Exterior drainpipes play a vital role in routing rainwater, collected in rooftop guttering, to main drainage systems. While these downpipes were once predominantly made from metal, these days they are primarily made from plastic.
House-breaking burglars are experienced in using drainpipes as ladders, enabling them to reach upper storey windows. Opportunist thieves who spot an open upper storey window and adjacent drainpipe have been recorded on CCTV systems climbing the pipework to easily break into the premises. Exterior pipework can also attract children who will attempt to climb almost anything, without any thought for the consequences.
Potential for Damage
Modern, plastic drainpipes are excellent at routing rainwater but they are nowhere near as robust as the older, metal pipe systems. So its not uncommon for modern pipework to become damaged when people attempt to climb on it.
Another important risk factor is the potential for impact damage. Drainpipes on the exterior of buildings connected to areas used by vehicles, such as car parks and goods yards, are highly vulnerable to impact damage. Maneuvering trucks, vans and cars can often inadvertently come into contact with fragile plastic downpipes and cause significant damage. And damaged drainpipes mean rainwater can spill across walkways and other areas instead of being routed to the main drains. If this water then freezes in cold winter conditions it presents a further hazard to both pedestrians and vehicles.
Protect Your Drainpipes with Downpipe Covers
What’s needed is a simple system to protect drainpipes from both climbers and from potential impact damage. Our robust, galvanised steel downpipe covers provide exactly what’s needed.
Our tough steel drainpipe covers are designed to fit neatly over most modern downpipes. Some older, cast-iron drainage pipes have bulky mounting brackets which will not fit under the standard size cover, but bespoke covers can be manufactured to any required size.
Installation is very easy for anyone with basic DIY skills and a few tools. The drainpipe covers feature full length, pre-drilled flanges offering multiple fixing holes. They are supplied with a number of fast-fix masonry bolts enabling the covers to be firmly attached to most walls.
Downpipe Covers Look Great
As well as providing robust protection against drainpipe-climbers and damage from vehicle impact our downpipe covers significantly enhance the exterior appearance of buildings.
While existing drainpipes can look unsightly, hiding them under our steel covers instantly improves a building’s appearance. Our galvanised pipe covers are available either over-painted, in black or white, or in the plain galvanised metal finish, which can then be painted to match the building aesthetics.
Downpipe Cover Success
Our robust, steel drainpipe covers are now widely used and appreciated for the security and protection they provide.
Prisons, including high-security environments, use them to prevent drainpipes from being targeted by inmates. Feedback tells us that, since installation, incidents involving climbing up drainpipes have been totally prevented.
Police stations, youth centres, schools, hospitals and psychiatric health centres have all reported similar levels of success after installing the covers. Drainpipe climbing issues are reported to have been entirely overcome since covers were installed.
Another area in which our downpipe covers have been highly successful is in protecting pipework on walls around supermarket goods yards. Vehicles often need to perform difficult maneuvers in confined spaces which have previously resulted in many incidents of pipework damage. With our steel covers in place, pipework is armoured and protected from damage.
Private homes, housing associations and apartment buildings have all reported that, since installing our covers, issues they had previously experienced with climbers and pipework damage have ceased.
If you need a simple way to protect your drainpipes from climbers and damage as well as enhance the appearance of your building - take a look at our widely appreciated downpipe covers.