New Guttering Question

[PCH]

Hey folks,

you guys seem to know about most things, so I thought I might risk asking this totally non-astro related question here :)

I need to get new guttering installed. The good people I've asked round to provide pricing are using two different materials.

The first uses colorbond steel while the other guy's gutters are made from aluminium.

Guy #1 swears by his colorbond, and says that aluminium is garbage.

Guy #2 swears by his aluminium and says it beats the pants off colorbond steel.

I'm just a peasant with no knowledge of this stuff at all. But I know that some of you guys will know the answers.

So which is gonna be best guys - colorbond or aluminium? And if you can tell me 'why' - you can take ...

i) any prize from the bottom shelf, or
ii) any bottom from the prize shelf

:)

Round One - Ding ding!

[SteveInNZ]

Do you have a metal roof and if so, are they both compatible with the roof material ?
There are also plastic gutters which don't rot out with sitting water.

Steve.

[PCH]

Hi Steve,

thanks for responding.

The roof is tiled. However regarding plastic gutters, I haven't seen those in use in WA at all, - just steel and aluminium.

[speach]

Just be careful with aluminium as it can suffer from galvanic corrosion if there are any dissimilar metals around, copper is the best if you can afford it but out of the 2 I'd go for gal.

[rat156]

Are you near the ocean??

[jenchris]

A traditional house with a wooden barge board will take both .
in that case the aluminium will be better
in all other cases the coloubond will be better, as the cathodic reaction won't eat it

[SteveInNZ]

Not that it matters to the OP, but you can't use copper gutters in contact with a steel roof.

Steve.

[Baddad]

Aluminium is more expensive.

Nearly all new houses here have colourbond installed. I have seen it on houses for 20+ years no corrosion. It is a little stronger and apart from a little fading with age it appears to be best value for money.

Al guttering I have not seen a lot of. Coloured Al, I don't know a lot about.
However Colourbond does very well.

What are the warranties like? How long have the companies been in business?
Google 'ABN lookup' to find out. It gives you some history as well (menu across the top)

Take a hi res photo when the job has been done. After a few years you can compare to check fading of the colour. Should have a limited guarantee on the colour fading.

Hope this helps:)

Cheers:)

[torana68]

near the ocean , colourbond or copper
anywhere if you have tanks for water, colourbond or copper
I'd give plastic a miss if your anywhere where a bushfire may happen
if its a historic house dont forget which profile you may need.

[Dave221]

I have just installed colourbond guttering, my neighbour has aluminium guttering. Colourbond is stronger and less easily bent/distorted. The colouring on aluminium gutters suffers from fading in the same way that colourbond does. It also seems to 'sag' a little between the bracket locations.

Aluminium seems to have the advantage, from the installers perspective, that it can be 'extruded' in the required lengths on site.

I think the fact that colourbond is a more popular product says something.

[doppler]

My house has colourbond roof and guttering, its about 30 years old and a bit faded but still ok. I think maintenance is the key here. Keep it clean and you should get a long service life no matter what material you choose. I did repaint the roof section under where I had the solar panels installed though, as a bit of insurance.
Rick

[PCH]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the considered replies. I knew you guys (and gals) would know.

Jen, if you wanna help, I'm happy to hold your handbag while I watch and learn :) lol

Simon, I've looked at a corrosion index and it seems the corrosion factor is not something I need to be too worried about.

Rat, (you used to have your name showing - what happened?) - not near the ocean.

Jen, it'll definitely take both - just a matter of deciding on cost and which is better.

Steve and Simon, there wouldn't be a house in WA with copper gutters as far as I've seen. Anyway, today's installers don't offer it. Too expensive anyway!

Marty, I'm heading towards colorbond I think. The Galvanised stuff we have ATM has lasted really well - upwards of 23 years. Much of it is still ok, but I don't want to be doing a part install.

Roger, the only thing historic about it is the owner ;)

Dave221 - I hear what you're saying about the more popular product. I'm thinking that for the extra bucks, maybe there's not that much benefit.

Doppler (Rick) - I agree, my current gutters have been kept pretty clean and have lasted well. But at 20+ years! I've had my money's worth out of them.

Well thanks for all your help guys. I think you've helped me decide on the ever popular, slightly cheaper, colorbond.

All the best gang :)