HOW TO CHOOSE Guttering and fascias

As well as serving a practical purpose, rainwater goods can enhance your home's appeal. Here's our selection of the best materials and design options

- REBECCA FOSTER

In a country where wet weather is the norm, it’s important for your home to have an efficient rainwater system that directs water away from the structural fabric of the building. Poorly maintained guttering can lead to issues such as mould, damp and potentially even structural problems, so it’s important to specify a system that meets your property’s requirements and stay on top of the upkeep once it’s installed.

Every guttering system comprises a network of channels (gutters), downpipes and sometimes hoppers to transport rainwater away from the roof and into the drain, keeping it away from the walls and foundations of the property where it could cause damage. Most UK homes have an eaves setup, whereby the water-collecting channels are surface-mounted to fascia boards fitted along the bottom edge of the pitched roof. “The fascia is a vertical board – usually wood – under the eaves that the gutter is attached to via fascia brackets,” says Charlie Cutforth, commercial director at Rainclear. “Not all older properties have this fascia board. In some cases, the guttering can be mounted to rise-and-fall brackets on spikes driven directly into the stone façade or into the mortar between the stones instead.” If you’re renovating, it’s possible to replace the guttering without removing the existing fascia, providing the fascia is in good working order. However, if you’re only replacing the fascia the gutters will probably have to be removed anyway to attach them to the new fascia board.