How to regain traction...

[saveasteading]

2 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

can you put in an additional outlet

Agreed, as the easy and elegant solution.

2 outlets halves the depth, roughly speaking.

 

Also, If the gutter is level then the ends are not the best places.

A single outlet would  be best at the middle, or a pair at third points, or near to that if avoiding a window..  The water has far less distance to travel and the area of roof being carried at anypoint is much reduced.

You might even add a weir overflow at an end...as an overflow outside is much better than inside.

Plus a well designed outlet is wider than the downpipe, and the increased flow is dramatic....check that your people have not simply joined 2 rectangles together.

Do not fit leaf guards. Let them come down the pipe and have an open gully at the bottom.

 

All your issues can be resolved one by one.  A warranty is not what you want...you simply want it sorted.

 

[Tosh]

Is there really an issue with the gutter? Ours is 150mm half round x 20m long, single outlet. Never had any problems. We also have issues with leaves but that's a maintenance task in my view. The size of the gutter is determined by the volume of water it has to carry not the material so not sure why VMZinc are throwing their two penneth into the mix. You also mentioned that you created a dam when you swept it into a pile. I think any gutter would suffer an overflow in that situation. In reality if you'd not touched it then the water would've likely worked itself in and around that debris and found it's way to the downpipe, carrying some of that debris with it. But ultimately you need to maintain it. Lots of ways - gutter vac, window cleaner pole with gutter head attached, etc. As mentioned before let the leaves come down the downpipe with a leaf guard on your gulley. Lindab do a nice version where it throws the leaves away from the gully but allows the water to run through. 

 

How do you plan to keep the rooflights clean and keep the upstand free of leaves? I can't tell from your window detail if there's a frame around the glass with drainage holes. If so and you have leaf problems won't they eventuially block up the drainage holes? If any of this is relevant then might be worth asking how the architect envisaged these things would get done. I believe they have a duty under CDM, and whilst might not be relalvant to these specific examples, it may open your mind to other aspects of their work that you've been unhappy with.

 

I can't quite picture in my mind whats going on with the your upstand but I understand, can't recall for sure, BR determine height based upon roof pitch. If your upstand is too low why can't you just add another course of timber on your existing upstand, get a new roofing contractor to flash it in then drop your roof lights back on top? I must've missed something as I'm sure you would've thought of that?

Note about your rooflights - if the installers plan to use sealant then do your own research into compatibility with Zinc. I know where the run off from a sealant used for a rooflight has stained a zinc roof and cannot be removed.

 

Re the openings you need to get somebody to make that temporarily water tight. Cheap VCL sheet screwed down with battens onto your existing upstands - would that work for you? Any local small builder could do that for you.

 

In terms of a SS roofing contractor I can pass on details of somebody. Send me a PM if you're interested.

 

 

 

 

[Mulberry View]

32 minutes ago, Tosh said:

Is there really an issue with the gutter? Ours is 150mm half round x 20m long, single outlet. Never had any problems. We also have issues with leaves but that's a maintenance task in my view. The size of the gutter is determined by the volume of water it has to carry not the material so not sure why VMZinc are throwing their two penneth into the mix. You also mentioned that you created a dam when you swept it into a pile. I think any gutter would suffer an overflow in that situation. In reality if you'd not touched it then the water would've likely worked itself in and around that debris and found it's way to the downpipe, carrying some of that debris with it. But ultimately you need to maintain it. Lots of ways - gutter vac, window cleaner pole with gutter head attached, etc. As mentioned before let the leaves come down the downpipe with a leaf guard on your gulley. Lindab do a nice version where it throws the leaves away from the gully but allows the water to run through. 

 

How do you plan to keep the rooflights clean and keep the upstand free of leaves? I can't tell from your window detail if there's a frame around the glass with drainage holes. If so and you have leaf problems won't they eventuially block up the drainage holes? If any of this is relevant then might be worth asking how the architect envisaged these things would get done. I believe they have a duty under CDM, and whilst might not be relalvant to these specific examples, it may open your mind to other aspects of their work that you've been unhappy with.

 

I can't quite picture in my mind whats going on with the your upstand but I understand, can't recall for sure, BR determine height based upon roof pitch. If your upstand is too low why can't you just add another course of timber on your existing upstand, get a new roofing contractor to flash it in then drop your roof lights back on top? I must've missed something as I'm sure you would've thought of that?

Note about your rooflights - if the installers plan to use sealant then do your own research into compatibility with Zinc. I know where the run off from a sealant used for a rooflight has stained a zinc roof and cannot be removed.

 

Re the openings you need to get somebody to make that temporarily water tight. Cheap VCL sheet screwed down with battens onto your existing upstands - would that work for you? Any local small builder could do that for you.

 

In terms of a SS roofing contractor I can pass on details of somebody. Send me a PM if you're interested.

 

 

 

 

 

I think you've taken the point I made about the pile of debris in the gutter a little too literally. This was just something that happened this week that highlighted just how fast that gutter can fill with modest rainfall. It is not the basis for my complaint.

 

The Zinc contractor specified the size (350mm wide) and fall (1:60) for the box gutter, which was built by me whilst they worked on other parts of the roof, but VM Zinc contradict this, so who is right? It's a fairly big gutter with only one possible exit point at one end.  It's a weird quirk in the design as there is a window very close to it which does influence things, but if the contractor had highlighted his concern, I could have helped to remedy it, as I am doing now anyway (well, I can't alter the roof, but I can make preparations for the remedial work from the point-of-view of the bits I control anyway).

 

As for watertighting the upstands. I hadn't wanted to screw anything into the upstand and so have made sheeted strong timber frames that lay on top, I strapped them in from the inside. They are staying in place and the plastic is good stuff, but not sure how long it'll last.

 

I am looking for a metal roof contractor to both report on the existing roof and help with a remedial solution/re-roof and would gratefully accept recommendations, but they'd have to be above average because I've had 2 local firms round so far and whilst they had some good info for me, I'm not sure either have the credentials to take this on.