We were recently asked to take a look at a leaking gutter on the front of a large Victorian mansion in the Fir Vale area of Sheffield. Having seen many waterlogged, blocked and decaying timber gutters over the years, I was still surprised to see the extent of the wet rot in the guttering and associated timber work.
The previous installer had joined together 3 separate lengths of 7″ timber spout over the 14 metre run and both of the joints had failed and started to leak. This had resulted in rot occurring along the full length of the soffits and fascia boards (pine skirting boards had been used here) as well as causing damage to the other decorative timbers. More seriously, the water running down the walls had caused damage to the internal plaster work, decoration and ornate covings in the upstairs rooms. It was obvious that to maintain the decorative facade on the building (which the owner was keen to do) it would be necessary not only to replace the guttering but that a full restoration of the brickwork and timber decoration was also required.
Firstly, the gutters, fascias, soffits and corbels were removed and the wall repointed at eaves level. A hidden soffit comprising 4″x1″ tanalised timber was then fitted onto the wall onto which the corbels were reattached. Several of these were either missing or too badly decayed to replace and so replacements were manufactured to the original pattern and fitted to create an exact match to the originals.
Next, the new section of aluminium gutter was fitted with the correct fall established and connected to the restored downpipe. The decorative timbers were then given 2 coats of bituminous paint. As the aluminium coil from which the guttering is produced comes powder coated from the manufacturer, it does not require painting and will maintain its smart appearance for many years.
As with all our installations, we guarantee the gutters against leaks or failure of any kind for 10 years, however, as they were fitted in accordance with the Mustang system we would expect them to have a life expectancy in excess of 30 years.
We take as much care and pay as much attention to detail in all the work we carry out so even if your property isn’t on as grand a scale as this one, you can be assured of a high quality job every time.