Guttering in Birmingham
We clear, repair and replace gutters and downpipes on Birmingham homes, so rain off the roof goes into the drain and not down your walls.
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Birmingham Roof Pros fits new guttering and repairs the gutters you already have. We replace whole runs of gutter and downpipe, the pipe that carries the water down the wall to the drain. We also reseal leaking joints, re-fix gutters that sag or pull away, and clear blockages. If the board behind the gutter has rotted, we can replace it too. That is part of our fascias and soffits work, which covers the boards along the roof edge and the panels underneath them.
Why gutters matter for your walls
Historic England says leaking gutters or drainpipes (another word for downpipes) are often the cause of damp walls. Birmingham City Council's design guide for the Bournville Village Conservation Area agrees. It says it is essential to keep gutters and drainpipes in good repair, because leaks can cause damp problems in walls.
Checks you can do from the ground
We'd suggest these checks from Historic England's maintenance checklist, all of which we'd do from the ground:
- Watch the gutters while it rains. Historic England suggests looking for rainwater that cascades over the gutter from the roof, and noting any leaks.
- Look at the wall behind each downpipe. Staining, green algae or washed-out mortar can show where water has been running down the brickwork.
- Clear leaves after autumn. Historic England says to inspect and clear blockages after heavy leaf fall, at least every autumn and preferably more often.
Historic England also says you can test the slope by pouring water into the gutter and checking it drains away. We do that one for you when we visit, since it needs a ladder.
Repair or replace
We repair a gutter when the run itself is sound. We might fit a new joint seal or a new bracket, or re-set a length so it falls the right way to the outlet.
We replace it when the plastic has gone brittle, the run is cracked in several places, or it is too small for the roof above it. Historic England says gutters and downpipes can be sized using Approved Document H3, part of the building regulations guidance. It works from the effective roof area and how hard the rain falls.
Historic England notes that changes to gutters can be planned alongside other work, such as roof repairs, because doing both at once makes good use of the scaffold. If you are already booking roof repairs or a roof replacement, ask us to look at the gutters at the same time.
Downpipes and drains
Historic England says downpipes that run straight into an underground drain may become blocked over time. It advises fitting a downpipe shoe, an angled end piece that empties openly into a surface gully, which is the grated drain at ground level.
It also says downpipes should ideally be set a little away from the wall, so a leak is less likely to soak the brickwork. We fit brackets that hold the pipe off the wall where the layout allows.
Older homes and conservation areas
Historic England says lead and cast iron gutters and downpipes can last far longer than modern replacements if they are maintained and repainted. It also says replacing a whole system in PVCu, the usual white or black plastic, is not generally acceptable on a designated building such as a listed one.
The Bournville design guide says the original gutters and drainpipes there were cast iron. It says you may be able to use painted cast aluminium instead, which can look the same, and that decorative cast iron hopper heads, the boxes at the top of a downpipe, must always be kept. If your home is in Bournville or another conservation area, tell us and we will quote for materials to suit.
Questions about guttering in Birmingham
Do you clean gutters as well as fix them?
Yes, we clear blocked gutters and downpipes. If we find a fault while we are up there, we tell you and price the repair separately.
Why does my gutter overflow at one corner?
We check the outlet for a blockage, the run for a dip that makes it fall the wrong way, and the downpipe lower down. Then we tell you which one it is.
Can you replace just one length of gutter?
Yes, we can, as long as we can match the profile you already have. If your gutters are an old shape no longer made, we will tell you and price the options.
Can you fit gutters to a garage or extension?
Yes, we fit gutters to garages, porches and extensions as well as the main house. If the garage roof itself is leaking, we can look at that on the same visit.
My gutters are fixed to rotten boards. What then?
Historic England's checklist says that where gutters are fixed to timber fascia boards, you should check the fascias, soffits and barge boards at the same time. If the boards are rotten, we replace them before we fit the gutter, because a new gutter will not hold on soft wood.
Do I need permission to replace my gutters?
On a listed building, Historic England says each change to old gutters is judged case by case, and listed building consent or planning approval may be needed. In a conservation area, Birmingham City Council says to check whether you need consent before you start any work. Tell us at the start and we will quote for a material that suits.
Get a guttering quote
Send us your postcode and a line about what the gutters are doing. We will come and look, then send you a written quote.
Ready to talk about your roofing job?
Send the quote form with your postcode and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.