The purpose of guttering is to efficiently drain water from the roof, thus preventing problems with damp. Most domestic properties will be fitted with an eaves-gutter system where the gutter is fixed to the fascia boards running along the eaves of the roof. Guttering can be made from cast aluminium, cast iron and rolled sheet aluminium, but the most commonly used material for manufacturing guttering is UPVC. This is because UPVC is lighter than the other materials, making it relatively easy to manoeuvre into position, and it requires very little maintenance. The components making up an eaves-gutter system are explained below.
Types of guttering
Lengths of guttering fixed to the fascia board are open at the top to catch the water. Guttering is available in different lengths and in various profiles including:
- Plain half-round
- Ogee (OG)
- Moulded ogee
- Box
Guttering brackets
Brackets used to fix the guttering to the fascia board.
Stopend
A stopend blanks off the end of the guttering.
Downpipe
Available in lengths from 1.8m to 3m (6ft to 10ft), the downpipe allows the water to flow from the guttering to the drain.
Pipe clip
Used to securely fix the downpipe to the wall.
Running outlet
The running outlet joins two lengths of guttering to the downpipe.
Stopend outlet
Joins the downpipe to the guttering at the end of a length of guttering.
Gutter angle
A short piece of guttering, available with a 90° or 135° angle, fitted at the corners of buildings to change the direction of the guttering.
Offset bend
Buildings with overhanging eaves need a short length of pipe to direct the downpipe back towards the building so it can be fixed to the wall. Alternatively, an offset can be made using two offset bends and a short piece of downpipe cut to size.
Hopper head
A component that is sometimes fitted approximately a third of the way down from the top of the downpipe to catch the water from other wastepipes, such as the overflow from the toilet cistern in the bathroom.
Shoe
The shoe fits onto the bottom of the downpipe to direct the water away from the wall and into the drain.
Union joint
A bracket joint used to join lengths of guttering running in a straight line.
Roof and gutter sealant
Waterproof bitumen sealant that produces a long-lasting, flexible seal for roofing and guttering.
Two-part bracket
A bracket used to fix the down pipe to the wall and comes in two parts. One part fits around the pipe while the other part is fixed to the wall. The separate parts are joined together with a nut and bolt.