Find a Gutter Installer you can trust in Stowmarket.

In general uPVC is used for soffits and fascias as it is very strong and durable. It also requires very little maintenance. However, wood can be used and is still popular on listed properties as it retains the original material. Older and listed buildings may require more traditional materials to be used.

In the UK, gutters are normally made from uPVC. It’s a hardy plastic that won’t rot, warp or tarnish very easily, which is why it’s so popular. It’s the same material that’s used for most homes’ windows these days; they don’t have to be the standard white as they can be made into a range of colours. Expect to pay an average of £500 for the supply and installation of uPVC guttering, and more if you require scaffolding.

Other materials that are popular for gutters include copper, aluminium and cast iron. These are much more expensive – you might be looking at around £1500 or more for the supply and installation – but they give a more polished look and are often used on period properties or those in a conservation area. If you're considering these types of gutters, make sure you get a few quotes from different roofline companies so you can compare the different materials.

In the past, gutters were made from wood, asbestos concrete or stone. They were often lined with lead to stop the water from seeping through. When it was discovered that asbestos was seriously harmful, it of course stopped being used. Wood was prone to rotting, even with lead lining, and stone is heavy and expensive. So when uPVC came along, it became an affordable and easy material to use for gutters so homeowners could be confident that rainwater will be kept away from the foundations of their properties. It’s important to keep gutters clear from leaves and debris, because if they become blocked, they can make water to fall against your property’s walls, causing damp.

1. Hang a plumb bob from the outlet to the drain to use as a guide while you draw several marks on the wall with a pencil to show you where the downpipe will run.
2. Join the marks up with a straight edge, creating a line to show where the centre of the downpipe will be.
3. Position a downpipe clip at the top of wall, in the centre of the pencil line. Mark the position of its fixing holes on the wall. If you need an offset bend, put a downpipe clip directly below the bend.
4. Repeat the process down the wall. Make sure there is no more than 1.8 metres between pipe clips.
5. Refer to the guttering manufacturer’s instructions to see which drill bit is required. Use a drill to drill the fixing holes and insert wall plugs.
6. Fit the first piece of downpipe starting from the outlet and moving towards the drain.
7. If you need to add more downpipe, join the two pieces with a pipe socket and clip. Leave a 10mm gap between the end of the pipe and the bottom of the pipe socket, because it will probably expand. Then attach a pipe clip over the joint.
8. Continue attaching pipe clips down the length of the downpipe.
9. If you need to, fit a downpipe show to direct the water into the drain. Attach a downpipe clip directly below the socket of the shoe.

Keeping water away from your house is of great importance and hence, the installation of a roof guttering system to serve this purpose. However, in order to perform this task effectively and seamlessly, there’s a need to clear out the clogging dirt and debris from the gutter and ensure it’s free from water-blocking obstacles at all times. Although there are a number of ways to achieve this, but the major cause of concern for several home and property owners is having to work at heights or on top of a ladder to get the job done. This is a very dangerous endeavour especially if you do not have the confidence required to pull it off. As a result, we’d strongly recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional who possess the skills when it comes to working at heights and delivering a highly effective clean. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways you can get to clean your gutters without having to climb any ladders. Let’s take a look!

• Clean the gutter with a leaf blower. Several leaf blowers feature a nozzle attachment which is made to release a narrow stream of air which is suitable for cleaning of gutters. You don’t need a ladder to do the clean as a specialized attachment is available in order to increase the blower’s reach to your roof effortlessly. The final step would be to remove any lingering leaves or twigs using a hose.
• Clean the gutter with a wet or dry vacuum. For heavier debris, you can try out a wet or dry vacuum. To reach the obstructed gutters while standing on the ground, simply get curved attachments and hoses at a local home improvement store. You may, however, need to moisten some stubborn dirt before it can be properly vacuumed or removed.after completing the vacuuming process, simply flush the gutters with garden hose waters.

You don’t always need scaffolding to replace guttering. If your home is a bungalow, the tradespeople might only need a ladder to replace your guttering. It’s when your home is two storeys or more that scaffolding is more necessary.

You might not need full scaffolding for a simple two-storey home. Guttering specialists use scaffold towers, which are the platforms you see underneath the scaffolding, where the installation is relatively straightforward. You might need scaffolding to replace guttering when there are obstructions to towers being used – for example, if you have a conservatory or the ground is very uneven. It's more likely that specialist roofline companies will use scaffold towers when necessary. Sole traders that replace guttering as part of their services may be comfortable using sturdy ladders.

There’s no legal requirement to say that you must have scaffolding when fitting guttering, but it is a good idea when working on homes rather than bungalows. If you’re unsure whether you need full scaffolding for your gutter replacement project, get a few quotes from reputable businesses of different sizes. If you’ve been quoted by one company that you need full scaffolding whereas everyone else says that only towers are needed, it’s likely that the job is perfectly safe to carry out with just towers.

Soffits are constructed by homeowners on their properties for several purposes. Not only are they incorporated to hide away the unsightly features of a home, but they can also be used to add decorative architectural detail. Soffits construction, on the other hand, is a project that can be done by any DIY person with the knowledge and experience. However, if you lack the confidence to pull this off, then we’d strongly recommend you get in touch with a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results, the first time. In this guide, we’re are going to take you through the soffit construction process.

✓ Measure and mark. The first step is to take an accurate measurement of the size of your propose soffit and use a pencil to mark it out on both the wall and ceiling. The size of your soffits is mainly determined by your needs or preferences.

✓ Cut and Install Wall & Ceiling Plates. Proceed to cut the wall as well as ceiling plates once the dimensions have been marked. Make use of 2x4 lumber, you can cut to size with the help of a table saw or mitre. Once done, you can then attach it to the wall as well as ceiling studs with a framing nail gun.

✓ Build the box frame. Develop a box-frame from 2x4 lumber, using your measurements as guide.

✓ Fit the box frame. Hold the box frame in place with some slide clamps and then attach it to the ceiling and wall plates with drywall screws.

✓ Mark the studs. Make use of a pencil to mark out the studs location on your soffit box frame.

✓ Cut and hang the drywall. Cut the drywall with a utility knife uing your measurement as a guide. Once done, attach the drywall to the framework with the help of drywall screws.

✓ Add finishing touches. This includes installing the corner beads, finishing off with the common drywall work of taping, spackling and sanding. Once the spackle is dry, you can the complete it by painting the soffit.

Soffit is a word gotten from two languages - French and Latin, whereby the root word implies to “form as a ceiling in French, while it means to “to fix underneath in Latin. Basically, soffit is a portion of the ceiling that has been constructed lower than the area that surrounds it. And even though they aren’t that much popular in recent times, they happen to be a common feature in kitchens of older homes in the UK. At times, a soffit can occupy the whole room or area in a home.

Homeowners across the globe make use of this feature mostly as a decorative element in the room , however, there are also times in which they may be required for various purposes. These purposes include using soffits to conceal plumbing pipes or, heating or cooling ducts, which is often the case when sofits are constructed at the lower levels of homes. They’re also often incorporated in bathrooms or kitchens as soffits house light fixtures. For instance, recessed light fixtures fitted over kitchen or bathroom sinks are mostly fitted into a soffit. What’s more? Soffit can also be required in a room because of the home’s structure as the feature can be used to hide a structural beam.

If you happen to own an older home and you’d like to remove an existing soffit, the first step is to ensure that its safe to carry out such plan. You should firstly check for any electrical lines, ductwork, lighting or structural problems that may exist prior to the commencement of the project. If you’re not sure or confident enough to pull this off, then it’s advisable to consult a professional contractor before you proceed.

You don’t always need to replace your gutters with your roof. Often people think that it’s a requirement, or simply the best thing to do, but it’s not always necessary. The reason why people think it’s required is because to re-roof a home, the guttering often needs to be removed and put back on.

If the time has come to replace your roof, then the chances are that your guttering is pretty old too. When you start to get quotes for your roof replacement, ask the roofer to take a look at your guttering as well. If there are signs of peeling, rust, cracks or sagging, then it makes sense to replace your gutters with your roof. If you get them done at the same time, you’ll save money labour costs, which is the reason why most homeowners do it.

Another reason to replace your gutters with your roof is the risk of damage. Re-roofing is a significant project, so the guttering needs to come off most of the time – running the risk of brackets and pipes getting damaged in the process. So if your guttering is still looking good right now but you think it might need replacing in a couple of years, it might be worth just doing it at the same time as your roof to save you money and the stress if damage does occur.

However, if your guttering has only recently been replaced, then there’s no need to replace it again with your roof. But because it needs to come off, make sure you speak to the roofing company about keeping it safe and doing their best to avoid damage. It’s also worse ensuring that they have the correct insurance to cover you both in case your guttering does get damaged during your roof replacement.