Downpipes That Take the WaterAway From the Wall.
A downpipe discharging against brickwork keeps that patch of wall permanently wet. Blockages cleared, cracked sections replaced, and the bottom directed properly.
Downpipes in South West London, Surrey and West Sussex.
The downpipe is the part of the system people look at least and it causes more damp than the gutter does. It runs down the wall, often behind a drainpipe bracket or tucked into a corner, and a split at the back of it can soak the brickwork for years without anyone noticing.
The other common fault is at the bottom. If the shoe is missing or the pipe stops short of the gully, every drop coming off that roof lands against the base of the wall. That is the wettest spot on most houses and it is usually a ten-minute fix.
We clear blockages, replace cracked and split sections, refix loose brackets and make sure the bottom of the pipe is directed into the drain rather than at the house. Where the whole system is being replaced, downpipes go on at the same time so it all matches.
Look at the bottom of your downpipe. If it is not pointing at a drain, that is your damp.
How to Tell You Need It Looked At.
A Permanently Damp Patch at the Base of a Wall
Nearly always the bottom of a downpipe. Check where the water lands in heavy rain.
Water Running Down the Outside of the Pipe
A split or an open joint above the wet section.
Moss or Green Staining on the Wall Behind It
That wall has been staying wet, which is what moss needs.
The Pipe Rattles or Moves
Brackets have let go. Left alone it will split at a joint.
What the Work Involves.
Blockages Cleared
Usually at a bend or the shoe. Rodded and flushed through until the water runs freely to the drain.
Cracked Sections Replaced
Splits are commonly at the back where they cannot be seen from the ground. Replaced with matching profile.
Loose Brackets Refixed
A pipe that has come away from the wall flexes, and flexing is what splits it at the joints.
Shoes and Outlets
The bit at the bottom that turns the water away from the wall and into the gully. Small part, big difference.
New Downpipe Runs
Full replacement in matching uPVC where the existing one has reached the end of its life.
Gully Connections
Making sure the pipe delivers into the drain rather than beside it.
Downpipes We Have Done.
Why Two Downpipes Jobs Cost Different Things.
We give a written price for the work we have looked at. Answer three questions for the rough shape of yours.
A two-storey house, one failed joint or bracket, and a fascia that looks sound: that is a repair, not a replacement, and a ladder job rather than a scaffold. We would confirm it from the roof and give you a written price.
Repair, most likely.
We do not quote figures unseen. Every price we give is in writing, for a gutter we have looked at.
How We Reach It
A bungalow off a properly secured ladder and a three-storey terrace needing a scaffold are two different jobs before anyone touches the work itself.
How Much Pipe Is Involved
A shoe at the bottom and a full run from eaves to ground are different jobs.
Whether It Is Blocked or Broken
Clearing a blockage is quick. Replacing split sections behind a bracket takes longer.
Repair or Replace
One failed section is a short job. A run that has reached the end of its life is a replacement. We tell you which it is before you commit to anything.
The Questions We Get Asked About Downpipes.
It is worth sorting. A downpipe discharging against brickwork keeps that patch of wall permanently wet, and persistently wet walls are how damp gets inside. Usually it is a cracked section at the back or a missing shoe at the bottom, and both are small jobs.
In heavy rain, look at the top of it. If water is backing up at the outlet and going over the gutter rather than down the pipe, the blockage is in the pipe. If the gutter overflows away from the outlet, the blockage is in the gutter.
Yes. Water that cannot get down the pipe goes over the gutter and down the wall instead, and the wall stays saturated. It is one of the most common causes of a damp patch that appears on an inside wall with no obvious source.
We make sure the pipe discharges properly into the existing gully or drain. Anything that involves altering the underground drainage itself is a drainage job rather than a roofing one, and we will tell you if that is what you need.
Sometimes, depending on where the gutter outlet is and where there is a drain to run to. Tell us what you are trying to achieve and we will tell you whether it is straightforward.
Tell us what you have when you call. Cast iron behaves differently from uPVC and on older or listed property there may be a reason it has to stay cast iron. We will talk it through first.
Downpipes Across Fourteen Towns.
South West London, Surrey and West Sussex. There is a local number for each area, plus a mobile. If you are just outside, ask anyway.
Four Steps From Your Call, to the Job Done.
You Call or Send the Form
Tell us your town and what you have noticed. A photo from the ground helps more than you would think.
We Come and Look
At the actual thing, where it is safe to get to it. You hear what has failed and what it takes to put right, in plain words.
You Get a Written Price
For the work we have described, with time to think about it. If there is a word on it you do not recognise, ask and we will explain it.
We Do the Work and Clear Up
Agreed dates before we start, and everything off the drive when we finish.
Other Things We Get Called Out For.
Tell Us About the Downpipes, and We'll Come and Look.
Your name, a number, roughly where you are and what you have noticed. That is all we need.