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| PRODUCT | INSTALL | AVAILABILITY | PENETRATES ROOF | VISIBILTY | MATERIAL | ADDITIONAL HARDWARE REQUIRED | FUNGICIDE, BIOCIDE & UV TO PREVENT MOLD | USES INTENDED GUTTER DESIGN |
| Leaf DefierĀ® | EASY, Installs In Minutes | 48 Hours to Distributor, Contractor, Consumer | NO | NOT Visible | High Grade Polyurethane w/ Biocide, Fungicide, UV Stabilizers & Fire Protected | NO | YES | YES - Gutter fully exposed to accept 100% of Water Flow |
| Gutter Armor | Complex Installation by Dealer | Contractor Direct, Dealer | NO | YES High Visiblity | Aluminum | YES | NO | NO |
| Gutter Helmet | Complex Installation by Franchisee | Contractor Direct, Franchisee | YES | YES High Profile | Aluminum | YES | NO | NO |
| Leaf Proof | Easy Installation by Contractor | Contractor Direct | NO Slides Under Shingles | YES Low Profile | Aluminum | YES | NO | NO |
| Waterloov | Medium Complexity of Installation by Franchisee | Contractor Direct, Franchisee | NO Slides Under Shingles | YES High Profile | Aluminum | YES | NO | NO |
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COMPRESSION FORCE CHARACTERISTICS
Both accelerated weathering tests and mechanical property evaluations have
confirmed the superb quality and product integrity of the "multi-polymer"
thermally fused gutter filtration system supplied by Leaf Defier This patent
pending/proprietary technology has been tested by an independent quality
assurance laboratory and the results detail the value added nature of this
innovative product for the gutter protection industry.
After testing at 1000 hours and 4500 hours (equivalent to 5 years exposure)
of Xenon light chamber exposure, the "multi-Polymer" fusion coated material
(TYPE 1 [Leaf Defier]) retained more than 60 % of its original strength and
integrity. The "chemically coated" product (TYPE 2) tested in the same
chamber in side by side comparison tests, retained only 35 % of its
structural integrity. The "untreated" (TYPE 3 & 4) urethane filtration media
(also tested in side by side comparison) retained only 18 % and 23 % of
their inherent strength from the first stress point of 1000 hours.
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In short the force needed to deflect the XENON exposed "multi-polymer"
fusion coated product (TYPE 1 [Leaf Defier]) by 50 % after 4500 hours of
exposure (equivalent to five years UV exposure) was 28.44 % of the force
needed to deflect the unexposed material. All other materials show
significantly inferior performance at the maximum exposure time of 4500
hours.
SURFACE DEGRADATION CHARACTERISTICS
In all polymer plastics and coated materials the "surface erosion and
degradation" over time is a very debilitating parameter for
the polymer matrix and its ability to function properly. The Ultraviolet
light from the sun and severe weathering conditions have the most pronounced
effect at the surface of the polymer matrix where in fact the true
protection the plastic provides is compromised.
As a result the long term protection that the polymer provides is most
critical at this surface where the material is exposed to the elements of
nature and subject to reduced performance over time.
After the XENON arc chamber study was completed, all four materials were
brushed to remove any loose or flaking polymer on the surface exposed in the
weathering chamber to the UV simulated light. This is the critical surface
in terms of performance, as any failure due to UV exposure and severe weather conditions will be most
apparent on this Xenon exposed surface of the material. As
this surface slowly degrades with exposure to the elements the inherent
protection of the material becomes less effective and the product will fail
to provide the long-term integrity that is required for gutter protection
systems. As we can see here the sample
heights before and after exposure in the weathering chamber certainly give a
clearer picture of the higher value provided by the
"multi-polymer" fusion coated product (TYPE 1 [Leaf Defier]). After the
materials were taken from the test chamber and brushed, the sample heights
were then measured to one thousandth of an inch with the following results
noted:
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As the above table indicates, the % loss or exposed surface degradation was
minimal with the TYPE 1 (Leaf Defier)"multi-polymer" fusion coated product
available from Leaf Defier. The surface degradation with this
"multi-polymer" material is LESS THAN one tenth
of 1 % as compared to significant losses in surface character with the other
materials tested.
With this type of long term resistance to surface degradation and product
erosion we can see why the "multi-polymer" gutter
protection material from Leaf Defier performed so well in both the UV
stability/weathering and mechanical properties testing
of this independent study. This patent pending/proprietary technology of
Leaf Defier has provided the gutter protection
marketplace with a thermally fused composite that is a significant value
added material for this industry.
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Testing Parameters and Protocol
Leaf Defier has employed an outside testing facility that specializes in
cellular plastics performance testing. They exposed our Patent Pending /
Proprietary Leaf Defier Materials in a Xenon (IR/UV) GUV (UV) 4500 hour
testing process, simulating five (5) years of all possible weather
conditions including, but not limited to, ultraviolet and infrared
radiation, salt/fog spray for corrosion, high/low humidity, chemical fog,
fine-to-course particulate exposure, freeze/thaw and fine mist to water
spray/immersion.
This accelerated laboratory exposure program uses state of the art
weathering equipment Xenon (IR/UV) GUV (UV) as follows:
- The testing procedure was an eight month process where materials were tested for physical characteristics at 0(baseline), 1000, 2200 and 4500 hours.
- At each hour mark, product was removed and tested for, but not limited to, tensile strength, tear strength, elongation, density, compression force deflection, surface degradation etc.
- That information is then recorded and compared to the non-exposed foam specifications in order to get a better idea of the endurance and degradation of the product over a simulated time.
This testing was done in accordance to ASTM G 26-96, ASTM 155-A testing methods common to exterior plastics for building materials.
FIRE TEST CHARACTERISTICS
In addition to the weathering tests, this "multi polymer" thermally fused
material was subjected to both UL-94 H testing protocol and the standard 84
Methenamine Pill Test in our laboratory at Leaf Defier. The fused material
was successful in passing both tests. The photographs below show the
startling results of the more severe Methenamine Pill Test, where the test
samples were cut from the same block of foam and one 10 X 10 X 3.25 inch sample was
treated with the thermally fused post cure protection and the other sample
was left untreated.
As noted in the photographs, the untreated sample burned completely through
the foam block, while the thermally fused material was essentially
unaffected by the ignition of the Methenamine Pill. This kind of performance
certainly sets the "multi polymer" thermally fused material at a very high
value added level versus the other cellular gutter protection systems
currently available to the industry.
In the pill test Lily tablets (# 1588) were used to test two samples that
were of equal volume. The thermally fused material after
a one-minute burn time showed a 1cm depression at the pill contact site with
an outside diameter of 2.5 cm.
The uncoated "raw" sample was completely burned through the entire block (8
cm thick) in less than 30 seconds. The burn radius was in excess of 16 cm on the surface of the sample. The Methenamine Pill has a flash point temperature of 250 degrees Centigrade or 482 degrees
Fahrenheit, which would substantially exceed any temperature that would come
in contact with the thermally fused gutter protection surface from chimney
embers or wood burning stove exhaust. In short, the fused polymer
material provides a substantial level of protection for almost any gutter system.
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