Gutters and Downpipes

Leaves in the Gutter

You shouldn't notice your gutters unless they are not doing what they are supposed to. And that's to efficiently shift rainwater from your roof into your stormwater drains. But fascia gutters and downpipes are prone to get blocked.

Leaves and gumnuts build up and get trapped in the bend of the downspout under the eaves. The water might slowly drain but it soon starts to pool in the gutter and the gutter slowly but surely starts to rust. As part of regular home maintenance, gutters and downpipes really should be cleared at least twice a year to stop the gutters from deteriorating.

Gutter Replacement

The time eventually comes when even gutters that have been carefully maintained reach the end of their useful life. More often than not, however, gutters rust through or get damaged in some way. The best thing to do in those circumstances is a gutter replacement.

Jim's Roofing has experienced installers who have worked with all sorts of gutters and have the expertise to make sure that the fall of the gutters is correct so that water always runs freely to the downpipes and doesn't pool and cause problems. Apart from causing rust issues, pooling water in gutters harbours mosquitoes and encourages pests.

These are just some of the types of gutter we replace:

• Square gutters
• Fascia gutters
• Traditional quad gutters
• Box gutters
• Valley gutters

Guttering and Downpipe Maintenance

Maintaining your gutters is not a difficult job, but it does require a ladder, which entails all of the dangers of working at height. You can even walk around the roof with a good leaf blower to ensure the gutters are cleared. But it's safer (especially if you are no longer young and lithe) to get someone in to do it for you.

It's always useful to test the gutter by running some water from a hose to check if the downpipes are clear. It's not uncommon for leaves and debris to be washed into the downpipe where they lodge and form a hidden blockage. This blockage can shift and then clog the stormwater drain.

Jim's Roofing can help with all of these issues including fixing blocked stormwater drains.

Downpipe Replacement

No matter what style or colour downpipes your home has, Jim's can source the appropriate replacements. It is best to increase the size of the downpipes if you have discovered that they haven't been up to the job during heavy rainstorms. The same principle applies to your roof gutters - the larger they are, the more water they can handle.

Gutter Styles

Although what really matters is that the gutters effectively cope with your area's typical rainfall, the style of gutter you choose as a replacement should match your home's original style or it will look out of place. There are all sorts of names for gutter styles:

• Quad
• Square
• OG
• Round
• Half Round

The best advice is to stick to the style you've got and if it's proved inadequate, get a larger version of it that has better capacity. There are even a couple of ways of positioning them on the fascia or the board that sits directly under the tiles or roofing iron. They can be right at the top with the bottom of the gutter level with the top of the fascia, with the fascia board covered with metal in a matching colour. These are called fascia gutters. Standard gutters sit lower on the fascia.

Guttering and Downpipes Interest Free

Because leaking gutters need to be fixed straight away to prevent further potentially expensive problems, Jim's Roofing offers zero deposit interest free payment plans**. If you don't have the money in your account right now it doesn't matter - you can still get the work done.

What's more, you can have the work done on any day that suits you without having to pay any extra. Jim's is available 7 days a week, including all public holidays at the same rates. So if your gutters and downpipes aren't doing what they should, get on the phone and contact us.

We are likely to be out to you within an hour* and have your guttering sorted in no time.

Box Gutters

Box gutters are the gutters that aren't hung on the side of the house but are built in. They are sometimes called trough gutters and they take water that falls on the roof from inside rather than outside the walls. If they leak, the leak goes inside your home. When box gutters block, the overflow ends up dripping from the ceiling.

Rainheads and Sumps

To prevent overflows from heavy rain, box gutters often have rainheads and sumps. These are devices that help the guttering cope with more water.

Instead of the water going straight to the drainpipe and overflowing because all the water can't drain at once, a rainhead allows more water to accumulate around the top of the drainpipe and ensures any overflow is channelled away from the house.

The design of some box gutters and sumps can be quite complex, but Jim's roof plumbers have seen it all and can sort out any problems.