When you hear someone talk about boxed gutters most people would think of a square gutter on the outside of a house this is close but not quite right. In roofing terms it is known as a concealed gutter. These gutters are internal gutters so you cannot see them from the outside of the building and usually found on industrial properties due to the fact they are designed to move large volumes of water. There are designers that have used this on the family home to get rid of unsightly gutters
The problem with this type of gutter is that once it gets to the end of its life it leaks on the inside of the building for industrial buildings it could mean electrical equipment getting wet as well as goods stored for customers being damaged. The home owner may find not just one room damaged but several, besides the damage a leaking boxed gutter can cause to walls and house hold possessions and bad leak can also cause mould to form. If left to fester it can become very toxic for everyone in the house (see link for further info and facts on mould http://www.public.health.wa.gov.au/cproot/2887/2/Mould+Fact+Sheet.pdf ).
Other problems with boxed gutters include, poorly designed (either not big enough or not enough outlets for the water to escape). Badly installed (cut incorrectly or very little sealant used). Most common are two things. 1 – damage done by outside elements e.g storms, falling tree branches, maintenance staff dropping heavy objects in them etc. 2 – different metals being mixed together which has a chemical reaction causing the boxed gutter to rust. This commonly happens when an old sheet of tin is replaced (usually a galvanised sheet is replaced with a zincalume sheet) with a new piece. Most metals don’t react well together especially when mixed with water and small repairs can turn into bigger problems if not dealt with properly.
Most companies don’t like dealing with boxed gutter problems, they are hard to get out due to the roof and other roof flashings getting in the way. So they offer band aid solutions that work for a short period and when you call them back to refix the leak, they just tell you it not their problem. At Zen Roofing we don’t just offer you a solution we guarantee it in writing. So give us a call, we will come out access your problem and have a chat to you about what needs to be done, so you understand and are comfortable with what we going to do to fix your problem boxed gutter.
