Top 3 Broken Gutter Problems

Nearly all broken guttering problems come from plastic gutters. Two of the top three problems come from broken gutter brackets and broken downpipe brackets.

The third most common gutter problem occurs when the gutter itself deforms. This mostly occurs on gutters which are rolled gutters or formed gutters, which we would strongly recommend avoiding.

The Top 3 Broken Gutter Problems:

1. Broken Gutter Brackets
2. Broken Downpipe Brackets
3. Broken Guttering Lengths

…and below we explain how they occur and what you can do about them.

1. Broken Gutter Brackets

If you have got broken gutter brackets you are one of thousands of people who have properties with the same problem. Every year an estimated 95% of gutter replacements are due to broken gutter brackets.

The problem is mostly caused by people who make the mistake of installing plastic guttering systems where the plastic gutter brackets support the weight of the guttering.

These weak plastic gutter clips become brittle over time due to the Sun’s UV rays degrading the PVC.

This means that when a storm comes, or when it snows, for example, the roof gutter is under increased loads which these brackets simply can’t support, so they break.

Additionally, they often break during routine maintenance tasks such as Gutter Cleaning. When cleaning guttering, often ladders will be placed against the gutter, and these plastic gutter brackets can’t handle the force and regularly get broken.

So normally what happens next is that property owners will arrange for a gutter repair as you would expect. However, this is unduly expensive as it usually requires access at heights.

Additionally, as you try and replace the gutter brackets with new plastic ones you often find the gutter itself is damaged and the person repairing the gutter ends up breaking more gutter and more brackets inadvertently as they are trying to repair the damaged ones.

So, when you consider all the weaknesses of plastic guttering, what should you do?

Nearly all informed installers are now switching to an aluminium gutter system. Why? Well for a few good reasons…. here are some of them:

The aluminium gutter brackets are super strong and do not become weak or brittle with the Sun’s UV rays.

Additionally, the gutter itself tends to be so much stronger meaning it is going to last much longer.

On some systems, the brackets are hidden so they can’t even be seen, which looks so much better than the unsightly appearance of brackets every 500mm along the gutter.

But you may be thinking, doesn’t aluminium gutter cost a lot more than plastic gutters?

You may be surprised to know that you can now get some aluminium gutter lengths that is almost as low cost as plastic per length. It is estimated to last around 60 years and has been weight tested up to 50kg/m.

That’s why instead of the costly expense of repairing old plastic gutters which will only break again, everyone is now making gutter replacements with aluminium gutters.

2. Broken Downpipe Brackets

Downpipe brackets have similar issues to the gutter brackets as explained above, where they easily break, causing unsightly and leaking downpipes.

Like gutter brackets, historically people have usually installed plastic downpipe brackets. These plastic downpipe clips go brittle with the Sun’s UV rays, causing them to crack when under any pressure.

What’s even more frustrating is that downpipes are naturally installed from ground level upwards, and this means they are particularly prone to accidental damage from people damaging them.

Downpipes can get knocked accidentally by everything from lawnmowers, window cleaners, gardeners, or just general pedestrians. In addition, the force of storms, ice or snow can have an impact.

The great news about downpipe repairs is that in many cases the downpipe clips are a universal size and shape.

This means you can buy round downpipe clips that won’t break and simply replace the clips around the original PVC downpipes.

These aluminium downpipe brackets are readily available and don’t cost much.

We would of course strongly recommend that you replace the entire downpipe with aluminium downpipes for best looks to save having further repair costs later down the line.

Old plastic downpipes can often also become brittle, so you are as well replacing these at the same time if your budget permits.

3. Broken Guttering Lengths

In most cases we see where the gutter has deformed, broken or bent, it has been from formed gutters.

Formed gutters are where they are made on-site (or just prior to being on-site) by forming thin flat metal into a gutter shape with a forming machine.

These are often called seamless gutters as they can be rolled out without any straight joints. However, the issue with these formed gutters is that the very fact they can be easily rolled to shape shows just how flimsy the gutter is. They then require a lot of gutter brackets to hold them in shape.

The problem is that with any storms or snow loading they bend and distort and often break. As mentioned earlier there is also the maintenance issue where they easily get damaged with any accidental impact from ladders when they are being cleaned out of if the roof is being worked on.

Similarly, plastic gutters are also flimsy and rely on their brackets to hold them true to their shape. And so, they also break in the same way.

Seamless gutters with hidden brackets, however, look great and really enhance the look of any property. But you need to choose strong seamless gutters that are not formed.

Thankfully you can now get some super strong seamless gutter systems that have been tested up to 50 kilograms per meter. That’s what you need for peace of mind, not just on day one but to remove any concerns about future maintenance costs.

Furthermore, when you need your gutters cleaned you can easily access them without the worry that they are going to get damaged.

Broken Gutters and downpipes; the final word….

As a final word on installing gutters and downpipes, just remember that your investment should be a once-in-a-lifetime investment, with very little ongoing maintenance costs.

The great news is now you can get very strong gutter systems for pretty much the same price as deepflow plastic gutters, so it only makes sense to choose the system that has all the benefits, but at a very affordable price.

Make sure your guttering has hidden brackets and has been tested to 50kg/m and is made from strong aluminium. It will save you a lot of money and hassle and avoid broken gutter brackets or gutters or downpipes.

Still have more questions? – don’t worry, our friendly Live Chat teams have a lot of experience in guttering projects and are very happy to discuss your needs.