Installation Gallery
Complete kerbside makeover
The house-building boom that followed the Second World War made best use of whatever materials could be found to construct the new homes that were so badly needed. But one design feature from that era, and even as recently as the 1970s, is still causing problems for homeowners today.
We are talking about the dreaded finlock concrete gutters fitted to many houses, originally because of a shortage of iron and steel. Nowadays, of course, most gutters, soffits and downpipes are made of tough and long-lasting pvc, which wasn’t so readily available back then.
Summit Cladding have carried out several installations over the years that have included the removal and replacement of finlock gutters, and this latest one in Enfield, north London, is another good example of what we have to do.
The perils of concrete gutters
Our clients had quite a shopping list of changes they wanted to modernise their house, but removing the finlock gutters was top of the list. The big problem with concrete gutters is that, over time, rainwater seeps into the mortar joints between the blocks, drawing moisture into the brick walls.
Re-lining the gutters with bitumen does not solve the problem because the finlock gutters sit on top of the wall, so an effect known as cold bridging can cause condensation inside the property, as was happening at this house in Enfield. In the worst cases, the weight of concrete can also cause the upstairs window frames to sag and warp.
New maintenance-free replacements
After erecting roof-height scaffolding to the front and back of the house, Summit set about removing the gutters using an industrial grinder. With all the concrete removed, we fitted a treated timber wall plate to carry the replacement PVC fascia with deep flow gutters and pipes in the colour anthracite.
Moving on to the next job in our clients’ shopping list, we removed all the original hanging tiles, then fitted new treated timber battens and James Hardie composite cladding, also in anthracite, incorporating a ventilation air-flow system, to replace the tiles.
Our third task was to construct a new pitched roof over what had been the leaking flat roof over the porch and hallway, including rock wool mineral felt insulation for improved insulation and energy saving. New tiles on the pitched roof were chosen to complement the cladding and gutters.
Our clients are delighted with the transformation of their home, which stands out between their neighbours as fully modernised and maintenance-free.