Scuppers, overflow scuppers, collector heads and rain chains fabricated to your project’s approved details and supplied to the roofing contractor for installation.
TrussMetal is a metal fabrication shop in North Vancouver that works across Metro Vancouver. This page is for architects, building-envelope consultants, roofing contractors and general contractors who need roof drainage metalwork made to a project detail rather than picked from a catalogue.
We fabricate and supply the parts. Installing them, integrating them with the roof membrane and flashings, and the roof-system warranty stay with your roofing contractor, unless a different installation scope is agreed in writing for that project. We are not a roofing contractor, and we don’t size roof drainage or publish capacities, ratings or standard sizes.
Configurations
Through-wall scuppers
A box or sleeve through a parapet or wall that lets water leave the roof edge, with a flange on the roof side made to the roofing system’s requirements and an outlet face on the outside of the wall.
Overflow scuppers
A scupper set above the roof’s primary drainage, so water has a way off the roof if a drain blocks. Its height, size and position come from the drainage design.
Collector heads
A box on the outside wall, also called a conductor or leader head, that takes water from a scupper and feeds a downspout. A screen or an overflow opening is added only where the project’s details call for one.
Spouts and transitions
Projecting spouts, offsets and transitions between a scupper or collector head and the downspout, made to the shapes on the approved drawing.
Concept drawing
Concept drawing
Concept drawing
Concept drawings, illustrative only: not a tested design, a shop drawing or an installation detail, and not a photograph or record of completed TrussMetal work. Dashed parts are by others. Parts marked “if specified” or “per project” are included only where the project’s approved details call for them.
Typical applications: parapet roofs on low-rise commercial, institutional and multi-family buildings, podium and terrace roofs, replacements for corroded or damaged scuppers and heads during a reroof, and architectural heads and spouts where the drainage is part of the elevation.
Drainage Design: Who Sizes and Places
Sizing
The size and number of scuppers, collector heads and downspouts are set by the project’s responsible designer, such as the architect, building-envelope consultant or plumbing engineer, from the roof area and the design basis they work to. We fabricate to those sizes; we don’t size roof drainage.
Primary and overflow
Whether each opening is primary drainage or overflow, and the height of each above the roof surface, are part of that design and shown on the drawings.
Placement
Locations along the parapet and on the elevation come from the architectural drawings and are confirmed with the roofing contractor before fabrication.
Dimensions and connections
Dimensions, flange sizes, sleeve lengths and connection details are supplied or approved by the responsible designer or the roofing contractor. Shop drawings go to them for review before anything is made.
Roofing Interface, Warranty and Installation
Membrane integration
How the scupper flange is stripped in, sealed or clamped to the membrane follows the roofing system maker’s details and the roofing contractor’s method. Their requirements for flange width, material, thickness, corners and surface are given to us before fabrication.
Warranty
Some roofing system warranties set conditions on penetrations and the metal used with them. The roofing contractor confirms the detail is acceptable for that roof system and its warranty.
Installation
By the roofing contractor, and by the sheet-metal trade where they do the flashings, unless a different installation scope is agreed in writing for that project.
Downstream
Downspouts, rain leaders, underground connections and storm drainage are by others.
Materials and Fabrication
Materials
Chosen per project and confirmed in the quote: stainless steel, galvanized steel or aluminum, as the specification and the roofing system call for. The metal has to suit the membrane, flashings and fasteners it touches, and dissimilar-metal contact and run-off staining are checked at detail stage.
Finishes
Mill or brushed stainless, hot-dip galvanizing, or a coating to match adjacent flashings. Galvanizing and coating are done by specialist applicators and named in the quote.
Fabrication
Fabrication and welding are done in our shop; sheet cutting and bending are done by partner shops where a part needs them, and the quote says which.
Joints and seams
How seams and joints are made, welded or otherwise, is agreed per order and shown on the shop drawings. Field joints, sealants and laps at the roof are the roofing contractor’s.
Leak check
How each part is checked before delivery, including the method and what counts as a pass, is agreed in the quote for that order. We don’t publish a standard test or rating.
Rain Chains
A rain chain hangs from a gutter outlet and guides the water down in view. We fabricate custom rain chains and the bracket that hangs them from the outlet, supplied to the design agreed for the project. The gutter, its outlet, installation and anything at the ground end are by others.
Concept drawing
Concept drawing
Concept drawings, illustrative only: not a tested design, a shop drawing or an installation detail, and not a photograph or record of completed TrussMetal work. Dashed parts are by others. Parts marked “if specified” or “per project” are included only where the project’s approved details call for them.
Styles
Linked rings or shapes, or a chain of cups, in stainless steel or galvanized or coated steel, made to the design drawn for the project.
Suitability
The project’s designer or installer decides whether a rain chain suits the drainage arrangement, how it is attached, how it is restrained at the bottom and where the water is collected. A rain chain has no published drainage capacity and does not by itself replace a downspout or an overflow route.
At the top
The bracket is made to the gutter outlet on the agreed design. Whether the gutter and its hangers can carry the chain, wet and with ice on it in winter, is confirmed by the gutter installer.
At the bottom
Any lower restraint, and the basin, gravel pit or drain inlet that collects the water, are part of the project’s design and are built by others.
Installation
The chain and bracket are installed by the gutter installer or another installer the project appoints. We supply them.
Who Does What
Responsibilities that affect the quote
TrussMetal: scuppers, overflow scuppers, collector heads, spouts, transitions, rain chains and their brackets, made to approved details; shop drawings for review; the leak check agreed in the quote; finishes through specialist applicators. Supply only: delivered to site or picked up.
Responsible designer: drainage sizing, number and placement, primary and overflow use and levels; approves dimensions and connection details.
Roofing contractor: membrane integration, flashings, sealants, installation and the roof-system warranty; confirms the detail suits the roof system.
Others: gutters, downspouts, rain leaders and storm connections; installing rain chains and their brackets; and access equipment on site.
Not part of this page: decorative water-feature spouts and weirs (see water rills and spillways), roof ladders and hatches (see roof access), canopy gutters (part of steel canopies), trash or garbage chute components, and standard gutter and downspout runs.
No. We supply them. Installation and membrane integration are the roofing contractor’s, unless a different scope is agreed in writing for that project.
Can you size the scuppers for our roof?
No. Sizing, number, placement and primary or overflow use come from the project’s responsible designer. We fabricate to their approved details.
Will it be covered by the roof warranty?
That is for the roofing contractor and the roofing system maker to confirm for the detail you are using. We make the parts to their requirements.
Do you have standard sizes?
No. Each part is made to the project’s details, and we don’t publish capacities or ratings.
Can you replace a scupper or collector head during a reroof?
Yes, supplied to the roofing contractor. Send photos, the measurements of the existing part and the new roofing system, and who will approve the replacement detail.
Request a Quote
Send the approved details, or say who will approve them.
What to include in your message
Roof drainage drawings or details: sizes, locations, and whether each is primary or overflow
Wall or parapet section, and the roofing system and its maker
The roofing contractor’s flange and sleeve requirements, or who approves the details
Collector head, spout and downspout sizes and shapes
Material, finish and colour
Rain chains: gutter outlet size, length to grade, style, the lower restraint and collection designed for it, and the installer
Quantities, delivery location and your timing
The form starts blank: in “What do you need?”, select Other Custom Metalwork.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (778) 805-5333, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:00.
