Advice on material used for box gutter

[k007030]

Hi everyone

I need some advice on best materials to use on a box gutter. The gutter will span a 170mm gap between two houses. 1 edge will fasten to a gable end wall and the other edge will attach to ptiched roof, underneath the lowest course of roof tiles, probably to a roofing baton.

The overall length of the gutter will be approx 8-10 meters.

So far I have taken advice for the following materials:

1. marine ply covered with rubber and then a layer of rubberised Plygene
2. Aluminium
3. Coated galvanised steel
4. PVC

I have just seen advertising for fibreglass guttering too.

I am not a builder but I will be asking my builder to install the box gutter and have it pre-fabricated in 3 sections with end pieces. I assume whatever material is used it needs to retain some flexibility since I cannot guarantee the trueness of the walls and I know the gap between both properties isn't likely to be perfectly consistent over 8+ meters.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers
Mark

 

[kostello]

Fiberglass roofing kit and you can do it in 1 long length with no steps.

Or self adhesive epdm which is a bit more tricky

You probably should make it wider otherwise you'll never be able to clear it out.... 400mm would be about the minimum

 

[MickCheese]

Is there an alternative to a box gutter?

I have one between a workshop and our house, it's been a real pain and until recently constantly leaked. I stopped it leaking by lining it with uPvc but I don't know how long it will last.

Mick

 

[Drudgeon]

I would also go for the fibreglass, you can buy the products yourself and it is a pretty simple 2 coat procedure, I think 170mm is fine, unless you choose to shunt the gable end wall over 8 inches to make cleaning the gutter easier :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Drudgeon]

Is there an alternative to a box gutter?

I have one between a workshop and our house, it's been a real pain and until recently constantly leaked. I stopped it leaking by lining it with uPvc but I don't know how long it will last.

Mick

I've never known problems with box gutters when done properly, I've always known them in Lead or Fibreglass, I guess there are alternatives depending on the situation, but perhaps you've been unlucky?

Sorry I can't be of more help but without actually seeing it it's very difficult to offer a better solution.

 

[MickCheese]

Mine was installed by the previous owner and was galvanised steel. Just rusted through.

Mick

 

[rafezetter]

why don't you just buy 170mm wide gutter? It's designed for commercial buildings and uses 110 soil pipe for downpipes.

 

[k007030]

There is a bit of a damp problem in my property on the wall adjacent the property 140mm-170mm away (the gap varies in width)

There is no rising damp but there is damp in certain locations which I have attributed to the shortcomings of the existing 170mm gutter and the brick pointing being in need of repair at open end of the gap. If I remedy the pointing that i can reach through the gap and prevent any water travelling down the wall from the roof then in my mind the damp problem must surely resolve itself.

I will take some pictures and post them on here this week. With my intended design

 

[Doug B]

Heavy rain falling on a pitched roof will often shed over the guttering, if there is a wall against this guttering it will get very wet in these circumstances. A box gutter won't solve this but some lead flashing on the abutting wall dressed down into the gutter will, how high it needs to it needs to go up the wall will depend on the pitch of the roof.

 

[RobinBHM]

Fibreglass would be my preference. It needs a plywood box formed first. Fibreglass is rigid so it shouldnt be stuck to the wall side it finishes to the top of the ply box on that side and then lead flashing dressed over.

I expect the most difficult part is the access...

 

[k007030]

I have ruled out the construction of a wooden box gutter on the grounds that it isn't going to be weather proof enough and the access is so tight that I can't see any builder relishing or even being able to attach between the walls. This box will be suspended between the two adjacent walls which appear to be of varying distances apart for the 8 meter length required.

 

[RobinBHM]

If you want to source an aluminium box gutter there are companies that make these, such as guttercrest.

What you are after is essentially a parapet wall box gutter -googling that term bring up quite a few drawings and images. If the gap doesnt vary too much, an aluminium gutter may work as the gutter doesnt have to be tight to the gable wall since this will need finishing with lead flashing.

 

[chippy1970]

Fibreglass is the best option. I've just built miles of box guttering on some new flats I'm working on. I built a huge flat roof on metsec joists then built the box gutters with wbp ply. Then our roofer came along and fibreglassed all of it

 

[Limey Lurker]

Plygene.
E-mail them a diagram of the cross section with dimensions, wait a couple of days for it to arrive, then fit it. Don't bother with rubber on the ply( or timber ). I and a friend fitted one of about 70 feet long in about 1 1/2 hours, with 2 downpipes.