Replacing wooden gutters / facias

[lozfuller]

Hello,

I live in an Edwardian property, built around 1921, which has two bay windows with a tiled roof. The roof drains into wooden gutters, which sit on top of wooden facias above leaded windows with wooden frames. Basically all wood! There is also a balcony with wooden gutters. I'm attaching a picture of them,

As you can see, the facias have rotted, in particular beneath where the wooden gutters are joined together above with a mitered joint, where the water has obviously leaked through inside the facias. I'm planning to replace the gutters and facias (but not the window frames which are OK), but not sure what material to use? I've been wondering whether to use some sort of metal or UPVC gutter, but then not sure how this would blend in with wooden facias/wooden window frames.

Has anyone had experience of replacing such guttering/facias and if so, what materials did you use? Any recommendations for a good company that would do this in the Stoke-on-Trent/surrounding area?

Many thanks for any advice you can give.

Laurence

 

[88v8]

Hello and welcome.

Glorious! Lovely house.
Wooden gutters, never saw, or rather have seen box gutters on thatch but never a moulded gutter like that. Was it lined with lead?

If so, the lining could be renewed by a lead worker, to give you another 100 years.

Failing that I would use cast iron which you can get from Longbottoms, either stock or made to order.

That would need a redesign to the fascia moulding, which you could have run off by a local joinery or perhaps even a good timber yard. I would look to larch, or from a good yard their 'unsorted'.

Needless to say this is not the time of year to do the work. If you can dry the gutter by putting a tarp over the roof, line it temporarily with Densotape to restore its waterproofness and see you through the winter.

Sorry, no idea who... for me, a DIY job.

 

[lozfuller]

Hello and welcome.

Glorious! Lovely house.
Wooden gutters, never saw, or rather have seen box gutters on thatch but never a moulded gutter like that. Was it lined with lead?

If so, the lining could be renewed by a lead worker, to give you another 100 years.

Failing that I would use cast iron which you can get from Longbottoms, either stock or made to order.

That would need a redesign to the fascia moulding, which you could have run off by a local joinery or perhaps even a good timber yard. I would look to larch, or from a good yard their 'unsorted'.

Needless to say this is not the time of year to do the work. If you can dry the gutter by putting a tarp over the roof, line it temporarily with Densotape to restore its waterproofness and see you through the winter.

Sorry, no idea who... for me, a DIY job.

Many thanks for the information! No, it wasn't lined with lead, although perhaps it should have been! Will have a think about this - cast iron is certainly an option I think.

 

[Zebra]

How interesting and unusual! Where is the downpipe? I don't see it. Where is the water supposed to flow to?

 

[88v8]

How interesting and unusual! Where is the downpipe? I don't see it. Where is the water supposed to flow to?

There speaks a practical man... I hadn't noticed that!

Many thanks for the information! No, it wasn't lined with lead, although perhaps it should have been! Will have a think about this - cast iron is certainly an option I think.

To last this long it was surely lined with something.... zinc, lead... even oak or teak would not last 100 years, and in any event oak does not like being painted and nor does teak.

Given the extent of rot, I suspect that when you get behind the fascia you may find more extensive damage.
It is possible of course that this is a beautiful but harebrained arrangement that has never worked properly.

For the winter, if the eaves tiles are not nailed, I would lift them and slip some felt or roofing membrane underneath, take it over the notgutter, and just let the water run down. At least that will prevent more water running into the substructure.

 

[Zebra]

There speaks a practical man... I hadn't noticed that!

A practical woman.... Why would you assume those words were spoken by a man?

 

[lozfuller]

How interesting and unusual! Where is the downpipe? I don't see it. Where is the water supposed to flow to?

The downpipe is on the left hand side of the bay, by the wall. Unfortunately, there is very little/any fall, so some water sits in the gutter for a while until it evaporates - another reason I'm sure for the issues I've had!

 

[LadyArowana]

A practical woman.... Why would you assume those words were spoken by a man?

Woman = fluffy bunny, Man = repository of all knowledge and skills
Tiresome isn’t it?

 

[lozfuller]

There speaks a practical man... I hadn't noticed that!


To last this long it was surely lined with something.... zinc, lead... even oak or teak would not last 100 years, and in any event oak does not like being painted and nor does teak.

Given the extent of rot, I suspect that when you get behind the fascia you may find more extensive damage.
It is possible of course that this is a beautiful but harebrained arrangement that has never worked properly.

For the winter, if the eaves tiles are not nailed, I would lift them and slip some felt or roofing membrane underneath, take it over the notgutter, and just let the water run down. At least that will prevent more water running into the substructure.

I've perhaps suggested incorrectly that the wooden gutters are original. They have been replaced twice in the last 40 years, so maybe they were originally lead lined. The rot is indeed in the facia, so expecting to replace all the wood down to the window frames - just want to make sure that the replacement gutters are properly sealed so water doesn't go through again.

Yes, thanks, will look to do some temporary covering to try to prevent any further damage over the winter.

 

[Stevers]

It would be worth looking into lining the gutter with fibreglass, but you'll still an escape route for the water that gathers. Fibreglass should bond to whatever is used for the downpipe entry, and will be tolerant of the odd looking angled corners.