Icebreaker on the roof

Some time ago on the news feeds of many news agencies was reported: in the Russian city of Izhevsk in the Office of Technical Inspection established a new post - Inspector of icicles. Perhaps the inhabitants of the southern latitudes of such information may cause a smile, but we, the inhabitants of the largest country in the world, not for jokes. Small and fragile icicles are the source of this headache, including in the truest sense of the word, for so many. How to protect the roof of his house from these insidious "Ice Monster"? The extraction of water for water - not only the foundation of life. It is also an inexhaustible source of problems for homeowners. During the summer, free to "walk" the moisture leads to many ills: accumulates in microcracks, brick and concrete, tempting the foundation becomes a cause of mold and mildew. In winter, fluid moves into a different phase state - ice, which not only spoils the roof and facade, reducing their service life, but, turning into icicles, also "bombed" the inhabitants of the house. The only reliable way to overcome the attack - just take the excess water. In this case, comes to help the modern gutter - a complex system consisting of gutters, drains, pipes and additional items. But just enough to buy a set. Must take into account a number of nuances, and even a little bit count. For example, for the good of the system should be related to the slope and area of ??the roof with a capacity of drains and pipes. According to Larisa Nazarova, Deputy. Head of Technical Control of the State agency "Housing agency" (St. Petersburg), "under existing regulations gutters on the buildings shall be located every 12-16 m drain the water and melting snow from the roof is provided at a ratio of: 1 square. m roof - 1 sq. km. cm drainpipe. It is equally important to choose the right material from which will be made "life guard". Today, the vast majority of such systems is done either from plastic or metal. Both these materials have their advantages and disadvantages. Plastic drainage systems are made of PVC and can solve the problem of diversion of water for virtually all types of buildings - from the very small objects to large commercial or office buildings. The advantages of the gutters of PVC can be attributed to good resistance to mechanical stress, combustion, oxidation and corrosion. Plastic gutters fairly easy to install, dismantle, they are easy to use. However, such a design in our environment do not always withstand the weight of snow "avalanche", which may descend from the roof. Stronger are the metal gutter system: they are made of galvanized steel, often with a polymer coating, as well as copper, zinc, aluminum and titanium. However, the latter three species, by virtue of relatively high prices, are rare. Among the advantages of metal gutters can select resistance to combustion and external natural influences. In the production of today's most popular metal gutters using a polymer coating, through which they are well protected against oxidation and corrosion. In addition, the polymer can solve the problem and the purely aesthetic: it is often the installation of systems should take into account the material and color of the roof, by comparing these parameters with the same characteristics of waterways. For example, the Finnish company Ruukki (a leading European provider of components, systems and solutions of metal for construction) offers a comprehensive approach - acquire drains immediately complete with roofing. This reduces labor costs and avoid problems with installation, because all elements of the roof and drainage system is fully consistent with each other. Among the types of polymer coatings most widely plastisol and polyester of different species (eg, Pural (Puranas) from the company Ruukki). Plastisol has high corrosion resistance and resistance to mechanical stress due to the large thickness of the coating. But not tolerate temperatures above + 60 ° C and the minimum processing temperature - +10 ° C. Coating of polyester more resistant to climatic extremes (from -10 ° C to +90 ° C) is satisfactory and its corrosion resistance and resistance to mechanical damage. In developing the same coverage Pural into account the entire set of requirements, therefore, Ruukki gives him a guarantee of 15 years. Note that the minimum installation temperature of this polymer - -15 degrees Celsius, which allows you to install gutters and in the cold season. Thaw Scheduled According to Larisa Nazarova, "the most serious problem in winter is that the funnel drain pipes are formed ice. This happens in the offseason, when after heavy rains and the frost hits, with snowfalls of more intensive melting and rapid cooling. The formation of ice on the roof leads to the fact that clogged passageways for the flow of melt water in the gutters, eaves and icicles formed tumors, ready at any moment to break down. Large masses of ice damage and cause so significant costs to repair roofs of many structures. Offers many solutions to this problem, but the most widely used cable heating systems and roof gutters. The use of such anti-icing systems eliminates any appreciable formation of ice in the drain pipes, gutters, on the edge of the roof and in other places it most likely to appear. Deicing System "tracks" all the way melted water from the roof to the ground: heated horizontal parts of melted snow, warm rainwater taking him down. But installing the heating cable only to the edge of the roof and heat the rainwater is fundamentally wrong - the melt water drained from the roof, but once on the cold side gutters, re-freeze. The easiest option management system - an ordinary hand, when the landlord himself determines whether to include the system and for how long. If the self-regulating cable is laid, then, within certain limits, he will adjust by automatically maintaining the zero temperature on the roof. For these purposes, developed specialized electronic devices. They are usually equipped with a signaling device, which reports about failures or interference in the work, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Such temperature controllers (eg, microprocessor-based thermostat DEVI) are liquid crystal display, which constantly displays the parameters of the snowmelt system. When assembling the elements of such systems should also provide for possible convergence of snow and ice avalanches from unheated sections of the roof. This is usually established by snow guard. In addition, de-icing cable can be installed not only on almost all types of roofs, but also engage in water supply system. Heating cable is laid along the tube, do not allow water inside to freeze, therefore, the pipe will not burst. Likewise, you can warm up and step in front of the building, which will provide clarity on the premises and to prevent possible injury. Aim at the ice Cable heating systems - worked well, but not the only way to deal with ice. As an alternative and a complement to such a system can use the cover from a solution of synthetic rubber, silicone and Teflon compounds that work on the principle of a Teflon frying pan: the coated surface composition of adhesion of ice to the roofing material is close to zero. This simplifies the "landing" the newly formed ice and snow makes it easier to work on cleaning the roof. For example, domestic development, "Prole-Roof" - a polymer composition for the protection of the metallic elements and soft roof and gutters from ice dams, icicles and corrosion. This composition is applied to the edge of the slope and forms a durable coating sverhskolzkoe from which easily slips into the water and snow. Even in the case of freezing the force of adhesion of ice to the surface in times less than with the roofing. For fans of technical innovation well suited method associated with the removal of icicles ultrasound. The method is based on the formation of a special device powerful ultrasound pulse acting on the icicles formed and leads to the destruction and subsequent control of its falling on the surface of the pavement. Advantage of the method - in the low power consumption by removing icicles. The disadvantage is the high initial cost of the system. This "negative" characteristic of other high-tech way - removing icicles with a laser. It is also necessary to mention another method. In 1967, was designed by electric pulse device to protect the aircraft from icing up. Now, by the way, they are equipped with all the air machine. Now this device is applied to reduce the adhesion to the roof overhanging snow and ice masses with electroimpulse. In this case, to the eaves and gutters funnels are fed wires to transmit the pulse frequency and regularity of which are set according to need. Thus, small icicles sometimes become the cause of major scientific developments. However, before widespread introduction into the life of such know-how is still far away. But this does not give us grounds for pessimism. Existing methods (organization drain, the device is a good thermal insulation, cable heating systems) allow us to forget about the icicles. Anyway, on the roof of his house.