Finlock Gutters (concrete gutters)

What are Finlock Gutters and why do they exist?

In the 1950's - after the Second World War - a shortage of timber meant that a wave of concrete gutters appeared on new homes throughout the north of England.

These gutters are known as Finlock Gutters. Constructed in 9" sections of concrete, a Finlock gutter sits on top of a cavity wall - with half the block visible and half hidden away within the structure of the house. The protruding half (with a trough) acts as the concrete gutter, whilst the section hidden within the house provides a counter balance. The section within the house sits immediately against the internal plastering.

Unfortunately concrete is porous, meaning rainwater will never allow the gutter to dry out. If the gutter never dries out, nor does the plaster in your house, resulting in excessive amounts of damp. A tell tale sign of this consequence is a black mark above the window level on an inside wall.

Repairing Finlock Gutters

The beauty of lining a Finlock Gutter with seamless aluminium is that because the aluminium doesn't adhere to the concrete, the concrete itself does not need to be dry before the new gutter can be installed. This means Finlock gutters can be lined with aluminium even in the coldest, wettest months of the year. Essentially we fit a completely new gutter inside, providing all the benefits of seamless aluminium.

Your previously saturated concrete gutters will dry out enabling you to then re-plaster the interior of your home if you so wish.

Solutions offered by other Guttering Contractors

There are a number of alternatives available to repair Finlock Guttering ranging in price and effectiveness.

Re-line the gutter with felt and bitumen

The problem with lining a concrete gutter with any kind of adhesive material is that the concrete gutter needs to be bone dry in order for the fixative to work. Stay well clear of any contractor that will approach this method on a gutter that is not completely bone dry.

Remove half of the concrete and fix new gutters

If you are sick of the sight of your Finlock Gutters and the problems they are causing you, we understand the desire to "get rid". The solution that some contractors offer is to cut the 9" concrete block in half - removing the front section only. Be cautious of structural implications though when opting for this method. To keep the mounting costs down, the replacement gutters are often plastic.

Remove 100% of the concrete block, rebuild your walls and fix new gutters

The last resort for anyone having problems with Finlock Guttering. The entire concrete gutter block is removed, causing a huge amount of mess and disruption - not to mention the obvious structural implications this can bring. Definitely the most time and cash-consuming option.

To update your Finlock Gutters with Seamless Aluminium, give us a call today.

Finlock Gutters (concrete gutters)

What are Finlock Gutters and why do they exist?

Repairing Finlock Gutters

Solutions offered by other Guttering Contractors

Purdy's Aluminium Guttering Leeds - Seamless Aluminium Gutters