Gutters and Downpipes Newcastle

Gutter repairs

Plenty of gutter problems can be repaired without replacing the whole run. Joints that have lost their seal can be cleaned and resealed, brackets that have pulled away can be refixed or added, and a section that holds water can be adjusted so it falls to the outlet again. Small rust spots caught early can be treated. The limit is the metal itself: once a gutter is rusting through along its length, patching one hole just moves the leak along a metre.

• ✔Resealing leaking joints, stop ends and outlets
• ✔Refixing or adding brackets where a gutter sags between supports
• ✔Adjusting the fall so water drains to the outlet instead of pooling
• ✔Replacing a short damaged section where the rest of the run is sound
• ✔Checking the roof edge while we are up there: tiles, sheet ends and flashings that feed the gutter

Gutter cleaning and gutter maintenance

Gutter cleaning is the simplest way to prevent overflow, and it matters most on homes under or near trees, which covers a lot of streets around Lake Macquarie and the western suburbs of Newcastle. Leaves break down into a wet sludge that holds water against the metal, speeding up rust, and blocked outlets send water over the back of the gutter into the eaves. A maintenance visit is more than a scoop out: we check flow through the downpipes, look for early rust and failed joints, and flag anything on the roof edge that needs attention.

• ✔Leaves, sludge and debris removed from gutters and taken away rather than tipped in the garden
• ✔Downpipes checked for flow and cleared at the top where blocked
• ✔Joints, brackets and outlets checked for leaks and movement
• ✔A note of anything that needs repair, with photos where useful
• ✔How often depends on the trees around the house. Some homes need it yearly, others more often

Fascia cover replacement and downpipe replacement

A fascia cover is the metal capping fitted over a timber fascia board to protect it and give a clean finish along the roof edge. When a cover is dented, rusted or has come loose, water can get behind it and rot the timber. We remove the damaged cover, check the timber underneath, and fit a new Colorbond steel cover in a matching colour. If the timber is soft or rotted, we tell you before closing it up, because a new cover over rotten timber will not hold brackets for long. Downpipes are often forgotten until they split, rust through at the base or overflow at the top in a storm. We replace damaged downpipes with new Colorbond steel downpipes, fitted with proper brackets and connected to the existing stormwater point. Where a roof area is draining through too few downpipes, adding one can relieve an overflowing gutter. Problems below ground, such as a blocked or broken stormwater pipe, are drainage work and a separate trade. If water is backing up from below, we will tell you so you can call the right person.

• ✔Dented, rusted or loose fascia covers replaced, with the timber behind checked first
• ✔Split, rusted or crushed downpipes replaced
• ✔Downpipe positions reviewed where gutters overflow in heavy rain
• ✔Connection to the existing stormwater point at ground level
• ✔Advice when the blockage sits underground rather than in the downpipe