Replacement/Repairs to gutters

nicola161284

Hi all.

This is my first post on here and i find everything I have read so far very helpful.

I need some advice on guttering.

I moved into my house 2 1/2 years ago. Ever since I moved in there has been an issue with the guttering. It is leaking and running down the front of the house.....resulting in a waterfall that lands right on the window ledge in the bedroom and lounge. Also, when you look at the front of the house the bricks are soaked through all the way down. This is going to cause damage also I presume. This issue has resulted in me moving into the spare room over the past few months as it is not possible to sleep if it rains overnight.

I live in a mid terrace property (there are 3 houses in total and mine is the centre) My property has no downpipes.

Can anyone advise me on what it would cost to replace the guttering? It is approximately 5 meters wide.

Obviously, I would rather have it replaced but am very short on money. The other option would be to pay for a repair. I have read numerous posts on here which state that scaffolding would have to be erected. This is going to push the price right up. Can this just be done on a set of ladders??

I would ideally like to replace front and back but will only do the front if the price is too high. My facias are wooden and the paint is all peeling off. Would these need replacing too??

I think I need to go on a DIY course!!

Any advice??

Cheers

Nicola

craig_benham

I work for a double glazing firm and actually have this problem at my house (just have not had the time to fix it). The easiest and cheapest solution is normally to fix this as it would not make sense to replace the gutters if the fascia and soffit are wood. If water has been pouring all over them then they will probably haver started to rot (unless you have maintained them well)

I am planning on adding a joint on the gutters which will allow the gutter to cover another 4 or 5 inches which should be enough to helpclose any gap which has slowly developed. (cutting the gutter in the middle, adding the joint to add the extra length)

It depends how high your house is whether or not you could have it completed off of ladders. if your terrace is comprised of town houses it could be difficult, if it is a standard two floor house it should be fine. The small company i work for has a mini tower which we can erect or just work off ladders, however larger companies may be more led by health and safety, union, HR regulations.

One point to add, if you have bits replaced make sure that the gutters run away from the centre of you property. being in the middle of a run, having no downpipes you must ensure the water moves away. this may mean the gutters visibly run up/down but better this than water sitting in your gutters and coming over the back again or causing it to sag.

In terms of price i do not get involved too much but for a five metre run on the front and back with fascia, soffits, gutters you are probably talking around about £1500 around the london area as long as its not too complicated and time consuming.

I hope this helps??

maninthestreet

Is it leaking at a joint or union, or is it pouring over the top of the guttering?

Poppycat

It can easily be done with ladders

What sort of guttering is it, plastic or cast iron?

Mine was leaking, we got a pair of ladders, we used guttering sealant from wicks and lined the cast iron guttering with bitumen paint, costs around £10 as long as you have ladders

Get it done because if you dont you could have an expensive job with damp on the building

olias

maninthestreet wrote: »

Is it leaking at a joint or union, or is it pouring over the top of the guttering?

Exactly. It may just be a build up of leaves/moss in the gutter.

Olias

nicola161284

Thanks all. The guttering is plastic. I have stood out there in the rain and had a good look and its not coming over the front. Its just running straight down the wall down the back. There is no join or bracket anywhere near where it is coming down.

The TV Ariel is fixed just to the left of it and for some reason the wire looks like it is coming out of the guttering, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

I am no DIY expert but I have looked at the price of guttering and am unwilling to pay £100's to fix a piece of plastic.

I don't think it is blocked up as I had it cleared out when I first moved in. It made no difference at all.

I may go peering into back gardens down the road to see if anyone has a set of ladders I can borrow to have a closer look!

There must be a do it yourself guide somwhere on google?!!! lol.

Nicola

olias

If there is no joint anywhere near then it is either overflowing due to a blockage (from the rear by the sounds of it, rather than the front) - or it is misaligned and the water is running off your roof and straight down the wall as the gutter isn't positioned properly.

My money personally is on it being blocked especially as you mention the aerial wire. It is common for the aerial wir to be run in the gutter, however it will be a source of debris etc clinging to it and building up rather than being washed away. Do you have any tall trees near that leaves could be coming from, or is there obvious moss on your roof? Alternatively, is there any evidence that a slate has either a piece broken off which has slipped into the gutter or even a whole tile?

Easiest thing to do is as you state - borrow a ladder and have a look!

Olias

Olias

aboard_epsilon

Just under the roof tiles, where they meet the gutter ..there should be felt from the roof that hangs down into the gutter ...not all the way ..but just enough ..(thats if it has felt)

Sometimes the exposed felt can rot ..then you have problems .

The water then will run down the back of the gutter .

Then you have to get the roofers in and attempt to remove tiles and replace felt ...they will probably then try to talk you into a whole new roof.

Not lost ..if your house is over a certain age ..it may be entitled to a grant.

Also if you shop around ..guttering isn't all that expensive ..you should be able to do the whole front for under £50 with the common grey stuff...if you DIY

As a temporary fix ..if there is a leaky joint or crack, you can silicone it ..that will get you another few months, until you can save up enough for a real fix ..

I'd be worried though ..as this pouring over will rapidly damage your property ..even on the inside.

all the best.markj

CouponWoman

Are your neighbours guttering leaking like yours, as it sounds as though the blockage could be on one of their ends. This means they need to fix the guttering not you.

27col

nicola161284 wrote: »

Thanks all. The guttering is plastic. I have stood out there in the rain and had a good look and its not coming over the front. Its just running straight down the wall down the back. There is no join or bracket anywhere near where it is coming down.

The TV Ariel is fixed just to the left of it and for some reason the wire looks like it is coming out of the guttering, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

I am no DIY expert but I have looked at the price of guttering and am unwilling to pay £100's to fix a piece of plastic.

I don't think it is blocked up as I had it cleared out when I first moved in. It made no difference at all.

I may go peering into back gardens down the road to see if anyone has a set of ladders I can borrow to have a closer look!

There must be a do it yourself guide somwhere on google?!!! lol.

Nicola

Its not the price of a piece of guttering that costs a lot. It is the cost of labour that will make up the bulk of the bill. If you cannot get up there yourself I expect that a local handyman or even the window cleaner could have a look and tell you what is the problem. With a thing like faulty guttering the cause is usually readily apparent just by looking.

amerste

There could be a number of factors causing this problem. Firstly if you are in the middle of a terrace with no downpipe your gutter should be the higher in the run and the last to overflow, so first thought's are your gutter as dropped either a broken support bracket or the bracket has dislodged from the fascia board possibly through rot, which can be overcome by just moving the bracket or cutting out the rotten fascia or replacement, or covering the fascia with upvc cladding depending on how bad the rot is. Another reason is that your neighbours gutters are full of debris and need cleaning and a common fault found if the gutters are fitted on a level is a tennis ball stuck in the pipe outlet. Don't panic about your ariel wire it will only be placed over the back of the gutter and not drilled through it, and if your drip felt needs replacing this is not a major job as aboard_epsilon stated, it only needs the 6" drip felt to be slipped under the tiles and aimed into the gutter, very easy job.
Why not pick up your local yellow pages and look under gutter maintenance, I'm sure most will do a free estimate and put your mind at rest, at least you will know what to expect.