Typical problems with industrial gutters and repairs

Typical problems with industrial gutters and repairs - Q&A

5 December 2022

Gutter Refurbishment

Typical problems with industrial gutters and repairs - Q&A

Answering your questions: The typical problems with Industrial gutters and repairs

Industrial guttering is perhaps the most important aspect of an industrial roof to repair, maintain and keep on top of. After all, if they’re not up to scratch, they can create the most damage and defects to the roofs, façade and ultimately the internal state of a building and its contents.

We often get contractors and building owners asking quite different and interesting questions about what to do in varying circumstances – take a look at a few of the most common and hopefully useful ones.

Q) What Is the Impact of Corrosion on Metal Gutters?

A)

As with industrial metal roofs, metal guttering also succumbs to corrosion. The rust almost always starts at the joints and just to complicate it more, there can be galvanic corrosion at the fixings. This is where two different metals are in contact with each other – for example, the zinc galvanized gutter and mild steel fixings.

Additionally, if gutters alsuffer from prolonged moisture at the exposed metal edges, this could in turn, affect other parts of the building, particularly in valley gutters.

Untreated, the impact will result in further corrosion creating holes, leaks and prolonged damage to the gutters and roof, furthering the expense of getting them repaired.

Q) Is it possible to just make repairs to joints with spot repairs rather than coating a full gutter?

A)

If you have problems with joints/bolts/areas of corrosion, we would always recommend focusing on these areas with priming, using a proper anti-corrosion primer and spot treatment before a full coating anyway.

You could just do this, rather than a complete coat but it would also depend on the full condition of the gutter in case there are other areas of weaknesses.

However, a complete coating would ensure the gutters are in better serviceable order to do their job. Whether you do them depends on the condition of the gutter and also the budget.

Q) How do I know if the rust areas are repairable or if new gutters are needed?

A)

If there are visible holes then you can’t coat over them…you can do quick fixes with a patch, but this is only a short term solution whilst deciding what to do long term.

A survey would be your first action, either with a gutter specialist, or product provider like ourselves. The options for gutters that are past the point of repair would be new gutters or a lining…. But these come with their own problems, see below.

Q) Is a gutter lining easier and more cost effective than a coating?

A)

As mentioned above liners are good if the gutter is in such a state of disrepair that the only other option is replacement. However the main issue is capacity. Liners sitting in an existing gutter take up room. It may only appear small but it can be considerable percentage of volume difference in-between existing gutter and liners. Over 100’s, even 1,000’s of meters of industrial guttering this is a lot of capacity.

A lot of industrial buildings were built in the 60’s/70’s when we had a much steadier pattern of rainfall, unlike the biblical down pours we have seen in recent years. The gutters weren’t made to withstand such a large volume of water, so with a lining reducing capacity even further, you will experience more common occurrences of overflowing gutters.

Liners can also mask a problem. If a lining has a defect, the water will seep through to the weakened gutter below… however this water could travel along the existing gutter, creating a leak somewhere else, making it very tricky to establish where it is coming from and where the problem is with the lining. A costly problem to solve!

Q) Can gutters be cleaned and coated in winter months...or even bad weather during the good months?

A)

Repairing gutters during winter has its challenges but often has to be done. A lot of product solutions require the gutter substrate to be bone dry. With the Alltimes Advantage® for Gutters coating, you can apply the one coat solution in damp conditions. So either in-between wet conditions or if the gutter hasn’t dried completely after cleaning.

Q) What is the difference in buying through a specialised coating provider to just off the shelf?

A)

We get asked this a lot, after all off the shelf will typically be ‘cheaper’ - but buy cheap buy (or apply) twice. The answer is in the question itself, ‘specialised’. Unlike the cheaper, short term options like bitumen or acrylic, you need a product that has been designed with the sole purpose for coating industrial gutters. Also a product that will have been rigorously tested to withstand the elements over longer periods of time and ensure it is a long lasting solution.

A specialised provider will be able to help judge accurately the type and volume of product required, as well as training in its application. Also, they will generally come with a warranty, so you have the trust that the product will do what it needs to do for the the whole length of its life. The Advantage® for Gutters Coating, comes with a 15 year warranty. If you use a ‘cheaper’ system, it is likely to fail, and you’ll be getting constant call backs.

Also, with the Alltimes system, it is just one coat, so the amount of product you need is less… increasing the economies of scale.

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Q) One of the biggest ‘cost issues’ on our quotes is if weather causes extended need for labour and machinery/scaffold hire, especially at this time of year. How can I reduce this?

A)

This comes down to the product or system you are working with. You need to be using a product that allows you to get the job done quickly.

A solution like Advantage® for Gutters Coating is one coat only, allowing you to get the job done quicker, you’re not up and down ladders or scaffold adding multiple coats.

Also as it is damp tolerant, the downtime is reduced as your working window is longer.

To conclude… No two gutter problems are the same, there are various different options available but it’s about talking to the right system provider and contractors who have the experience and technical expertise to find the right solution. If you want to talk through your industrial gutter needs please give one of our experts a call on 01453 872850, or take a look at our system online.

If you are a building owner looking for a solution, we can provide you with one of our approved contractors from our nationwide network.

If you’re interested in this article, you may also like to read ‘Failing Industrial Gutters – Don’t put off repairing them this winter’ or ‘The Ultimate Guide to Cut-Edge-Corrosion – and how to fix it’.

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