UPVC Guttering for Durability, Beauty and Economy
When you live in a climate as rainy as the British Isles, you need to pay a lot of attention to those areas in your house that deal with rainwater. Specifically, the guttering and fascia on your roof plays a key role in handling rainwater and keeping it away from your home. Choosing UPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride or PVC-U) guttering and fascia board brings a number of significant advantages.
Proper Installation
First, let’s take a look at guttering and fascia and see why proper installation is so important for your home.
Effective treatment of run-off water is essential for protection from the elements. Rain flows off your roof into the gutters and then down to the ground via downspouts or downpipes where it is directed away from the building where it can drain safely away. These downpipes are round and bolted to the ends of your gutter. Without effective guttering, rainwater could work its way into the foundations of your house and create major problems.
Types of Guttering
Guttering comes in a range of shapes. The most common shape is half-round guttering, with square-line guttering also available. These items come with a full range of matching accessories and fitting systems and adaptors to allow compatibility with any existing PVC system. For larger buildings and problem drainage areas, high capacity gutters and downpipes are available.
Your guttering is attached to an item known as the fascia board. This caps the end of rafters outside a building. Modern uPVC soffit and fascia boards can attach directly to the rafters in your roof making the use of a timber substrate unnecessary. Other than standard styles, fascia boards also come in ogee sculpted styles.
The area beneath the fascia is known as the soffit or eave. One option is a hollow soffit board, a lightweight, cost-effective solution which can be fitted with ventilators. These ensure the loft is always well-ventilated to protect your rafters from rot and reduce damp.
Modern Guttering Materials
Guttering, fascia and soffits were once made from a wide choice of materials including steel, copper and aluminium. However, nowadays items made from uPVC are extremely popular as it’s the perfect low-maintenance material. Known in the United States as vinyl or vinyl siding, it has many qualities that make it ideal for rainwater systems.
For one thing, uPVC guttering is very easy to install. It’s very lightweight and clip on to the fascia boards easily.
uPVC is extremely durable. It’s resistant to warps, cracks, and peeling, vermin and insect attack, and will never rust, corrode, or tarnish. Another plus is that no painting is needed. As they’re cast from a mould, any scratches and scrapes are invisible. In fact, so hardy is uPVC that reputable fascia vendors offer guarantees of up to 20 years against discolouration, warping and cracking.
Other than durability, another plus for this material is its style. uPVC rooflines are very attractive. They come in styles ranging from the classic half-round and square-line to decorative ogee guttering. You can choose from a range of colours to match the rest of your home – white, light brown, dark brown and wood grain finishes are available.
Matching with Your House
Choosing upvc for your whole home allows colour matching of such items as your windows, doors and conservatories as well as your fascias, soffits and guttering.
Value For Money
Finally, replacement uPVC guttering is very economical with prices far lower than aluminium and other metals. Considering how long they last, they represent excellent value.
A sound rainwater system is essential for keeping your home safe and dry. If you’re building a new home or planning to replace your guttering and fascia, take a look at uPVC. Its blend of durability and price makes it the best option for any home. Other than creating a perfect rainwater drainage system, you can transform the appearance of your home at a very reasonable cost.
