Replacing guttering in listed building

[GrendelsMum]

We're currently thinking about replacing our guttering, which is in a terrible state. Mostly plastic with a bit of heavily rusted iron, some of which might be saveable. Listed building, so obv the conservation officers would like us to replace the whole lot with cast iron, but I'm wondering what the alternatives are.

As far as I can see, we could go for plastic (cheap!), coated steel (not too expensive), coated aluminium (getting pricey), or cast iron (ultra expensive). I currently have samples of aluminium and cast iron and can't see a difference to the naked eye. I need to get samples of the others for comparison next.

Anyone with any experience or advice? Maybe we could do the higher and less visible bits in plastic and the lower and more visible bits in something more expensive?

We went for coated aluminium, which is terms of appearance and maintenance was a good decision.

I don't think you have a choice though - if you replace with something the listed building planners don't agree with, they can make you take it all down and reinstate properly.

Thanks folks!

The choice is really about whether it's worth putting in the application to replace the plastic guttering with anything other than new plastic, and if so, which - obviously, the CO would like us to have cast iron, but the neighbouring building has aluminium, so I reckon we'd have a strong chance of having that accepted. I suspect that cast iron's out of the budget - so it's aluminium or plastic.

Believe me, even plastic would be an improvement if it was all the same colour!

You wouldn't get permission for plastic- I presume the plastic stuff on there didn't get permission in the first place and was just replaced over time from the original cast?

Could you consolidate the cast iron stuff on one elevation? Aluminium you might get permission for if you write some good justification. Have you priced up cast iron properly? It can be quite reasonable and not too much mre than aluminium.

At least it's not asbestos guttering- ive dealt with a case of asbestos guttering which technically was listed!

Is it repairable ? We had ours lined so it's the same guttering from the outside but doesn't leak.

The listed building officer and the conservation officer both come out v easily to advise here, give them a ring and ask re repair/replace.

I'd be technically fine to replace plastic guttering on a like for like basis, wouldn't I? I suspect it may well have been there when the building was listed - it appears to have been done as part of a set of works which would never have been allowed.

The CO commented when visiting re some other work that it would be nice if the plastic was replaced by cast iron, but price-wise I don't think it's an option. We've just in the middle of major building works, so all the money's allocated, but the gutters are reaching emergency point - I think the building work has damaged them further.

Consolidating the cast iron sounds like a good idea, but having thought it over, I'm not sure there's actually enough to consolidate, IYSWIM.

I do actually have a small amount of asbestos downpipe which I'm not touching for now!

These are the prices I've got for guttering

£0.64/m + VAT - Brett Martin plastic (black)
£6.78 /m + VAT - Lindab steel gutter (black)
£12.40 / m + VAT - Aluminium evolve (heritage black paint)
£20.22 / m + VAT Cast Iron gutter (painted black)

That makes it around £1250 to buy the guttering alone in cast iron, without counting downpipes, connectors, brackets, etc.

Should the cast iron be available much cheaper?

Thanks [smile

Ah, cross posted! I hadn't thought about lining it - thanks for the idea.

The vast majority of the house is done in plastic guttering. We've got a two storey cast iron drainpipe (reusable, I think), a one storey cast iron drainpipe (probably reusable), and a short bit of cast iron guttering on a modern porch which will have been reused from somewhere originally (could be replaced or reused). Then we've got a long run of cast iron guttering which, thinking it over as I wrote the last post, was badly planned (two lengths joined together in precisely the least sensible place) and so shouldn't be re-used in that location, even if it's actually saveable.

Everything else is plastic fantastic, in a nice medley of colours.

Hmmm, well if it was listed with it on, and from what your conservation officer said, you probably could replace like for like without the need for any permission.

But, please please do not use that awful Brett Martian stuff- I can't stand it (sorry that's just my bugbear- plastic is plastic, it doesn't look like cast no matter what they say, just badly faked plastic, lol)

I would probably try and go for steal/aluminium, it's poss that the cons officer would go for it on the basis of what's there? Or cast at the front and plastic on less sensitive elevations?

Ooooh, Brett Martin, not Martian, although I have amused myself with that!

Thanks very much for posting, Sausagedog - much appreciated!

I've not actually seen the Martian guttering - I've had a look at the listed building where I work, and its got some reasonably unobtrusive plastic on the less sensitive elevations (i.e. the Grendel Den).

I might try unobtrusive plastic on less sensitive elevations and apply for steel / aluminium on more sensitive, and maybe cough up for new cast iron on the dodgy bit. I went for a guttering walk this morning and saw that all the houses round our way have the same guttering problem - which the CO did comment on.

Aargh - this whole guttering thing is stressing me out!

Oh lord. Nothing helpful to add, just at the price of cast iron guttering, even though I know I shouldn't be. Ours needs some attention; it's all cast and has bloody lions' heads on it

No worries op. guttering eh, who would have thought it could be so stressful!

Horrific, isn't it? I'm meanly cheered up by your cast iron with lions' heads guttering, Rhubarb - that sounds far worse.

Thanks for the thoughts and sympathy, everyone.

Try salvage yards for cast iron guttering and if you can find any have it shot blasted and powder coated, works a treat. Problem with any metal nowadays is its scrap value which keeps prices high but worth a try.

Thanks - I'll keep an eye out for that.