Concrete gutter replacement in Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire

If every picture tells a story the photograph of the wall of this house before work was started on our latest project speaks volumes.

One glance at the damp brickwork underneath the large concrete gutter tells you all you need to know about so-called Finlock gutters. Actually, there’s a lot more to know about Finlock guttering, as we’ve discussed on this blog before.

This style of concrete guttering was all the rage in the 1950s and 60s, when there was plenty of concrete available, but not much ironwork because so much had been used up in the war.

Design flaws with Finlock guttering

Summit Cladding was called in by our clients in Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, to sort out the many problems which had developed at their home, thanks to this particular design.

Finlock gutters are made of concrete blocks up to 12 inches (30 cm) wide, joined together with mortar. They are cemented to the top of the brickwork on the walls of the building, instead of being attached to the ends of the rafters, like traditional iron or plastic gutters.

They were designed to be maintenance-free, but after 60 or 70 years, gradual deterioration leads to damp penetration inside and outside the walls, the growth of mould on the damp areas and obstructed water flow along the gutters.

Concrete removed

Our client’s home was suffering all those problems, so our first task was to remove all the concrete guttering, using diamond-tipped angle grinders. With the top of the wall now showing the brickwork, we fitted treated timber wall plates to prevent cold bridging. This occurs at gaps in insulation, leading to condensation, especially where the wall and roof are joined.

With the area prepared, we fitted 18mm uPVC fascias in white, with black deep flow gutters in the same material. Not only does the property look so much better, but this time the gutters work properly and really will be maintenance-free.

Categorised in: Concrete guttering removal, Guttering

This post was written by Summit Cladding