Here at Rainclear Systems, we’re always looking for ways to enhance the visual appeal of your house, but you can rest assured that we will always prioritise functionality over aesthetics. We work hard to ensure we achieve a fantastic aspect for your home that’s completely watertight, whenever possible – but on the odd occasion where it’s a choice between looking perfect and keeping your home safe from water damage, we will always opt for safety.
Take our popular ‘Infinity’ rainwater system guttering, available in galvanised steel, natural zinc, copper and stainless steel. It’s deliberately designed with the inside edge sitting slightly higher than the outside edge, so rather than having guttering that’s level front to back, there is a very slight tilt away from the wall.
“The gutter rises up at the back to protect the wall against overflow in case of heavy rain,” clarifies a spokesperson for Infinity. “In this case, we have the philosophy of ‘functionality first, design second’ – and not the other way round.”
By having the guttering tip forward slightly, if there is an overflow issue caused by a sudden downpour, the water cascades away from the house rather than down the outside wall, which can lead to dampness and other structural issues.
With that in mind, it keeps your home watertight, but what does having slightly off-level guttering mean for the visual appeal of your home? If you just look at the guttering, it has very little impact – the guttering’s front-to-back tilt is so subtle that it appears level. The only time the tilt becomes noticeable is when viewing the guttering from the end, as once inserted, the stopend doesn’t lie flat, and can cause you to wonder whether the uneven guttering has been installed incorrectly.
There are ways to minimise the tilt to make the guttering appear more level; you might notice that the tops of the crescents are angled slightly forward, particularly so if you choose the stopend with the two ‘ears’ – however, the back ‘ear’ can be cut off or folded backwards, to minimise the issue.
If you have any questions about our guttering installation, or if you’re looking for something in particular, please call the friendly, knowledgeable team FREE on 0800 644 44 26, email sales@rainclear.co.uk or search the Resources site www.rainclear.co.uk/resources for brochures, pricelists, and installation guidance. We’re here to support and advise on any of our metal rainwater, roofline, drainage and architectural ranges.
The best thing with the Gálve is the soothing noise when it rains
J
Love this product it has been such fun to install.
Ben
It’s a great product, and easy to install
Tim