 12. Although any amount of roof overlayment will be beneficial, as a practical embodiment, the portion 21 should extend a distance at least equal to the projection distance of the edge 19. This construction prevents any water which mayback up from flowing into the building under the roofing. In Figure 3, a modification is shown which is simple to manufacture and install. In this modification, the reinforcing part l6 is bent tightly- against the lip 14.

A trough member 13 has a back wall 22. The trough 13 also has a front or outer wall 17. The trough member 13 defines a water conduction pati indicated by the numeral 18. The front wall 17 has a top edge 20. In all figures of the drawing, edges 19 and 20 define an elongated water ingress opening. This opening permits water to enter the water conduction path 18. The opening defined by the edges 19, 20 has a transverse dimension from one to three times the transverse dimension of the lip 14. Or expressed in another way, the lip 14- covers traa one-fourth to one-half of the conduction path 18. Preferably, the transverse lip dimension is one-third the transverse dimension of the opening to cover-one-third of the path 18.

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The trough assembly 13 of Figure 4 is a gutter of the half üound hanging type. This half round hanging type gutter is equipped with the novel and improved water and ice diverting lip 14, wherein a minimum extension of one-fourth the distance across the mouth of the gutter provides exceptional ice and snow diversion as well as protection against splash.

One problem encountered with eaves troughs or gutters is that during rain storms, or rapid thaws, large amounts of water are brought into the trough. When the water is entering the trough rapidly it will splash upwardly and rearwardly over the back wall of the trough. This water wets the under surface of the roof and promotes deterioration of the sheating and the surrounding building members. The novel and improved lip of the present trough, extending a minimum of one-fourth the distance over the gutter, has been found to serve as an excellent splash guard. The lip 14 keeps water in the trough and prevents its escape at the back of the trough and in the event of overloading of the gutters forces overflow out and away from the building proper.

The back wall 22 of the conventional trough extends up under the mounting or trough contacting portion 15 of the diverter member so that water cannot get behind the back wall of the trough. Thus, the back wall 22 is both a building contacting wall and a wall, which contacts the mounting portion 15. Paint, such as the well-known Tinner's Red, or a suitable mastic, is applied to the portion 15 and the house contacting wall 22 to bond them together to prevent water from seeping up between them. This can be accomplished by painting the trough contacting side of the portion 15 immediately before it is installed.

Capillary action of water running off the edge of shingle 12 has been found to tend to creep back under the shingle. With the use of lip 14, the «Mugi*» can be extended beyond the roof edge, as suggested in Figure 2. It has been found that the summer sun will heat-seal the roofing to lip 14.

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Ice is an extremely damaging problem frequently encountered. An ice accumulation is indicated by the numeral 25. An ice collection 25 in prior known troughs will cause damage to the associated building by allowing repeated wetting, and more indirect damage by causing additional water to back up onto the roof. This blocked water will get under the roof and into the associated building parts. The diverting lip 14 prevents this sort of damage by its novel effect upon accumulation of ice and snow.

Ice usually forms in gutters because the temperature conditions are such that snow on the house roof will be melted by heat loss through the roof. The water trickles to the eaves gutter and is there refrozen. According to the discovery of this invention, the ice and snow accumulations are diverted to the front portion of the trough in an astounding manner.

The ice has been found to form substantially only to the front of the trough when the lip 14 of this invention is provided. It was originally thought that, the unusual ice formation was caused solely by physical interferences. Although the actual reason for the beneficial Ice formation shape has not been established, there are plausible explanations which are suggested only for consideration and not as an absolute explanation.

1. Deflection. The lip 14 prevents water in the trough from splashing and prevents ice from forcing up under the roof. Thus, the lip serves as a deflector or a dam.

2. Another explanation for the superiority of this trough is found in the law of physics known as regelation. The contact of the meta] object with water at the freezing point has the effect of lowering the temperature at which freezing will take place. As ice builds up in the trough lt win came in contact with the lower past of the reverse flange or lip 14. The ice, as it contacts the metal will cause pressure. The pressu: wan a tendency to melt the ice and to have the freezing delayed or reVartdd to a lower freezing temperature. This aids in causing the ice formations to be at the outer or front of the gutter.

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3· Another and perhaps more obvious explanation for the superiority of this gutter is that it will be noted that the ice formation is at the front of the gutter in the area of the ingress opening defined by the edges 19, 20. Thus, even if the trough is filled with ice, water can be carried on the top of the lip and against the ice. Overflow will take place to the front. It will be seen that the edge 20 is below the edge 19 to facilitate this ice over-flow. Actual experience has proven that «V ice formation takes place as icicles hanging from the front of the gutter rather than as an ice buildup.

4. The Law of Conduction also contributes largely to the characteristics of this invention. The gutter and connecting parts are somewhat warmed by the building to which they are attached. This is particularly true in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. Warmth is conducted from the roof contacting part 21 to the lip 19 which acts to inhibit the formation oi ice adjacent the lip. Use of the preferred embodiment of this invention has shown a remarkable tendency of the ice and snow to retreat from the lip 19. The visual evidence was positive and yet an understanding of the phenomena was not available until sensitive heat measuring devices were attached to various parts of the gutter. It was then found that the small, amount of beat leakage through the roof of even a well-insulated building produces a temperature gradient which causes the phenomena of retreating.

The lip lA, through conduction, carries the heat gradient out over the gutter to force the heat retraction a maximum distance frcm the supporting structure.

The invention has yet another advantage. As is well known, the eaves troughs depend upon gravity to cause water flow. Thus, at one end of the eaves trough, the trough may be close to the roof and cover most of the facia plate to provide maximum protection. The trough slopes continuously to the outlet thereof. See Figure 1. In prior-known troughs, this sloping

-9644352 affords water an opportunity to escape over the top of the back wall by of the previous mentioned splashing and to get in behind the gutter.

In most prior-known troughs, the top of the front leading edge referred to in Figure 3 as 20 and the top of the rear edge, or house contacting portions of the gutter referred to in Figure 3 as 22 are of about equal height Most prior-known installations are completed, due to the nature of the instal lation procedure, in such fashion that the outside lip 20 is slightly hi gbnr· than the top of the back wall. Since water will always seek its own level, this fact causes overflow to take place toward the building Itself. In freezing weather, water which tends to get in behind the gutter will freeze and expand and push the trough or gutter away from the building. As time goes by, the opening between the trough and building will gradually increase. Extensive rotting and other damage can result, as noted.

Another advantage of this invention is that regardless of the method of application, it is almost physically impossible to have the lower lip 20 of the gutter higher than the top of the portion 15 or higher than the lower edge 19·

The problem of rotting damages and the pulling of the gutters away from the buildings in prior-known inventions are overcome by this invention In the preferred embodiment, the water diverting member is connected to the building ln a horizontal position. It need not slope downward. Thus, It is up against and abutting the roof throughout its longitudinal extent. The trough, of course, slopes to provide the gravity flow.

Actual tests and comnercial installations of this Invention have provided, surprising results. A well-known prior eaves-trough was placed side ùy-side with an eaves-trough equipped vith the water diversion flashing of this Invention. After average snowfalls ln freezing weather, the priorknown trough was completely filled in each instance. The trough made in accordance with this invention stayed free and continued to function at all times. Seepage appeared ln several places ln the building walla behind the

-1010 prior-known trough. No seepage occurred where the improved device was installed. Many installations which have been made to date have been repair or replacement jobs in buildings which have often experienced water damage from eaves-trough backup. All such problems have been completely eliminated in each of these installations.

Four plausible explanations have been set forth as to why the gutters of this invention remain operative. One further observation should be made, even though it may appear obvious: The geometric design of the cover, without more, will provide a distinct advantage. The diverting lip forms, a canopy offering protection of approximately 35% of the total gutter ingress opening. Any snow accumulation, therefore, forms along the outside edge of the gutter and the inside area is left more open. This combined with conducted heat, helps keep gutters free of blockage during almost all winter weather. If downspouts are blocked, overflow is forced to the outside edge of the gutter.

While the eaves-trough has been shown in several of the many possible forms, it will be seen that the assembly essentially comprises an elongated trough which defines a water conduction path. The trough has an over-hanging lip and an ingress opening which is outward of the lip.

The ingress opening has a greater transverse dimension that the lip to take advantage of all the ice prevention features set out above*. It also affords maximum splash and other water damage protection when so constructed

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing frcm the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

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The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege