Their job is simple: collect water from the roof and move it safely to ground level.
When they’re clean, correctly aligned and securely fixed, gutters and down pipes keep water away from your walls, roof timbers and foundations. But, when they’re blocked or loose, rain goes where it shouldn’t, soaking render, saturating brickwork, pooling at ground level and, in freezing weather, turns into ice that expands and damages your property. Over time, the effect of this can become costly. In today’s article, we’ll explore some things to look out for, along with simple actions you can take to protect your home.
Winter makes the gutter’s job harder.
Heavy rain arrives more frequently, and wind carries debris and fallen leaves that cause blockages and reduce capacity just as that extra flow is needed. Where water can’t drain away, it sits in the gutter and freezes overnight, expanding at the joints and pushing seals apart. After a few freeze–thaw cycles gaps can form resulting in a persistent leak.
Down pipes and drains are part of the same chain and deserve the same care. A gutter can be spotless, yet if a down pipe is blocked, or a gully is clogged with silt and leaves, water backs up and spills over the gutter edge during heavy rain.
Snow brings its own risks. Fresh snowfall looks harmless, but as it compacts and absorbs melt-water it becomes surprisingly heavy, applying additional loads to gutter brackets and joints. When a thaw starts, sheets of snow can slide down pitched roofs and hit the guttering with force, twisting clips or pulling fixings out of the fascia.
Overflow and leaks from blocked and damaged gutters doesn’t just make a mess; it damages the building.
On rendered walls, consistent contact with water leads to staining and, over time, hairline cracks as the surface repeatedly wets and dries. On brickwork it drives moisture into the outer leaf, and in cold spells this can cause freeze–thaw spalling where faces of bricks start to flake.
Water tracking behind the gutter saturates fascias and the ends of roof timbers; older or unprotected timber is particularly vulnerable to rot. At ground level, overflow that pools against the base of the wall keeps the area permanently damp and, in some cases, contributes to moisture finding its way indoors as penetrating or rising damp. In very cold weather, that same overflow refreezes on paths and drives, creating a slip hazard.
There are a few clues that your system needs attention:
During rain, look for water spilling out from the middle of a run. That usually means there’s a blockage or the gutter is out of alignment, causing water to back up.
Drips coming from the joints in your gutters suggest perished seals or movement at the clips.
Streaks on fascias and soffits, often called “tiger stripes”, tell the story of past overflows and green algae trails down the wall below the eaves point to a constant damp patch.
Indoors, damp marks high on external walls after bad weather can be the downstream effect of a leak at the roofline, and damp at the base of walls on the ground floor can be an indication that water is pooling at the base of your property.
If you see any of these signs, you should act straight away to avoid costly repairs.
A sensible pre-winter routine to protect your home is straightforward, though if you’re not trained to work at heights, we recommend calling our team to take care of it for you.
A thorough clean, a little readjustment and a handful of new seals will usually be enough to keep your gutters in good condition.
However, if you see repeated joint failures, warped sections, brittle plastic or fascias that are too decayed or damaged to hold fixings, you may want to consider installing a new rainwater system.
The cost of doing nothing is rarely small.
Overflow that’s left to run down a wall through winter can leave you with stained render, damaged brick faces, rotten fascias and indoor damp that takes months to dry. In the worst weather, water that spills onto paths and driveways refreezes, creating an avoidable safety risk. Preventative care is quicker, cheaper and far less disruptive than emergency repairs once the weather clears.
We provide inspection, cleaning, repair and replacement of gutters, down pipes, fascias and soffits across Sheffield and the wider Yorkshire region. We’ll sort the falls, reseal the joints, secure the brackets to make sure your drainage actually drains, keeping your home dry when it’s weather sets in.
Simply fill out the contact form and one of our team will be in touch.
Or if you prefer, you can reach us using the details below:
Telephone: 07846 291 832 or 07791 807 298
Email: John@kcainstallations.co.uk
Don’t wait for water damage to strike. Let us help you protect and enhance your home with expertly installed rainwater systems.
