Leaf Guard

Your home is a major investment and should be protected properly with the best materials and systems available. This is why we have selected Blue Mountains Mesh all steel gutter mesh as the preferred system for protecting your gutters from:-

Because Blue Mountain Super Mesh has 4mm apertures it allows sunlight and wind in to dry the gutters out more readily after rain.

Water does not evaporate properly and this takes even longer during low evaporation periods. Condensation on metal roofs and heavy dew on all roofs can maintain enough moisture to breed mosquitoes as well as rot the gutters.

The above photos show tiled roofs and a colorbond roof fitted with Blue Mountains Super Mesh. You will note how well the colorbond finish matches the gutter and in the case of the corrigated iron roof it matches the gutter and the roof perfectly.

COLORBOND MATERIALS

A full range of colorbond materials are available and the standard range is listed below:-

Windspray (Armour Grey)
Beige/Stone
Night Sky (Ebony)
Manor Red (Heritage Red)
Paper Bark ( Merino)
Deep Ocean (Mountain Blue)
Pale Terracota
Classic Cream (Smooth Cream)
Torres Blue
Jasper
Bushland
Blue Ridge Dune (Birch)
Cottage Green (Caulfield Green)
Shale Grey (Gull Grey)
Headland (Tuscan Red)
Pale Eucalypt (Mist Green)
Supermist (Off White)
Wilderness (Rivergum Green)
Woodland Grey (Slate Grey)
Wheat
Sandbank
Plantation
Ironstone

NOTE: Other colours are available upon request and additional cost.

ORDERING REQUIREMENTS

When ordering Blue Mountains Mesh the following is necessary to complete the order:-

ROOF TILES:

The measurement 'A' from the outside edge of the gutter to the face of the tile

ADD >

METAL ROOF:

The measurement 'B' from the outside edge of the gutter to the first row of fixing screws

BULLNOSE:

The measurement 'D' from the outside edge of the gutter and 'C' from the outside edge of the gutter to the closet point of the roof sheet

VALLEYS:

For all valleys the measurement 'E'

We need to know the following in addition to the above:-

The length of the gutters
The length of the valleys
The colour

HOW IT FITS:

For tile roofs it is important to carry out the following:
Lay a flat steel ruler on top of the first tile (the one that fits into the gutter) and push the roller up against the face (upright part) of the second tile. By looking at the lowest flat section of the second tile assess that if water or leaves were flowing down that flat section, would the leaves or water flow on top of the ruler. In other words is the ruler lower than the lowest section of the second tile? If the ruler is lower then order "STD" Clips. If the ruler is higher than the lowest part of the tile and it looks like leaves would flow up under the ruler then order "Z" Clips.

BMM COLOUR CHECK LIST

Metal Tiles: For Decrabond, Decramastic and Gerrard we use a close match BHP flashing P.O.A. Decramastic is the tile with small pebbles stuck on with pitch. Savanna is a metal tile of the same shape as Decrabond but in Colorbond colours.

Masonry Tiles: Standard Colorbond colours.

Terracotta Tiles: We have four colours but invariably these do not match perfectly because Terracotta tiles are made from clay and the colour differes in areas of manufacture.

FIRST FLUSH WATER DIVERTERS

The Leaf Guard is only the first line of defence in a well designed rainwater system. The second line of defence which is just as important is the First Flush Water Diverter.

The main purpose of this unit is to catch the first flow of water from the roof when it rains preventing it from washing the contamination that builds up in the gutter from entering the tank.

The First Flush Diverter can contain contaminate such as:

Bacteria from decomposed insects, skinks, bird and animal droppings.
Sediments
Heavy metal and chemical residues.

THE WAY IT WORKS

When it rains water runs from the roof into the gutters. This washes the contaminants from the roof and mixes it with any other contaminants that my already be in the gutter. As the water starts to flow from the gutters to the downpipes it carries these contaminnts with it. The first flow of water from the gutters is the most contaminated and it is this water that enters the First Flush Diverter.

As the water rises in the Diverter Chamber so does the ball contained inside. When the pipe is full the ball pushes up against a seat and seals the contaminated water in the Divert Chamber. Fitted to the bottom of the Diverter Chamber is a cap fitted with a filter and a control valve.

The filter has a mesh size smaller than the orifice in the control valve which prevents it from clogging. When the rain stops the Diverter Chamber is emptied by the control valve at about 1 litre per minute so that the Diverter is empty the next time it rains.

The requirement for First Flush Water Diverters is 0.5 litres per square metre of roof area. On heavily contaminated roofs this could get as high as 2 litres per square metre of roof area. The more water diverted the better the quality of water in the tank.

TYPES OF FIRST FLUSH DIVERTERS

In domestic applications there are 4 types of First Flush Water Diverts and these are:-

DOWNPIPE FF WATER DIVERTER

The photo shows a domestic downpipe diverter that was fitted to an existing home.
One of the main problems with this installation prior to the diverter being fitted is the Stormwater system was a wet system. This means the water in the pipe was at a constant level at all times. The water is at the same level as the pipes entry into the tank.

Prior to the Leaf Guard and the Downpipe Diverters being fitted the stormwater pipe right around the house was a breeding ground for mosquitoes, it was also an area for silt, leaves and twigs to deposit as well as all types of vermin to fall into. This meant it was breeding ground for bacteria and eventually it would block the pipes off leading to major problems in and around the house.

The Downpipe Diverter should terminate 150 mm from the ground to allow for emptying and cleaning. The capacity of the Diverter Chamber is:-

1.0 meters = 8 litres stores

Therefore, if you have 200 square metres of roof area at 0.5 litres per square metre you would need 12.5 metres of Diverter Chamber or 6 downpipes 2.1 metres long.

INGROUND FF WATER DIVERTER

The photo shows an Inground Water Diverter that was fitted after the home was built. This converted a wet system into a dry system which is better all round for the owner.
This home was also subjected to the problems listed in the downpipe Diverter

A Tee is fitted to the bottom of the riser pipe into the tank and the Inground Diverter is installed after the Tee. When it rains the water enters the Diverter and flows into the Diverter Chamber. As the Diverter Chamber fills up the ball rises until it seals off on the seat located at the highest point of the Diverter Chamber. Water then rises in the pipe leading up and into the tank.

The Diverter valve should Terminate out of the ground and be clear of the ground for emptying and cleaning. The capacity of the Diverter Chamber is:-

1 metre = 75 litres

Therefore, if you have a roof with an area of 300 square metres at 0.5 litres per square metres of roof, you would need 2 metres of Diverter Chamber.

POST OR WALL MOUNTED FIRST FLUSH WATER DIVERTER

A post or wall mounted First Flush Water Diverter is available with capacities from 20 litres to 150 litres. The overall height varies from 590 mm to 2370 mm. These units also require 150 mm clearance under them for emptying and cleaning.

TANK MOUNTED FIRST FLUSH WATER DIVERTER

This unit is mounted on the side of the tank where the slope of the land and tank height permit. The top of the Diverter has a 955 micron screen to catch larger particles and prevent mosquito infestation.

These units are used when large quantities of water are required to be diverted. They range in size from 50 litres to 1000 litres.

The larger units are used in commercial application such as industrial and commercial buildings where water can be collected for use in toilets, car washing and gardens etc.