Alumasc Rainwater has produced a comprehensive White Paper, which it says lays bare the costs and implications of pre-painted cast iron versus primed rainwater systems.
Having been a manufacturer of metal rainwater systems since 1947, Alumasc says it is perfectly placed to offer independent findings to the industry, with a view to providing significant long term savings on both new-build and refurbishment projects.
Alumasc’s pre-painted cast iron is only 13% more expensive than primed cast iron, but the manufacturer says the long-term cost savings far outweigh the initial investment. The White Paper explores these savings and presents the facts in terms of on-going maintenance, system longevity and long-term protection of a building.
If properly manufactured, protected and installed, cast iron can last in excess of 100 years but according to Alumasc Rainwater, primed systems that are painted on site all too often suffer from premature exposure to the elements, and if water starts to attack the building, the cost of correction work can be substantial when compared to the cost of cast iron protection.
Alumasc’s Apex Heritage cast iron rainwater lasts up to ten years before it needs repainting. The painted guttering goes through a certified four-coat system, which is factory-applied under strictly controlled conditions. The paint, which is available in eight standard heritage colours, has been specifically developed to give a smooth and long lasting finish to the cast iron that Alumasc says is extremely difficult to replicate on-site.
To demonstrate this effectively, Alumasc Rainwater commissioned a series of independent 1,000-hour salt-spray tests to confirm the performance of their pre-painted cast iron range. The tests were performed on Alumasc’s factory certified painted finish, on an inferior paint finish applied on site (i.e. a non-equivalent four-coat finish) and also on the painted finish of the competition.
The test results have been presented in the White Paper, offering a new resource to architects, specifiers, contractors, facilities managers and property-owners.
To download the White Paper, visit: www.alumascrainwater.co.uk
