Copper - for a greener future
One reason is that copper is a wholly natural material present in and essential to all plants, animals and humans. For a nation of garden lovers this is particularly relevant as plants grow better using rainwater, which has a balanced pH and is free of chemicals such as chlorine. Copper does not rust and turn the water orange and has a mild disinfecting affect on the water. Besides its high corrosion resistance and attractive appearance copper also acts as an algaecide and fungicide, keeping growths such as moss and lichens to a minimum with obvious benefits when it comes to guttering and rainwater harvesting. Today, when choosing guttering and down pipes, architects, contractors, and building owners are faced with having to make decisions about material performance, life cycle cost, finish, recyclability, environmental friendliness, and ease of use. Copper is often the material of choice, because of its advantageous characteristics in all of these areas compared to other architectural materials. On the continent copper accounts for around 80% of their guttering, while in the UK it is still viewed as a ‘new’ product, yet it has been used in plumbing for over 100 years. Copper is one of the few materials that is fully sustainable being 100% recyclable and to date only 12% of the current known reserves have ever been mined. No other metal, much less plastics, can come close to matching copper in this vital area. Copper is considered a green metal and not just for its colour. UK manufacturers Coppa Gutta Ltd have developed an easy to install system to cope with the growing demand for this environmentally friendly product. Rosalie Hoare of Coppa Gutta says: ‘The interest in copper as the best option for guttering has increased 10 fold over the last three years with growing awareness of environmental issues and the need for smaller carbon footprints.’ But these are not the only incentives for choosing copper as Rosalie explains: ‘Once installed the gutter will last in excess of 100 years being extremely durable and resistant to corrosion in any atmosphere. Copper does not require any decoration, cleaning or maintenance and is therefore particularly suited for areas that are difficult or dangerous to access after completion. It also has the added attraction of unique changing visual characteristics as the copper develops an oxide film, changing the colour from bright orange to a deep russet brown, eventually developing a beautiful verdigris patina after many years. This ever-changing visual effect is what attracts many people to copper for new builds and refurbishment projects alike. There is also the choice of accelerating the ‘aging’ process on the gutter for buildings that require a rainwater system that will blend in as though it has been there for many years such as on listed properties. This can be achieved by spraying on a solution to newly installed guttering and within a matter of hours it will have achieved the verdigris patina, which will then continue to ‘age’ and weather as normal.’ With growing awareness of environmental issues, copper is more than ever the most cost effective, adaptable roofing and guttering material for the future. Coppa Gutta Ltd offers three styles of gutter in two sizes, which are suitable for the smallest of buildings up to the biggest Cathedrals, for refurbishment or new construction. For more information contact Coppa Gutta Ltd on 01489 797774 or visit their website: www.coppagutta.co.uk