Concrete Gutter removal in a semi-detaches property

[Gemini Lady]

Advice please, my next door neighbours plan to remove the concrete gutters and replace theirs with plastic gutters (our homes are semi-detached) but despite assurances that our side will be capped my husband and I are not convinced this will be done properly,and we are very worried this will cause problems with damp and so on to our property.Major renovations have just started and we would appreciate advice on this problem. Many thanks.

[ostell]

If the concrete gutters on your side are possibly degrading could you not get all the guttering replaced in one go and as one job?

I did this when I replaced old iron guttering. Guttering was fine, fixings weren't. Quite a noise when it drops of in the middle of the night.

[swiss_toni]

Quite a noise when it drops of in the middle of the night.

Or if it snows again like it did last March!

Are the gutters physically ajoined but you each have your own down pipe, e.g.

[]__________-____________[] where [] is a downpipe and - is the join between the semis in an otherwise continuous gutter?

It's just that most manufactuers supply a conversion piece for a few quid, and even if the manf. they are using doesn't most half round gutters are 112mm anyway. So they can maintain the join anyway -

e.g. https://www.hunterplastics.co.uk/pro...mm-half-round/ (click on 'accessories')

TBH though if it's that old, yours won't be far behind. Apparently though it wasn't just old gutters that came down last March, it caught out a lot of people who'd gone for that trendy metal Lindlab stuff too, as they had only put in the same amount of fixings as the plastic guttering they replaced...

[Gemini Lady]

Hi Swiss-Toni, Thanks for your reply. There is no downpipe where our 2 houses join only at the far end of each property. We have 2 downpipes on the other side of our property.

Their builder assured us that the cement gutters slope away from the building, he also said they slope gradually towards the downpipes at the far side of our property. Looking at photos of our gutter taken some years ago when we had it lines, there is no evidence that the cement gutter slopes away from our property!

Their builder's quote to replace our gutters was around £5,000 but we are pensioners and neither willing or able to have this work done. Reading an article on the internet it was suggested that in the case of semi-detached, or terrace properties it would be much better to do the whole lot!

We get on well with our neighbours but this is causing us sleepless nights despite their assurance that they will sort out any problems should they arise.

[Gemini Lady]

If the concrete gutters on your side are possibly degrading could you not get all the guttering replaced in one go and as one job?

I did this when I replaced old iron guttering. Guttering was fine, fixings weren't. Quite a noise when it drops of in the middle of the night.

Thanks for your response, The houses were built in the 50s with cavity walls, friends have said removing the concrete guttering might cause problems with damp, we have lived here for 40 years and don't feel like going to the expense of removing the gutters and replacing them with plastic gutters.

[des8]

I think you are right to be concerned.
Although your guttering inclines towards the down pipe, there is the possibility of water capillarying uphill and even overflowing in the event of a sudden deluge
Blocking off the cut end needs to be done properly as i don't believe there is any way to join the finlock gutter to modern plastic
It might not cause problems immediately, but years down the line ......

Are the firm replacing your neighbour's gutters specialists in this type of work?
You could refuse them permission to work on your guttering.
This would mean they would need to cut and block the guttering on your neighbours side as they could not touch yours without committing a trespass.
Might not be a popular move with your neighbour tho'

If the work goes ahead keep an eye out for damp patches in the rooms under the guttering.
They might have to sort that out in years to come (but what if they move and new neighbours won't honour their undertaking, which I hope you obtain in writing)