Residential and Commercial Gutter Cleaning & Gutter Repair

Types of Guttering

Have your gutters cleaned and checked annually Have your gutters cleaned and checked annually

IT’S BORING, WHY BOTHER?

Guttering has a good purpose; ignore it at your peril. It channels water away from roofs, preventing it from dripping, pooling and entering your house, causing damp and damage. Leaking water also stains walls and rots window frames.

DON’T BE A DRIP

Next time it rains, take a stroll around the perimeter of your house. Check that water is rushing out of your downpipes and not dripping from guttering. From upstairs, see if water is pooling on flat roofs. If necessary get a ladder out.

GET UNBLOCKED

Problems include blocked gutters and downpipes, sagging gutters and leaking joints.

The water should flow straight to the downpipe and away.

If water pools in the gutter then it is sagging and needs realigning. Sagging is normally caused by loose gutter brackets or a drooping roof fascia. A loose fascia might need expert help. In extremis, the whole gutter may need removing and realigning.

GET THAT LEAK REPAIRED 

Most plastic gutters use gaskets to seal joints, which need periodic replacing.

KEEP THE DOWNPIPES CLEAR 

CAST-IRON ALERT

Blocked cast-iron pipes will crack if debris freezes and expands. Paint cast iron with bituminous paint to prevent rusting. Joints need regular sealant top-ups. It pays to maintain.

FUTURE PROOF

Keep gutters clear of leaves and weeds. Ensure downpipes are firmly attached to prevent collapse and joints leaking. Consider fitting wire covers or netting over their mouths to stop blockages. Chop back overhanging trees to lessen leaf fall.

Commercial and residential types of guttering Commercial and residential types of guttering
 Cast iron gutters

 

 
Most old houses have cast iron gutters and downpipes. They are very long lasting if painted regularly. The insides should be primed with zinc chromate paint. The finishing coat should be a bituminous paint. They are heavy and their fastenings should be maintained and checked at regular intervals. Today other materials are used in place of cast iron.
 
  UPVC gutters

 

 
PVC gutters are made from unplasticized polyvinyl chloride. The sections and fittings are lighter, easy to fix and do not require painting. The fittings available are the most common used and easy to work with if fitting them as a DIY enthusiast. Half round, square and ogee profile guttering and fittings are available. An ogee is a half-round adaptor used to join gutters of different profiles. Square gutters have a much greater capacity for carrying water than the half-round type. If you need to replace part of the cast iron gutter, there are adaptors available to connect new PVC guttering to either half round or square cast iron guttering. It is important to replace any guttering with a type using a similar size channel.

When the first guttering was installed, its size was calculated to deal with the amount of water likely to come off the roof during a period of heavy rain. If you choose a smaller channel of gutter, you could experience overflowing water damage at times of heavy rain. Larger channels are not a problem, but will be extra unnecessary cost. It is sensible to get a list or brochure showing the entire set of fittings available from a manufacturer before starting to buy parts.

Most domestic rainwater installations use 100mm (4 inch) gutter widths and 62.5mm (2½ inch) downpipes. There should be a slight slope on the guttering leading to the downpipes. A 1 in 600 slope is ideal for guttering, measured from the base of the facia boards.
 
  Pressed steel gutters

 

 
Pressed steel gutters are lighter and stronger than cast iron ones. They usually come galvanised or primed ready for painting.
 
  Vitreous enamelled gutters

 

 
Vitreous enamelled gutters come in a variety of colours. The downpipes are available in the same range of colours.