It is of course imperative that every homeowner has effective drainage measures installed on their property. Without doubt, the British climate is a very unforgiving master and will quickly wreak havoc with any house that has an ineffective drainage system. However, with so many different types of drainage pipes and gutters available on the market nowadays, choosing one option above all others can be quite a task.
This can be especially true when it comes to selecting a specific type of material. In general, though, most homeowners in the UK opt for one of three materials: cast iron, PVCu or aluminium.
Cast Iron & PVCu
Whilst cast iron and PVCu are different materials, they are actually made up of similar components. Indeed, the run of both cast iron and PVCu guttering is split into sections which fit together firmly and are secured onto facia boards via u-shaped brackets (obviously, one of the sections needs to have an outlet so that the gutter can be connected to the downpipe).
Aluminium
In general, aluminium water drainage solutions come in long integral strips as they are manufactured by passing a flat strip of aluminium through a forming machine. This ‘section-free’ type of guttering can be advantageous as having fewer sections means there are fewer potential places for cracks to emerge under stress.
With regards to cost, PVCu is normally the cheapest guttering option while cast iron and cast aluminium tend to be mid-range offerings. Formed aluminium is typically the most expensive.