Concrete, or Finlock gutters and guttering, were installed during the 1950's, 60's and 70's to carry out the twin functions of closing the cavity at the top of the brickwork & providing a maintenance-free (or so they thought at the time) gutter system.
The photograph here shows a typical concrete (Finlock) gutter in today's condition. If you look closely you can also see the white stain marks on the underside of the gutters, which is evidence of the fact that they have been leaking over the years, with the water staining the concrete. Concrete gutters commonly comprise units that vary in length between 200 and 600mm where the joints have been sealed with bitumen or a similar substance, or the gutters being lined, often with a torch, on mineral felt.
Unfortunately, these concrete (Finlock) gutters, whilst cheap to build, have repeatedly failed over the years as the concrete deteriorates with age, ultimately costing more to maintain than they did to install in the first place. Once the seals/joins go in the gutter sections, they increasingly leak and because the gutters span the cavity, a proportion of the water will actually leak into the house as well as into the cavity, causing damp which damages the interior décor. It will also leak down the outside of the brickwork, taking out the 'pointing' and staining and damaging the brickwork.
The concrete gutter sections also commonly start to sag over the windows and can tilt at different angles which not only looks unsightly, but bears the weight of the roof down onto the window frames. This results in the window frames visibly bowing and as it worsens can result in opened windows, becoming difficult or impossible to close. Our specific solution is always completely successful in resolving the concrete (Finlock) gutter repeated problems of damp, leaks, lack of gutter fall, and damaged pointing and brickwork.
Call us now for a no-obligation (FREE) quote, on 0115 921 4014, or use the contact form and we can arrange a mutually convenient appointment date/time.
