"We treat the source of the problem, not just the symptoms!"At HWT Fascias soffits & gutters we believe that by providing a cost-effective gutter maintenance service we can add many years to the life of your gutters. Potential problems can be spotted early (and rectified), blockages don't have time to collect, and sagging is much less likely to occur. We offer a FREE NO-OBLIGATION INSPECTION SERVICE so do not hesitate to contact us if you would like us to call round and take a look. We are expert in fixing leaks and replacing brackets and re-running sections of guttering, as well as offering a clearance service. We carry commonly used components so many repairs can be carried out on the spot, keeping the cost to the customer as low as possible. Whatever your requirements HWT has a effective solution to the problem. When it comes to gutter maintenance, for many people it is a case of out of sight, out of mind, but ignoring a problem can result in heafty repair bills later on. We cannot stress enough how important it is to sort out any problems as early as possible. "More homes are damaged each year from gutter problems than from any other water related source"*Your property is your most valuable asset, so it makes sense to protect it from rainwater effectively. Excess weight of debris and trapped water puts a much greater load on a guttering system than it was originally designed for. In fact, a blocked, leaking orsagging gutter is worse than no gutter at all because it overflows/leaks in one place rather than evenly along the roof. This concentrates the problem and can cause serious damage to fascias, eves, brickwork, pointing, paintwork, sills etc. and is (amazingly) the number one cause of damp in basements. Badly installed gutters can also leave standing water that can be blown onto your property causing damage that can be easily missed until it is too late.
Why have your gutters cleared?It is recommended by the Building Research Establishment that gutters are inspected/cleared at least once a year. Ignoring a problem will only result in it getting worse (it won't repair itself!) and possibly causing serious damage to the property. We can also clean fascias, soffits and gutters so that they come up like new in most cases. This is very popular with those of you that have white gutters as this shows up the dirt much more than other colours. What causes a blocked gutter?Every year leaves, moss, lichen, gravel from flat roofs, dead birds, old tennis balls, bird droppings, and what can only be described as "stinky sludge" gets washed off the roof into our gutters. This can build up at an alarming rate and can cause damage to the guttering itself or to your property. Many of our customers have been amazed at what we've found in their gutters when we have carried out clearances, some examples of which are shown below:
Damage caused by blocked or sagging gutters.
Facias/eves Trapped water in a gutter gets blown by the wind onto fascia boards creating a continuous wet/dry cycle. This can cause wood rot and/or peeling paint, ultimately requiring complete replacement of the whole system if left unchecked. In extreme cases the rot can penetrate the eves, causing even more serious and expensive damage.
Brickwork/Pointing A blocked gutter that overflows when it rains results in water pouring down the wall. This is precisely what gutters are designed to protect against, and can cause damage to brickwork and pointing, penetrating damp and damage to wall ties. Moss can also grow on the wet walls adding to the problem by retaining water and not letting the walls dry out at all as seen in the example below:
Damage to Gutters As previously mentioned, excess weight of debris and trapped water puts a much greater load on gutters than they are designed for, causing sagging, leaking or complete failure in extreme cases. Plants can also grow in the debris, often from seeds dropped by birds, adding to the blockage and forcing roots through joints pushing them apart. Ponding gutters Badly installed gutters can cause water to get trapped in the gutter. This can then cause leaks or be blown back onto your property or leakage at joints. This dripping can be very persistant and cause penetrating damp to areas that it hits. The example below left had only been installed a couple of months previously and the problem was so severe that the whole system on a detatched house had to be removed and re-run at great expense to the owner. This is a fairly common problem and is usually caused by bad installation.
Damp in BasementsIt is a little known fact that blocked gutters are the #1 cause of damp in basements. When a gutter overflows or leaks the water flows downwards, ultimately collecting below at basement level. This can cause penetrating damp if left unchecked. Splashback DamageWater that spills or leaks from a blocked gutter that falls to the ground without hitting the walls causes splashback onto your property. Again, the concentrated area affected can suffer from penetrating damp, peeling paintwork, wood rot, and unsightly cosmetic damage.
Tel : 01524 413844 Mobile: 07826027774 Email: hwtproperty@googlemail.com |
