FIELD OF INVENTION: The invention relates to gutter guard mesh, as a means of securing the mesh to the metal roof valley sheet. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: Most buildings incorporate a gutter system in their design to assist in the diversion of rain water from the roof surface. It has become common practice to employ gutter guard systems to assist in rain water harvesting, bird and pest screening and in recent years to reduce bushfire hazard by preventing leaf debris from accumulating in roof guttering and valleys. The most widely used gutter guard systems comprise of various mesh configurations, generally manufactured from metal or plastic. This mesh is attached to the outer edge of the guttering and then attached to the roof surface. Since the introduction of Colorbond, metal roof sheeting has made a significant resurgence in Australia over the past few decades and now accounts for the majority of roofs on new dwellings and commercial buildings. The method used to attach gutter guard mesh to metal roofs generally employs a" clamp" or " saddle" as it is commonly known, which in most cases is manufactured by press stamping colorbond sheeting to form a "saddle" which corresponds to the roof sheet profile. These saddles are installed along the gutterline by screw fixing one saddle on every second orb or rib ( high point ) of the roof sheet to attach the mesh. This method generally provides a secure gapless joint between mesh and roof sheet preventing leaf debris from entering the gutter. This same saddle method is frequently used to secure mesh to the roof sheet on roof "valleys". A " valley " is where two roof plains intersect at 90 degrees to each other and a gutter or valley is required to divert rain water from the ridge line down to the gutter line. This valley is a V shaped metal sheet which is installed onto the rafters directly beneath where the two roof plains intersect. It is important when providing a total gutter screening system that all entry points are adequately screened including the valleys to prevent the entry of leaf debris, birds pests and bushfire embers. This leads us to the purpose and advantages of this invention.
a Currently the saddles used to attach the mesh along the gutter line are also used to attach the mesh along the valley which tends to create a number of adverse effects. Firstly, the fact that the valley mesh will run at an angle to the roof sheet suggests that the saddle will only partially cover the mesh, thereby creating an uneven fit and gap between the saddle and roof sheet with a tendency to snag leaf debris. Secondly, in an effort to provide a secure fit, saddles are usually installed on" every" rib / orb (not every "alternate" orb as with the gutterline saddles). As saddles are required on both sides of the valley this equates to approximately (16) saddles per I/m, opposed to (7) along the gutter line which adds considerable expense on a large project. Thirdly, as the valley extends from the ridge line down to the gutter line it is highly visible when viewed from the ground. Therefore the saddles are also visible and if they are not installed in perfect alignment or if leaf debris is trapped under ill- fitting saddles it may appear aesthetically unacceptable. This invention seeks to alleviate these issues by providing an alternative fixing method, a system which proves very cost effective, securely moulds the mesh to the roof sheet profile, and from an aesthetic perspective a system that Is virtually unnoticeable when viewed from the ground when compared to the saddle method currently used.
4 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: In a broad form this invention provides a preferably flat disc ( preferably of colour matching Colorbond metal) consisting of a circular/ oval shape with a centre hole FIG.2 This disc will have a thickness ranging between .3mm to .6mm / a diameter ranging from 15mm to 25mm/ with a centre hole ranging between 3mm to 5mm. FIG.1 This disc is placed onto the gutter mesh positioned in the low / bottom section of the corrugated roof profile.FIG.3 A fastening screw is then fixed through the centre hole, through the mesh and into the roof sheeting. This action causes the disc to flex slightly and conform to the curved profile of the corrugated roof sheet providing a close, secure and neat fit between roof sheet, mesh and disc. FIG.4 The screw when removed will produces a 1/8" hole which may be simply replaced with a standard colour matching blind aluminium rivet, creating a neat, flush finish, greatly reducing the likelihood of leaf debris catching on the raised head of the screw. In the event that the rivet hole may leak rainwater it will not create a problem as it would only leak onto the valley sheet below and therefore divert to the gutterline. As the disc is positioned in the bottom of the corrugation it is virtually unnoticeable, providing an aesthetically pleasing finish when viewed from the ground.. By employing a disc with a diameter of 15mm to 25mm the holding pressure and tension is evenly spread over an increased area therefore significantly minimising the possibility of the mesh tearing away from the screw fixing point .FIG.5 As the disc is much smaller than existing saddles it requires significantly less material to produce and it's simple design and ease of manufacture makes very economical when compared to existing systems. This disc may also be utilised on other roof sections to attach mesh to sheeting where the possibility of the screw hole leaking will not cause a problem. For example, at present there is no custom made saddle available for Klip Lok profile roof sheeting. To overcome this issue the gutter mesh may be cut to fit on the end of the roof sheet which over hangs the gutter line and several discs then screwed to the flat / pan section of the roof sheet to attach the mesh to roof. FIG.7 BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: The present invention will become more fully understood on viewing the following detailed description of a preferred but non-limiting embodiment thereof, described in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein, FIG 1. Depicts an enlarged side cross sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG 2. Depicts an enlarged top view perspective of the invention detailing the shape and positioning of centre hole. FIG 3. Depicts a side cross sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention installed on a "corrugated" profile roof. FIG 4. Depicts a reduced top view of the present invention when installed on a "corrugated profile roof sheet. FIG 5. Depicts a reduced top view of the present invention when installed on a "corrugated" profile roof "valley". FIG 6. Depicts an enlarged side cross sectional view of an adaption of the present invention consisting of a concaved profile to match "corrugated" roof sheet profile. FIG 7. Depicts a reduced top view of the present invention when installed on Klip Lok Profile metal roof sheeting. FIG 8. Depicts a side cross sectional view of the present invention when installed on Klip Lok profile metal roof sheeting.