When you are becoming a homeowner for the first time, there is a whole host of things that you need to learn about home maintenance. One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of owning a new home is looking after the guttering. Guttering is something that most of us don’t think about until we have a problem with it.
Below is everything that first-time homeowners need to know about the guttering on their home.
Types of Guttering
There are three different types of guttering that homeowners need to be aware of – Eaves gutters, Parapet gutters, and Valley gutters. The type of gutter used on a property will depend on the type of roof that the property has. For homes that have multiple different roof styles on a single building, different gutters will be used for different areas.
Eaves Gutters
This type of gutter is the type that you will find at the bottom of a sloping roof. Many homes in the UK have tapered roofs, ones that slope outwards from the top. This type of roof is a natural shape to use because it enables water to slide down the roof and into the guttering. Because of this, the Eaves gutter is probably the most common type that you will see.
Parapet Gutters
This type of gutter is used to drain water from the flat roof found between parapet walls. These are walls that continue beyond the height of the roof itself. One of these walls will have a channel built into it and the roof will be ever so slightly tilted towards it. This causes the water to naturally flow into the gutter while the roof still appears flat.
Valley Gutters
This type of gutter is found at the junction where two sloping roofs meet one another. This area is known as a valley and the valley gutter is formed by metal flashing, which runs the full length of the valley in order to produce a water-tight gutter that channels water into other gutters.
Maintaining Gutters
You should clean your gutters out and clear away any leaves or other debris that are accumulating on a regular basis. The more often you are willing to get up there and remove anything that is building up, the less you will have to worry about blockages, and the longer you can expect your guttering to last.
Replacing Guttering
If the guttering around your home becomes physically damaged or is regularly becoming clogged, then you may well be considering whether it is worth replacing it or not. Replacing your guttering is a little bit more involved than most DIY jobs around the home, but you will be saving yourself a lot of headaches by replacing your guttering before minor issues develop into something more serious.
If you are tired of cheap plastic guttering around your home breaking, or your existing gutters are made from a material that significantly amplifies the noise of rainwater, changing to a different type of guttering might be worthwhile. For example, Rainclear Systems sell cast aluminium downpipes that are durable and come in both round and square form factors. The Rainclear Systems website also offers all the other components that you need to replace your own guttering.
As long as you keep on top of maintenance, you should be able to maintain your gutters in perfect working order without much problem. If you do experience a problem with your guttering and it becomes damaged, you can buy replacement parts and fix the issue yourself if you choose.