Surprisingly, the most common guttering is PVC Guttering. However, that doesn’t mean that PVC Guttering is the best guttering to use. - There are better options.
The best guttering to use for price, quality and longevity is Aluminium Guttering - and in this article, we set out why.
To get a full understanding of what is the best type of guttering and downpipes to use we need to look at six areas:
- What’s the Trend of Guttering Types?
- Which Gutters Are Cheapest?
- What Type of Guttering is Strongest?
- Which Gutters Last Longest?
- Which Gutters Are Best for Sustainability?
- What Guttering Looks the Best?
What’s the Trend of Guttering Types?
There’s a big shift just now in Rainwater Systems… a huge shift away from plastic gutters.
Why is this? Well mainly because plastic gutters break extremely easily but the reason they have been more popular in the past is that they are cheap. But that’s all changing with new aluminium gutters that are as low cost as plastic gutters.
You can see the estimated forecast for plastic gutters is in steep decline. At the same time, the forecast for Aluminium gutters and downpipes is set to increase significantly. In fact, because aluminium guttering is now affordable sales of aluminium guttering will overtake the volumes of plastic guttering in the next three years.
People are looking for a gutter system that ticks all the boxes…
Which Gutters Are Cheapest?
It used to always be the case that plastic gutters were the cheapest, however, this has now changed since Aluflow® gutters were launched.
Typically, the cost of any type of metal gutter such as Cast Iron, Steel or Aluminium guttering, will be around 300% higher than plastic gutter. This makes metal guttering unaffordable for most projects.
However, Aluflow® was launched in 2023 at a much lower affordable price. Made from long-lasting aluminium, this system is almost as low a price as plastic guttering.
So, now users can choose a metal guttering system that is affordable for all projects but has all the additional advantages of strength, longevity, and sustainability.
Everyone can now afford high-quality aluminium guttering – it simply doesn’t make sense to use anything else as the estimated lifetime of the product is exceptional whilst the price is now very affordable.
What Type of Guttering is Strongest?
Aluminium guttering is much stronger than plastic guttering.
Plastic guttering is initially flexible when it is first installed. This means that when any load such as snow and ice is pushing down on it, the gutter lengths can deform or fail. The plastic gutter brackets are also prone to breaking under load.
Over time plastic gutters and downpipes become brittle and are then very susceptible to breakage or cracking. These breakages can be expensive to replace as often it requires several sections of gutter to be removed to fix the breakage.
Also, new fittings or lengths will not fit or work well with the old ones causing unwanted leaks. The other issue with replacing breakages is that it will look different as plastic gutter fades and the new replacement products will look different to the older parts.
With aluminium gutters, you can put all these challenges behind you.
Take Aluflow aluminium guttering for example. It has been tested to 50kg per metre which is incredible.
However, what is more incredible with the Aluflow® aluminium guttering strength tests is, that the load was applied to the front edge of the guttering, which is the weakest point of any guttering system.
Even when the load was loaded to this position due to the incredible strength of the high-quality wall thickness and robust gutter brackets.
Aluminium gutter brackets remain strong over time so you have much more peace of mind.
Which Gutters Last Longest?
This is a really important question because you will have all the costs of installation so you will want to ensure that the gutters will last a long time.
With the issues with plastic guttering breaking, it is obvious that aluminium gutters will last far longer. On the other hand, cast iron gutters will tend to rust and corrode over time, whereas aluminium guttering is naturally corrosion resistant and will therefore last longer.
Aluminium products are generally reckoned to last at least 60 years due to their natural anti-corrosion properties as well as their incredible strength and rigidity.
What’s interesting is that Aluflow guttering is one of the only gutters to have a hidden gutter bracket, and due to the patented, high-strength design of the Rock N Lock® gutter- to-gutter-bracket connection, it’s incredibly strong. This gives you all the aesthetic benefits but saves you from having to worry about the gutter brackets breaking.
Which Gutters Are Best for Sustainability?
When looking at sustainability for guttering, we need to consider the impact on the planet for the entire lifecycle of the guttering.
Plastic guttering lasts around 5 years, whereas aluminium guttering is estimated to last 60 years. Therefore PVC guttering has 12 manufacturing cycles within the same time as aluminium guttering.
Aluminium is made from a natural element that is abundant in supply and makes up roughly 8% of the Earth's crust. Whereas plastic guttering is made from an oil-derived compound with is created with several processes.
Whilst plastic guttering can be recycled, there is a limit to how much plastics can be recycled. Whereas aluminium can be recycled again and again infinitely, and the recycled products have the same physical strength and properties that the original does.
The above points make aluminium guttering the clear winner when it comes to comparing the sustainability of gutter systems.
This assessment is true for all brands of PVC or aluminium guttering. For example, you can check out this article explains in more detail why Aluflow is the most sustainable gutter on Earth.
What Guttering Looks the Best?
The most important thing to consider when deciding on which is the best-looking guttering system is to compare which ones have hidden gutter brackets.
Regardless of the profile of the gutter and downpipes, the most visual part is the lengths of guttering installed along the eaves line of any property.
There’s nothing worse than seeing ugly under-hung gutter brackets which spoil the whole roofline view. Compare these two gutter installations shown below and you’ll see the difference.
Ugly Under-Hung Gutter Brackets - Versus - Sleek Gutter with Hidden Gutter Brackets
One gutter system that has hidden gutter brackets is Aluflow. Using clever, patented design Rock N Lock® gutter brackets you can’t see the brackets from the front view, meaning the look of a new gutter installation looks very sleek.
When looking up at any property the roofline at the eaves is one of the first areas that you see. After all, it’s right in your eye line so you want it to look great.
Having great-looking guttering improves the overall impression and presence of any building which in turn can enhance the desirability and value of the property.
Conclusion: I’m sure you’ll agree that Aluminium Guttering is the best gutter to use. However, the Aluflow® aluminium gutter ticks all the boxes as it is the best gutter solution for price, sustainability, strength, longevity and aesthetics.
If you have any further questions why not get in touch with our friendly Live Chat Teams – they’re always happy to support you with any questions.
