Gutted by your guttering? - a handy guide.

Gutted by the performance of your guttering?

Even the most optimistic Brit' would have to admit that the weather's been a little on the damp side these past few weeks.

If you've been affected by flooding, then our thoughts are with you.

It's also been a severe test on the guttering and fascia of your property.

For those unfamiliar with such terms as fascia (or roofline as the industry refers to it), then allow us to enlighten you further.

Roofline refers to the wood or plastic boarding around your home between the roof and the walls. Usually, this is where guttering is fixed, but not all roof sides have guttering (gable ends). Guttering is also included in the term Roofline.

Traditionally, roofline was wooden and I'm sure you've all suffered or witnessed flaking and rotting timbers around the roofs of properties. Left untreated, you eventually get leaks and bad weather will force its way through.

Very often, the rot goes beyond the visible timbers and affects those that hold flashing in place. This is when water is most likely to leak through and into the inside of the house.

Re-painting wooden roofline is a yearly chore and not a very pleasant one either. Balancing off a wobbly ladder with paintbrush in hand (if the weather allows you) – it's not much fun and it's then that the thought of not having to do it again next year is usually most appealing.

Upvc roofline has become the modern material of choice. Like its window counterpart, it doesn't need re-painting, is extremely low maintenance and doesn't rot.

My parents were quite surprised when they recently had a roofing quote to correct a leak problem caused by ill-fitting flashing. The cost was high due to new safety rules which meant the work could no longer be carried out atop a ladder, but would require scaffolding.

Upvc Roofline doesn't just come in white. You can very often specify dark or light woodgrain effects as well. To complement the colour of upvc windows or doors etc.

To help identify the individual parts that make up roofline, here's a quick guide:

Guttering – this one is pretty obvious – its the half pipe and whole downpipes that collect rain water from the roof edges and take it to drainage on the ground. This also includes the clips that the guttering fixes to the roofline with.

Now available in square as well as round pipe.

Fascia – this is the boarding that guttering normally fixes to. Its usually straight lengths.

Bargeboards – these are the fascia boards that follow gable end rooflines. They are usually cut to form a neat join at the apex of the roof (eaves end) and the gable end (where bargeboard meets fascia).

Soffits – this is the boarding that runs right angle to the wall surface, facing downwards. Its very often ventilated with mesh covered slots to allow roof space to breathe.

Cladding - this is the 'overlapping planking' you see on some properties either in gable ends, or on walls. Again traditionally wooden, wooden cladding can soon need re-painting, is prone to rotting and letting damp affect interior walls. This is also available in insulated upvc cladding in a tongue and groove / overlapping style.

When having roofline replaced, if its replacing wooden roofline, then its important to check the felt underneath. This is usually the point at which felt deteriorates.

Home Improvement Quotes has a dedicated website where you can get an instant online quote for your property – Just type in your measurements, specify gable or straight runs, if you require guttering (it usually make sense to have the lot done at the same time) and if you require the old roofline removing.

Go to www.fasciaquoter.co.uk and try it now. Its completely free and only takes a few minutes to give you a price quote there and then without the need for a salesman to call!

Or if you prefer, call our customer advisers on 0845 300 2333 and arrange for up to 3 of our recommended and approved fascia installers local to you to come and leave you a no-obligation free quotation that's valid for 6 months.