What Is The Purpose Of Gutters?

What Is The Purpose Of Gutters?

Gutters are the seemingly simple fixture that runs along the outside edge of your roof. Gutters surprisingly take on major responsibility when protecting your home.

King Group Australia are often questioned as to whether gutters are a vital component of their clients’ homes’ exteriors, or a purely decorative element. While it’s true that professionally installed gutters create an aesthetically clean edge around your roofline, their main purpose is far from just adornment. Gutters are guides, guiding rain and storm water off the roof and away from the foundation of the house—is essential to the home’s structural well-being.

No matter how gently rain falls onto your roof, the water builds up as it runs off and creates a powerful surge that, if not diverted, can hammer the ground next to your foundations. Consistent downpour or collecting water erodes the soil and can seep down along the foundation, increasing the risk of leaks and structural instability.

Gutters manage the rain and debris that contribute to a property’s’ deterioration. However, surprisingly, gutters do more than simply protect your house. They also preserve your backyard and your neighbourhood. Without fully functioning gutters and downpipes to control runoff in a safe manner, rainwater could create pathways through your yard as well as your neighbour’s, creating ditches, pooling in low-lying areas, and even killing lawns, flowers, and other vegetation.

Issues with leaks? Water damage or blocked gutters? – get in touch with one of our specialists today at King Group Australia!

What Are Gutters?

What Are Gutters?

Gutters are fixed to the exterior of your property and roof structure to assist with channelling water, debris and other forms of environmental factors that affect your roof and property. 

Gutters prevent water entry into the structure of the building by channelling the rainwater away from the exterior of the walls and their foundations. Water running down the walls causes dampness in the affected rooms and provides a favourable environment for growth of mould, and wet rot in timber.

A rain gutter may be a:

  • Roof integral trough along the lower edge of the roof slope which is fashioned from the roof covering and flashing materials.
  • Discrete trough of metal, or other material that is suspended beyond the roof edge and below the projected slope of the roof.
  • Wall integral structure beneath the roof edge, traditionally constructed of masonry, fashioned as the crowning element of a wall.

How To Extend The Life Of Your Gutters?

How To Extend The Life Of Your Gutters?

Guttering lasts a lifetime, depending on how well the gutters are maintained, the age of the gutters, the quality of the materials and considering the costs of replacing guttering to your property, King Group Australia, have some tips below to help with extending your gutters lifespan.

Quality Guttering

The difference between more cost-effective vs more costly guttering is the long term result. When comparing the costs, you might save some dollars initially, but if your guttering doesn’t last, you’ll be forced to replace it, which in turn results in being far more expensive. We recommend purchasing quality guttering with a long warranty and you won’t be replacing it nearly as often.

The Right Guttering

Guttering comes in a variety of styles and profiles. This is not purely for aesthetics. Factors that contribute to selecting the right style or profile of gutter depends on the environment and your surroundings. Ask one of our specialists at King Group Australia advice, give King a call today! 

Install Gutter Guards

King Group Australia’ sister company ULTRAGUARD, invented and manufacture gutter protection / gutter guard. We have found this will help prevent debris from collecting in your gutters, thus avoiding corrosion, and assuring longevity. 

Professionally Installed

Why will professional installation extend the life of your guttering? As with all trades, experience and expertise is paramount. They will secure your guttering correctly, firmly and avoid any issues in with the guttering where water might collect or issues may arise to poor installation practices. 

Compliance Of Gutter Guard In Bush-Prone Areas

Compliance Of Gutter Guard In Bush-Prone Areas

For all those who are planning to construct a new home in an area susceptible to bushfire, you need to ensure that it complies with AS3959–2009.

AS3959–2009 is an Australian Standard that was set to enhance houses’ ability to endure a bushfire incident. It outlines distinct specifications for a house’s construction, depending on the level or intensity of the bushfire attack in your area.

This standard also determines the type of construction material that needs to be used for building various structures around the house – one of them being the gutter guards.

Defining Gutter Guard

A gutter guard ensures that all the leaves and wastes stay out of your gutters and downpipes to prevent blockage. Gutter mesh, especially Gutter Guard King’ Gutter Mesh, is a well-known type of gutter guard, with over 25 years in the industry. Gutter Guard King’ mesh makes sure that everything except rainwater does not go into the gutter. 

As leaves catch fire easily, acting as a source of fuel to the bushfire, they increase the possibilities of the house burning. This threat has forced many house owners to install gutter guards, particularly gutter mesh. But, before buying one, always check whether it fulfills the AS3959–2009 criteria.

Understanding the AS3959–2009  Standard

The AS3959–2009 construction standard does not call for the installation of gutter guards in bushfire susceptible areas with a BAL of 12.5, 19, 29, 40, or FZ. However, it instructs that whenever a gutter guard is installed, it should be made from a non-combustible material such as aluminium.

Other Considerations

At  Gutter Guard King, all our gutter guard products are suitable for preventing bushfires, we still encourage you to take some other key factors relevant to your area or house into close consideration while buying a gutter guard.

We suggest that you select a gutter guard that has an aperture size small enough to restrict the entry of leaves but one that still allows rainwater to enter. Also, keep the size of embers in your mind when selecting a gutter mesh, it is better to opt for an ember guard complaint mesh with the right aperture size. Our 2mm ember mesh can prove to be a good choice. 

Gutter Guard King “Mesh Calculator”

Always feel comfortable using the Gutter Guard King “Mesh Calculator” before making any decision. This quick and easy to use app asks you a few simple questions and analyzes the answers to provide you with mesh options which fulfill your requirements.

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