THE EXPERT VIEW
QIt makes a great decorative feature. For instance, ornate pipes and hoppers and sometimes even scenic gargoyles could enhance the character of a heritage home. Guttering can also unify a building’s appearance. If your window and door frames are a certain colour or material – eg aluminium – you might specify a rainwater system in a similar style.
Some materials can be used as standout details. For example, if you’ve got a timber-clad house that’s weathered to an attractive silver hue, you might pair that with guttering that also develops a natural patina over time. For more modern architecture, try installing versions with harder, shaper edges to frame the roofline. A projecting gutter, for instance, will give a more contemporary, engineered look.
QWhat kind of materials would you suggest for a traditional property? With most pre-war buildings, you’ll see cast iron or products that recreate the look of this metal. These days, aluminium or even PVCU options can replicate the pitted, weathered allure of real cast iron. Typically, this will be finished in a dark hue such as grey or black. For a barn conversion, galvanized zinc with a half-round profile tends to work well. Conversely, some thatched cottages in rural settings have large timber gutters, which almost look like gulleys, that are contained in their own structure that projects off the building.
QHow about a contemporary home? It’s all about the roof type. If your house is topped with a flat structure, you’d probably have a system that’s concealed within it, so it’s not really a design feature in its own right. For pitched profiles, you could have an angular projected gutter that sits on top of the wall plate like a hat. This frames the roof and provides a crisp overhang effect at eaves level. It can make a building look a lot more modern.
You can also get hidden systems. Here, the roof rafters are cut off just beyond the wall plate. The external cladding runs up further than usual and is capped at the top. The gap behind it forms a small gulley, lined with a material such as zinc, single-ply membrane or aluminium. For the channel, you really want a space at least 100mm deep and 100mm wide wrapping all the way around the house. The downpipes are welded into that to create watertight junctions to channel any liquid away. It’s not easy to detail – so you’ll need a good architect and experienced contractor. However, it creates a really flush, modern look that works well if you’re going for a sleek, uncluttered aesthetic.
QWhat kinds of materials are particularly popular for guttering at the moment? Powder-coated aluminium is lightweight and comes in an array of hues. Many suppliers work to the shape and dimensions you want, provided it fits their folding machine. Galvanised zinc is another product we use a lot, especially for rural schemes. It starts off shiny, develops a lovely patina over time, has an ultra-long lifespan and really enhances certain exterior finishes – especially timber cladding. You can get PVCU guttering in a lot of colours now, too. It won’t last as long as metal but it’s an affordable option if you’re specifying a cast iron-effect for an older building.