Introduction:
Welcome, and let me introduce myself. My name is David Rich (1/30/63) with my Soulmate and Wife Tia living in S. W. Portland, Oregon.  I've specialized in rust free sheet metal rain management products since 1992. My wife assists me from time to time, but she has a thriving business as a hypnotherapist/Doula: http://inner-serenity.org and is working towards her Midwife certification through the Ancient Arts Midwifery Institute and apprenticeship with The Andaluz Waterbirth Center. Yes, you could say we are (drug-free) Hippies with pie in the sky ideals.

Even if you are not looking to contract with me for work you would do well to take a few moments to read over this web site for our ideals on Ethical Responsibility and valuable advice on the highest standards for gutters, roofing, and roof moss control on the Net.  We aim to do what we can to set a good example in the world wide business community and serve to abolish planned obsolescence. I feel nails are for Neanderthals (there, I said it). Even the gutter I install are mounted with #12 stainless steel screws on each and every job I do. Our DMR Gutter web site was established back in 1996 demonstrating our 8X building code strength installation.

 Cost: $7,500 shipped to Glen Arbor, Michigan
(inside base: 6' 11" x 6' 3")

My logo plaque engraved on both sides of this 11" sheet of 32oz copper
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"Quality and service is not expensive, it's priceless!"

Designed to Last:
Besides the fact that these need to be practical, functional, and durable designs, they also will be very noticeable as the crowning jewel on top of the highest peak of your house, so I keep in mind that looks are very important as well.  With our artistic flair you will see we go out of our way to design some of the most stunning functional art for houses around (insert your opinion here).

Everything is only as good as it's weakest link. Coatings on metal like zinc or paint are not made to last more than a decade or so. As a highly ethical person my greatest challenge is to design products with the best blend between: Looks, Function, Strength, and Cost for the best benefit to our clients with each and every project I do.  These 4 elements do not naturally blend together cohesively, but are more apt to oppose each other, so the challenge is to reach the best possible balance. Not to push what I want to sell.  Why use a life-time metal like copper and stainless steel if it is thin, weak, and dents easily and prone to wind or snow damage? I will never build in planned obsolescence!  I passionately feel that planned obsolescence should be a crime; for the simple fact that it is intentional fraud, yet it is standard operating procedure in most industry through out the world.

Note: We do not intend to be misleading in our pricing shown on these web pages, but as you may have noticed;
metal and fuel prices have doubled in the last few years (since early 2006).  Some of the older prices listed on
these web pages may not accurately reflect current costs.  You can read more on this subject: Latest News/FAQ

This is a copy of the interview for Angie's List we did for their July 2008 magazine about:

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Steel is by far the most common sheet-metal used on roofs, since it is such a cheap and sturdy metal, but copper of course need not be painted or galvanized, since it will not rust like steel within a decade of exposure to the elements.  Resolving any stripping and repainting issues.  It also will not be leaving terrible rust stains if not replaced every 10 years or so. No matter how cheap steel is; steel is actually the most expensive choice in the long run when you consider the labor to rebuild and install a new unit every 10 to 15 years.

Stainless Steel has the same cost as copper, so it is not a better value.  The modern development of stainless steel as a good strong lasting metal is fantastic, but the bright shiny appearance does not look good on most structures (unless you want the look of a retro diner car).  Unlike copper, stainless steel will mildew.

Aluminum very soft and cannot handle high heat. If left raw it develops a rather chalky appearance. Most commonly it is painted, so repainting is an issue. These are the main reasons we've seen aluminum siding vanish from construction or remodeling.

Brass is nice, but it is a softer version of copper. Brass is made of 70% copper mixed with zinc to make it a softer and cheaper metal. This gives it that yellow look. Exposed to the elements brass will tarnish to a black, so you will loose that yellow look in short order.

Copper is the real deal.  Raw copper's exposure to the elements darkens from a pink to a calm orange-ish brown look within a few months.  Untarnished or tarnished copper is the one metal that is meant to be seen and last in it's natural state with out any need for a protective coating or cleaning with it's antimicrobial.  Copper's attractive striated patina adds a very interesting classic look.  Copper is also thicker for the same tinsel strength as stainless steel, making it heavier for better stability in high winds.

Bronze is a harder version of copper. Bronze is 70% copper alloy mixed with silicates to make it harder and less malleable, so it is not useful in bending fabrication. It is used as a good long-life casting metal; like expensive scultures.

Sterling Silver is great, but way too expensive. It will tarnish to a black, so you would loose that silver look in short order, unless you hire someone to scale your roof and polish it frequently.

Cost -v- Value:
Copper is not an easy metal to work with, but I feel it is a much better value against even a high quality non-magnetic stainless steel. Stainless-steel is a harder metal, but has to be thinner to be able to cut, drill, and bend it. Where copper is a much more malleable metal. Less prone to crack.  There is no misleading you that most of the cost for this sort of custom work is the labor of fabrication.  There is no way we can begin to compete with the cost of mass-produced items coming out of China.  Because of this fact we feel it is a waste of our clients money to use a thinner copper for these custom fabrications.  We spare no expense and use the best metal possible, short of sterling silver. 

Maintenance Free:
Copper also need not be cleaned, since it does not mildew, as any painted surface or stainless steel does.  Copper has also been known to aid in reducing moss and mildew growth on the roofing below it.

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David Rich with a large circular turret roof cap for Andrea Steele in Meridan, Kansas 4/08
(had 13" of hair chopped of for cancer patients)

Long Term Value (if built well):
For over a Millennia copper has been well known for it's advantages over all the other types of metal exposed to the elements.  Above aesthetics my primary focus is on the strength and longevity to be a cherished heirloom quality product for the next 100 years+, but I know it has to be attractive enough that you will want to see it up there on your home for that long and stay looking nice decade after decade.  A lot of thought is also put into designing an easy installation as well, so I even supply the stainless steel fasteners needed along with personalized detailed installation instructions.  I may be a bit eccentric with all this, but it has been found that using copper sheet metal is the best long term and short term value.  Please, let me explain:

We all know the cost of 3 or 4 replacements are far more expensive than 1 quality product, but we often do not have the resources to do projects right the first time, but there has been a long standing dilemma in the roofing industry with the use of copper: it seems illogical to have a product made with a long life metals like copper if it is just made so thin and fragile to save cost.  It will just end up looking dented or even fall apart within a few decades anyway, so why bother.  In that case steel would last nearly as long and be a fraction of the cost.  If built well copper would last well over a century, but this is very rare to find because of the added cost of materials and the ignorance of most people to these issues. That is why steel has long been the standard in roofing Nation wide, since it is strong and a far more economical initial investment.

Just like with the auto industry, where the use of steel over aluminum remain the standard for over half a century still.  Although, I would imagine you plan to keep these rain management products in service a lot longer than your car, and hopefully with little to no maintenance.  It would be very costly to hire a detailer to scale your roof to clean and wax these painted steel covers and flashing a couple times each year, but if left unattended they will cause ugly rust stains long before they begin to form holes and fall apart like the roof caps I replaced (shown above).

Again, if built well copper products will not need maintenance or even cleaning.  The custom labor, shipping, and installation cost that goes into any of these custom fabrication account for well over 75% of the cost, so it is unwise to use a cheaper metal that will not hold up.  Some reports will suggest that copper is only good for 50 to 60 years, but I also know that is only because to help minimize cost most sheet metal shops will use a very thin 12oz or 16oz copper, which will actually wear holes through it in that time-line (as seen in these photos below) and the soldered seams will crack apart.  Water may not seem abrasive to the touch, but it has been known to wear down mountain given enough time.  If it is not made well with sturdy materials then using copper is a moot point if it is just going to look all dented and falling apart. I have saved this example to remind me what I work to avoid.

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Short Term Value:
Even if you plan to sell your house soon; using high quality parts like this will most always increase the resale value of your house far more than the cost difference of using a cheaper metal, so you could actually make a profit from paying a little more for better materials. Most prospective buyers know the added value of copper. It also has them thinking you must have attended to this sort of detail with most other aspects of the house with tthat sense of care and quality. Just check with your local Realtor to verify this fact.

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Warning Note:
Other shops prefer stainless-steel over copper to save money on fabrication time because:
1. Stainless-steel is easier to assemble by just spot-welding it together for better mass-production time.
2. Stainless-steel can be easily handled without worry of finger prints, that could cause spotty tarnishing.
3. Stainless-steel is harder, so a thinner sheet metal is used, there fore being lighter for lower shipping costs.
4. Often cheap galvanized steel is substituted for stainless-steel, since the client will be none the wiser until a decade latter (I have seen this deception happen many times). Where copper would be harder to simulate. They do sell a copper look painted steel sheet metal: tarnished or untarnished. A simple magnet test will expose this deception; an indicator of iron in the metal that will cause unsightly rust stains.

I will work in stainless steel, but since copper cost about the same and is a thicker sheet-metal our clients have preferred the solid 20oz copper we use in over 95% of the projects I build.

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Who is Copper-By-Design?
We have just a small hands-on custom sheet-metal fabrication shop located in the Great Northwest. I cannot seem to bring myself to sacrifice quality for a higher production volume, so I many not be the fastest turn around shop, but I trust you will appreciate how this makes CBD well worth the wait. I only works with rust-free materials and even provide the stainless steel, bronze, or copper fasteners for installation. I started out as a local gutter contractor willing to take on odd projects for my clients, and still very active with.

We are located in Portland, Oregon. We are just 10 minutes South of Down Town Portland. Besides being self proclaimed (drug free) hippies with a profound compassion for those we do not even know (see: mind-temple.com), I also seem to have a unique aptitude for mechanical comprehension and spatial arrangement, which help immensely to visualize, design, and create these unique 3-D products out of flat sheet of copper sheet metal. I've recognized a need for these custom products for clients across the Nation like: decorative turrets and gazebo roof caps, roof ridge caps for moss control, chimney caps & flue covers, scuppers or leader heads, water features, along with an assortment of other original designed and personally fabricated products.

This growing work had inspired us to develop this alternate web site to reach clients through the Internet. These days over half our gutter clients reach us on-line, and over 80% of the custom copper work is for out of State clients. This custom copper work has begun to over shadowed my gutter business.

I had first published my web site for the gutter business back in 1996 under http://dmrgutters.com, but at that time the web address on the side of my work vehicle got more attention than the actual web site.  Over the last decade this has gradually changed to the point that our web site is now more beneficial to our gutter replacement sales than even referrals.  We've now published over 4,000 photos and put thousands of hours into it's development over the last decade. Homeowners have become a lot more web savvy. More and more people are carefully research the web to find something better than just the normal contractors who talk a fancy jargon, but only deliver a fraction of what they promised. Looking in the local phone directories just isn't cutting it, so Homeowners are beginning to network on-line through web sites like Angie's List and The Old House Web .

I struggle to find the best quality parts available at a reasonable cost, yet sadly our suppliers report that we seem to be the only contractor in our area who consistently buy the better materials, so it is not profitable to stock them for just one client.  It seems to be true; as I have not personally met any decent roofing or gutter contractors in our local area.

We stand behind our quality with our extensive warranty (see: our Warranty & Service web page for details).  We provide a 20 year manufacturing warranty on the copper products we sell.  The only reason we do not offer a longer warranty is that it would be unrealistic and would insult your intelligence to offer more. Where will I be more than 20 years from now at the ripe age of 65?

What are Our Qualifications?

Besides my high standards and good ethics, I (David) had been tested to have an unusually high aptitude for math, a 99% mechanical aptitude, with an unusually good aptitude for spatial arrangement as well. It takes these abilities to visualize and diagram new original designs for fabrication and make sure it will be strong to last over a century, easy to install, as well as decorative. We strive to place a lot of focus on strength and function. If built well; it should be able to last well over 100 years and be reused each time it needs re-roofed. That is why we supply the stainless steel screws along with a new #3 Phillips tip to do the installation with, so it can be a cherished heirloom.

I honestly seek to raise the bar, after seeing what commonly fails in construction over the last few decades. I would not want anyone to work on my house who's only hope is the parts to last a year: just enough to avoid any liability.  About 25 years ago, this was the motivation that inspired me to go into construction, after needing to figure out how to do everything on my own.  Schooling was useless, since their primary focus was how to get jobs that can be done fast and cheap, so they would be profitable and contractors would financially succeed.

I am personally diligent to respond to client e-mail within 24 hours, but it can take as much as a dozen hours of my time to get all the details ironed out over the course of several weeks of correspondence with a new client on a small one time project. That is depending on how fast the client responds back with the info I need.  Then several more hours to design, fabricate, box up, and ship a simple $200 roof cap.

I was highly interested in art since third grade. At 17 he got his first professional contract to make a life-size Darth Vader for the promotions of Empire Strikes Back (first release) with working LEDs in the belt units and a lit light saber. All built on a shoe-string budget of only $300. One of his artistic passions is authoring these hundreds of web pages, but most notably is how he is the primary designer and fabricator of the copper work you see here.

One reason that David has these talents is his Grandfather (John William Rich) was a brilliant inventor of several well known products, but most known for his Rich's Frozen Food Program back East, and his TV chairs seen at large airports and bus terminals. But his greatest invention was the development of the Rich's Safety Bumper for cars and City busses made of a large hollow rubber cell filled with water for the low-tech hydraulic absorption of the impact.  It made driving like playing bumper cars; with his 15 mph no damage bumpers, offering drivers a 20% discount off their auto insurance. He stepped on the toes of the major auto makers here in the USA and his company was crushed like an annoying bug. You can read more about it on our Ethics web page.

Tia has demonstrated a talent in artistic design and has assisted in designing these web pages since early 2000 and helps proof read them. She also consult in design ideas for copper work and helps in the shop. Tia's Father worked on the robotics of the Disney rides in California, and her Mother was very involved with crafts and paintings.

This attention to detail and reliable service has earned me a spot as finalist 2 years in a row for the BBB Business Integrity Award (shown below).

I've finally found an apprentice who seems to have a passion for quality and ethics. He's the Step-Son of a High School Chum of mine I met in art class back in 78, so I've known Chris since he was 2 years old. I hope for great things to come from this young man as long as he's willing to stick with it. I may not be the easiest person to work with.

What about contacting you and good communication?

We have been told by numerous clients that in searching the web for this sort of information; we clearly have the most comprehensive web site on custom copper sheet metal design and fabrication in the world, with our 300+ web pages and over 4,000 photos, that link to full screen digital images for a better look at our work with prices listed of what they had paid. You are likely to agree. Some people feel we have over done it here with so many photos, but these are from the pictures I take to send to the client each night while working on their project. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I do what I can to best communicate with our clients through this process.

We feel there are already hoards of simple web sites that you could navigate and read over within a few minutes, but that is not the grouping we want to compete with. We virtually stand alone here on the web for an on-line store front for a small business like ours.

If nothing else this web site shows our commitment to good clear communication, which is very important to us. We are careful to check our e-mail at least twice a day and respond within 24 hours. If you had not heard back from us within that time, call our toll free # you will find on our Contact Info web page to check if we received your e-mail. We will answer calls personally, but we do not quote projects over the phone for a couple reasons:
(a) it often takes an hour or two to do the careful calculations and write up a detailed quote.
(b) it is foolish to rely on memory as to what the terms were, so through e-mail we will both have a written record.

We specialize in custom copper designs.  We rarely get a chance to reuse a pattern or template a second time, since each clients needs have been uniquely different. We actually encourage unique designs, as opposed to pushing clients over to generic designs by offering discounts.  The only discounts we offer are for clients who have carefully read through our web site and have provided us with all the info we need to provide a quote in the first e-mail exchange. There is also a volume discount, but that rarely happens.

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We have worked hard to maintain the highest reputation for quality and honest work.  First off with using a thicker 20oz to 48oz copper for our custom work, instead of the standard 12oz and 16oz copper most other shops use when working with copper.  We also provide the stainless steel screws for a better installation with detailed instruction.  For shipping projects even as small as the ones shown here to the right (made for a playhouse turret roofs in Arizona) we make a wood frame crate that is screwed together, with the screw holes pre-drilled so they will not crack the boards.  Then it has cardboard or a thin plywood attached to the wood frame.  For larger projects like chimney caps the crate has a 1/2" plywood base and top shell, since they may be stacking other boxes over my crates in shipping.  Details you are not likely to find elsewhere.  Even with shipping insurance; the time delays alone would to repair a damaged item is not worth the savings of building a cheaper shipping crate.

We know that most of you may read these statements as nothing more than fancy lip-service. Simply 'Too good to be true' sort of thing. But if you take the time to read over our web site carefully and see the many photos; you will see we back these statements with undeniable proof, along with many of our client's reviews.  My suppliers say I am the only contractor in this area that consistently buy the better parts. Also, there are not many businesses that can claim to have received a Business Integrity Award from the Better Business Bureau, let alone 2 years in a row.

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Why is quality and craftsmanship so hard to find these days?
Most building contractors seem to look at building code as a thorn in their side and seek to quickly do their work as cheaply as they can get away with. Just enough to get past a 1 year minimum warranty most State's Construction Contractors Board require.  Each house I have worked on tells a story: why the old parts had failed, which is the only reason I was called there to fix it. It is my duty to evaluate the evidence and solve the short comings of the previous work or the type of materials used. For some reason this is not the focus of most contractors, contrary to the slick double talk of their salesperson. I see these codes as a minimal recommendation, and strive to better it in every aspect of what I do in an effort to build products to last a century or more. I know I could not possibly be perfect, so I feel it makes good sense to over compensate on parts and installation, so the project has a better chance to even out what short comings I might have.

Integrity is quite a word with a powerful meaning, but seems to have lost much of it's relevance, like the words: turbo charged or platinum. We have been told by many clients how our prices are quite reasonable and even lower than many shops.  Being a small hands-on business I have a low overhead compared to most other shops, but our swift production capability is much more limited. If some of the prices listed on this web site seem a little high, try to keep in mind that many of these items are shown with the priced including the cost of  a strong wood custom made crate with shipping charges.  We do not play the game of showing you a lower price, and then tack on a huge shipping and handling charge.  If you happen to be local enough to us and you can drive here to pick up the fabrication we will discount those costs of course. I am often using more copper than estimated, yet have to stick to the quoted price.

Copper is gauged as weight per square foot for sheet-metal.  When it is shown gauged any other way there is a good chance it is only copper plated steel, so beware of this sort of scam.  To minimize the costs and be easier to work with most fabrication shops use 12oz or 16oz copper. We use 20oz copper or thicker for our custom fabrications, so they are heavier and more dent resistant, and less prone to wind and debris damage.  Thicker copper like 24oz, 32oz, and 48oz is of course more costly and harder to work with, so that greatly raises the cost, but I price it at the same cost per pound as the 20oz copper..

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I made this white aluminum fascia metal
over birch plywood shipped to Arizona, along
with the copper scuppers and downspout parts

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If you are not able to do the installation yourself; I wish you good fortune finding a reliable contractor in your area.  I have several links to Angie's List here to help our clients find relatively competent and honest contractors in their local area to do the installations of our products.  If you are able to find a contractor that you feel comfortable with, have them look over our web site here to see just how we do our installations and have them contact me with any questions.  If they claim they completely understand just what to do already, that is probably not a good sign.

I will be able to provide all the high quality parts and stainless steel fasteners with detailed installation instructions for them to use. You will not want to trust them to get any of the parts needed. Even the lumber.  I hope you do not think I say this to pad my pocket with more sales $.  All the contractors I have met see the building codes as a thorn in their side, where I see it as a minimal guide line: just as they were intended.

What all do we have to offer?

Custom Chimney Caps and flue extensions

Custom 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, & 16 sided Roof Caps
for turret and gazebo roof peaks

Custom decorative Scuppers
(as shown here to the left)

Retail seller of inexpensive Cupolas, Weathervanes,
& Finials through Good Directions, Inc.

Other custom Sheet Metal Fabrications

Non-local Deliveries of custom aluminum and copper sheet metal parts

Rust-free Gutter Replacement

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Our Personal Thought on Ethics
We are a small hands-on company that does the design and fabrication personally. We've always focuses on quality over profit. Our reputation is far too important to let it fall to a greater production volume.

The next statement is a simple concept that is un-debatable (we dare anyone to try) that doesn't require a spiritual faith.  These are words we strive to live by.  Why is this not being taught in our Schools, let alone a strong philosophy in the business world? Planned obsolescence should be a crime, yet it's a standard in most industry.

Quote: If we are not honorable with those of our association; be it business or personal, we have no right to even hope for any better from others, let alone expect it. We each need to strive to create the world we hope to live in.

I imagine you or anyone you'll ever meet can honestly say "I don't mind living in a world of lies and deceit", so the least we can do is not add to that muck from our own personal stand point, no matter what we may get in return.

We also need to accept how others have just as much right to live and prosper as we do; unconditionally! They should not be robbed through our selfishness, which is manifested in many more ways than you could possibly imagine in how we conduct our daily life and purchases. Research 'Fair Trade'.

I wish this was not such a rare quality in our modern business world, but wishing is not going to change it. The best I can do is set a good example and show it is possible to still make a modest living while running an ethical business. My ideals are not because I was raised a Mormon in Utah. I have not found the LDS share my passion for ethics or manage to implement in their actions beyond their pretences, or it would have impacted the business world a lot more.

I can only hope to inspire others to seek out opportunities for good karma to enhance their lives an character through helping to enhance other people's lives in their chosen field of work with compassion and care.

We can try to teach others how to live and love, but until they own it and it becomes a part of them; it will just be a pretty string of words with little real meaning. The best we can hope to do is set a good example and maybe those around you will eventually gleam some wisdom from that. You can not force it on others. We need to be very patient, as they still need to grok it in their own time.

author: David Rich

"Quality and service is not expensive,
it's priceless!"