Guttering, fascias & soffits

Gutters do more work here than they get credit for

Blackpool is not an especially wet place — Met Office averages for Blackpool Squires Gate put annual rainfall at about 886 mm against a UK figure of about 1,163 mm. What it has instead is wind, and wind carries things into gutters that rain alone never would. Fylde’s own sand dunes management plan records wind-blown sand from the St Anne’s dunes falling onto pavements, the highway and inland properties, and structural warranty guidance for coastal sites lists wind-driven sand clogging drainage systems as a coastal hazard in its own right, alongside driving rain and saline corrosion.

Sand in a gutter does not wash through. It settles, holds water against the fascia, and works into the joints. A good proportion of the “roof leaks” we get called out to are gutters that have not moved water properly for a couple of seasons, and the damage shows up at the wall head rather than in the roof at all.

Cast iron, and what the council expects

The original rainwater goods on Blackpool’s Victorian and Edwardian stock were cast iron. The council’s Foxhall and town centre appraisals record it explicitly, and note that the larger buildings had ogee-section gutters — while most downpipes have since been replaced in plastic. Poulton-le-Fylde’s appraisal lists cast iron guttering among the details that define the area’s character.

Blackpool’s conservation guidance sets out what it wants done with them. Historic cast iron should be repaired and retained where possible. Where replacement is genuinely necessary, the council asks for cast aluminium. Where uPVC is already in place and is being replaced, black uPVC is the minimum acceptable standard. That guidance applies in conservation areas; on other property it is a reasonable steer rather than a requirement, but it tells you what the council thinks looks right on these buildings.

We work in all three. On a period property we will always price repairing and retaining the cast iron alongside the replacement option, so you can see the difference before you decide.

Parapet and box gutters

On the Promenade hotels and the larger town centre buildings the rainwater system is often hidden: a box or parapet gutter behind the front wall, draining to internal outlets. When one of those blocks there is nowhere for the water to go except into the building, and it usually appears at ceiling level several rooms away from the actual fault. These need lead or membrane linings detailed properly, outlets that can be rodded, and clearing on a schedule. We survey them as part of any roof work on that kind of building rather than treating them as somebody else’s problem.

Eaves ventilation

Replacing fascias and soffits is one of the easiest ways to accidentally seal a roof space that was designed to breathe. On older property the ventilation path was often incidental rather than engineered, and a tight new soffit can turn a dry loft into a damp one within a couple of winters. We set the ventilation up as part of the job and will show you where it is.

Your guarantee

Rainwater goods we supply and fit are covered by our 20 year full written company guarantee on all workmanship and all materials.