Gutters -do we need them?

System

bigfreddiel wrote: »

Well it would be nice to and if a thatched house gets away with it I can't see why a tiled roof designed properly couldn't either.

fj

You're really just introducing way more problems than you are solving by removing the gutters - what advantage do you see in not having a gutter?

Furts

leveller2911 wrote: »

If you look at the Georgian houses in the UK the soffits were always very wide which would help water away from the brickwork. This was a good design aspect but we seem to have very narrow soffits today which means the water comes off the roof close to the brickwork.

Blame a combination of poor design and poor workmanship for this situation. The volume house builders are behind this with driving down their build costs. All houses in the UK should have adequate overhangs but there are new houses near me which have none on the eaves and minimal on the soffits.

Furts

the_r_sole wrote: »

You're really just introducing way more problems than you are solving by removing the gutters - what advantage do you see in not having a gutter?

There is a requirement to build in accordance with the Buildings Regulations and this requires gutters. If OP wishes to remove his then fine. There is a remote risk that his Local Authority will pursue him for this. In reality they have better things to do with their limited resources. However they might drive past OP's house whilst undertaking their site inspections and raise a smile at OP's foolishness. This will brighten up their working day!

Smiley_Dan

Building regs don't require gutters... they just require provision for adequate drainage. Guttering is a simple of common way of achieving this. Rquirement H3 section 1.

Furts

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

Building regs don't require gutters... they just require provision for adequate drainage. Guttering is a simple of common way of achieving this. Rquirement H3 section 1.

OP's neighbour does not have guttering. How does the house achieve Building Regulations? We do not know.

OP is thinking of copying the neighbour, without putting forward in their post how they aim to meet the Regulations.

I was being pragmatic rather than pedantic. If gutters are not used how do you suggest the roof should be adequately drained?

MisterBaxter

Building Regs aren't retrospectively enforceable so this would only become an issue if Building Control were involved in other works at the property. No different the the numerous houses in a poor state of repair where gutters have simply fallen off and never been replaced.

The neighbour may have simply removed and not replaced theirs. There's no saying the neighbour has done any other mitigation works to address proper drainage.

Without other mitigation works I personally wouldn't just remove gutters but there are other ways of providing drainage that are compliant.