There are different types of spires installed on the apex portion of the roof of a building or church, or tower to make it more elegant and attractive. It is a signature of architecture since the 12th century, and till then, it is continuously increasing the beauty of a building or tower. A variety of materials and shapes are obtained while making a spire. But the spires made with copper have other benefits than just giving the structure an appealing look.
Let’s discuss the copper spire in detail.
A brief history of the copper spire
In the early 14th century, the spires’ height increased significantly and added more complexity to them to give them a more eye-catching appearance after introducing copper spires.
Points to remember while installing a copper spire
- The architect provides a wide variety of copper spires such as classic bel design copper spires, turret gem top copper spires, and many more. Some copper spires are exceptionally designed and hand-crafted with minute details to increase the tower’s overall height with a unique touch.
- The roof pitch size and the copper spire that is going to install must be matched to ensure an even and equal look on the top. The person who is installing the tower geared himself with some protective equipment like gloves as this is a very delicate and professional work to perform at the apex of a tower.
- On average, the copper spire’s weight is not less than 6.5 to 7.5 kilograms, so it is easily supported as this is extremely lightweight. While installing, the flap used to attach the ridge must be bent in a reversal order to a proper even fitting.
Perks of using copper spire
- The spires used back then are generally a simple structure and less attractive than the present. The latter is possible due to the introduction of copper in a spire. A copper spire is generally more complex in structure, so a more complex and ornamental shape can be achieved and provide the tower a unique symbol from a distant place.
- Copper is well known for its corrosion resistance properties. So when the spire is made with copper, it makes the spire resistant to corrosion. The copper spires are extremely durable as they can handle extreme climatic conditions like storms without getting damaged. In fact, through copper, the movement of heat is also very slow.
- Not only this, the copper spires protect the harmful radio frequency by absorbing the radio waves. To some extent, the copper spires protect the building or tower from the strike of lighting by efficiently managing the severe energy created from the lighting to the ground as the electrical conductivity ( the ability to conduct the electricity) of the copper spires is very balanced.
In short
The copper spire not only gives the top of the building or tower an elegant look but also extremely low in maintenance as copper doesn’t need any maintenance and can last for generations.
