Rainwater Goods

Listings for above images at bottom of page

Option One: PVCu

Summary: Plastic is by far the cheapest and thus the most popular option. There are dozens of manufacturers, many now integrating fascia and soffit systems. There is a choice of colours and profiles (half-round is the cheapest), as well as different sizes, i.e. the drainage area.

Advantages: It’s costeffective, and a good system should last 25 years. Some models mimic cast iron quite well (i.e. Brett Martin’s Cascade range, PICTURED).

Disadvantages: Cheaper systems may need replacing ten years on. The rubber seals used to join sections often shrink and crack.

Cost: Materials for a whole house, 50m installation (30m guttering, 20m downpipe): £250-£500, depending on quality and brand.

Contacts: Brett Martin (01246 280000) Marley (01622 852585), Osma (0844 8565153), Polypipe Terrain (01622 795200)

Option Two: Cast Iron

Summary: Cast iron was the main material used before the advent of plastics. It’s still available, though used mostly for conservation work.

Advantages: It’s very long lasting – many 19th century models are still in good working order – and looks great on period-style homes and barn conversions.

Disadvantages: It requires repainting at least every five years and is expensive.

Cost: £1,500-£2,000 for a whole house.

Contacts: Hargreaves Foundry (01422 330607), Saint Gobain (0115 930 5000), Tuscan Foundry (01409 255120)

Option Three: Metals

Summary: A surprising variety of metals are used for rainwater goods, copper, galvanised steel and aluminium being the most popular.

Advantages: All of the above metals promise many years of maintenance free service and look great on contemporary-style homes.

Disadvantages: Their effectiveness depends on how well they are installed: many people experienced gutter issues after the prolonged snowfalls in 2010, and often the cause of the problem was that the screws used to fix the guttering simply weren’t strong enough to support the extra loadings.

Cost: Usually slightly less than cast iron.

Contacts: Copper Coppa Gutta (01489 797774), Yeoman Rainguard (0113 279 5854); Aluminium Guttercrest (01691 663300), Marley (as before); Steel Rainclear Systems (0844 414 2266), Lindab (0121 585 2780)

Making the Decision

Rainwater systems must be looked at as part of the overall roof design — and the house as a whole. For a modern self-build, in truth PVCu often wins the day for its versatility and low cost. However, many contemporary-style homes opt for steel and aluminium for their sleek, streamline looks. For traditional-style homes, cast iron is usually favoured, although copper can be an option, particularly on traditional-style barn conversions.

Specials: Hoppers, Diverters & Rain Chains

Hoppers are funnel-shaped rainwater collectors that divert to a downpipe. Elaborate cast iron and lead versions are of great significance on many façades of historical buildings. Rainwater diverters are a clever way of diverting rain to a water butt — when full, simply close the outlet. Rain chains (Kusari-Doi) have been used for hundreds of years in Japan and are now used as decorative and functional features in the UK.

Rainwater Goods Explained

Whether installing new downpipes and guttering, or repairing an old rainwater system, take a close look at the various elements available with a comprehensive diagram detailing each individual component.

1. Gutter: Available in up to 3m lengths, the guttering must slope gently downwards at least 12mm every 3m towards the RUNNING OUTLET in order to provide effective drainage. It should be fixed at 1m intervals with a GUTTER SUPPORT BRACKET.

2. Gutter Union Bracket: Connects two GUTTER pieces; some guttering ranges have joints ready incorporated in the design.

3. 90° Gutter Angle: Allows a run of guttering to continue around a corner. A GUTTER SUPPORT BRACKET must be fixed within 150mm on both sides of the angle.

4. Stop End Outlet: Sits at the end of a run of guttering to close the pipeline, and lets water out by connecting to the DOWNPIPE. Usually supplied as a ‘right’ or ‘left end’, depending on the layout.

5. Hopper: Funnel-shaped rainwater collector that diverts to a DOWNPIPE. Elaborate cast iron and lead versions are of great signifi cance on many façades of historical buildings. On some old houses, hoppers took out grey water, but this is not permitted now.

6. Downpipe: Available in lengths up to 2.5m, it lets water run down to the SHOE. Fixed to the wall with a DOWNPIPE BRACKET.

7. Downpipe Bracket: Secures a DOWNPIPE to the wall — there should be one positioned near the top of the first pipe and then around every metre after that. Two sorts are generally available: the saddle bracket and the barrel clip (shown). The saddle bracket just holds the pipe away from the wall while the barrel clip gives a firmer grip to the pipe and prevents it moving up and down.

8. Shoe: Fitted at the base of the DOWNPIPE to change the direction of the flow of water, discharging it horizontally, clear of the wall, into a drain or hardstanding — which it should be positioned around 40mm above. Cast iron shoes may be decoratively branded with dates or crests.

9. Downpipe Connector: Allows more than one DOWNPIPE to be connected in series. Cast iron connectors are sometimes decoratively branded. Plastic downpipes may, however, just join by sitting the upper pipe inside the lower, without connectors, which creates a watertight seal.

10. Branch: Single branch for joining two DOWNPIPES together, to divert the water from another roof section into the same drain.

11. Offset Bends: At either a 112.5° (as here) or 92.5° angle, these bends bring the DOWNPIPE close to the wall, ensuring water runs vertically, thus reducing debris build up.

12. Running Outlet: Provides an outlet to the DOWNPIPE for rainwater along the length of guttering. Unlike a STOP END OUTLET, it connects to a guttering run at both ends.

13. External Stop End: Closes off a run of guttering.

14. Gutter Support Bracket: Attaches the guttering to the facia at 1m intervals.

NB: While this diagram serves as an aid to those purchasing and/or installing rainwater goods, we have opted to show the wide selection of components on offer as opposed to a full working setup. Cast iron is found on many period properties, but other materials include steel, aluminium, zinc, copper and PVCu, which is most often used on new buildings. Guttering is commonly available in three shapes: half-round, square (box) and ogee; downpipes may be circular or square.

Article updated June 2011

1. The H1 75mm ornamental hopper head, shown here in ‘Premier Extra’ (pre-painted), costs from £98.58 at Hargreaves Foundry (01422 330607)

2. Yeoman Rainguard’s TECU® Copper rainwater goods are available in ‘Classic Copper’, ‘Oxidised Brown’ or ‘Patinated Green’ finishes (0113 279 5854)

3. Tuscan Foundry’s cast iron Winner Hopper – shown in H82 style with date embellishment – costs from £204 (0800 174 093)

4. Brett Martin Plumbing & Drainage’s Cascade Downpipe – shown in ‘Olive Green’ – replicates cast iron and costs from £6.94/m (brettmartin.com)

5. Marley Plumbing & Drainage’s Deepflow150 gutter costs from £57.48 (4m length); its 82mm downpipe costs from £45.87 for 3m (01622 858888)

6. Saint Gobain’s circular pipes cost from £60 per 1.8m primed (or £88 pre-painted); its half-round primed Gutter 115 costs from £32 per 1.8m (as before)

7. Tuscan Foundry’s H500 cast iron hopper head with lion embellishment, £657. Hopper heads start from as little as £31 (as before)

8. Aluminium Rainwater Systems from Yeoman Rainguard — who also provides a range of GRP, cast iron and copper rainwater goods (as before)

9. Saint-Gobain’s Royale pipe costs from £160 for a 2m length. The Royale Fish Head Shoe costs from £130 (01952 262500)

10. Yeoman Rainguard’s GRP rainwater goods — available in ‘Black’ as standard, but can also be specified in RAL colours, as here (as before)

11. The Rheinzink half-round eave gutter system costs from £9.27/m in 127mm diameter (supply only). The brackets cost from £2.09 each (01276 686725)

12. Coppa Gutta’s standard half-round gutter – costing from £14/m excl VAT – is shown treated with a weathered ‘verdigris solution’ (as before)

13. Coppa Gutta’s standard half-round gutter costs £14/m excl VAT and is shown here with an 80mm downpipe, also £14/m excl VAT (01489 797774)

14. Hargreaves Foundry’s Premier Extra 75mm diameter Rainwater Offset, shown here in a 380mm projection, costs from £77.83 (as before)

15. Tuscan Foundry’s cast iron ogee-style gutter costs from £42 per 1.829m length; the round pipe costs from £61, while offsets cost from £35 (as before)

16. The Cascade gutter and downpipe, shown here in ‘Oxford Blue’ — gutters cost from £6.94/m from Brett Martin Plumbing & Drainage (as before)

17. The Rheinzink Leaf collector costs from £4.88/m — it’s shown here installed on the half-round eave gutter system, as above (as before)

18. Bespoke rainwater goods from ornamental and rainwater leadwork specialist Callender Lead, from £175 for 1.5m (callenderlead.co.uk)