Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride, or PVCu (or uPVC) as it's more commonly known, has all but completely swept the board in the new guttering and fascia market. Their are numerous answers why homeowners now decide on PVC-U when considering a guttering replacement and new fascias on their home.

It is now widely recognised that the maintenance trouble and the technical performance of wood, especially for roofline, is no longer adequate when compared with PVC-U.

A PVC-U roofline is better than timber because, as we all appreciate, wood is a porous raw material. Once water has breached the outer layer, it is a matter of when and not if it will require replacing. This then paves the way for woodworm and many other vermin to set up home after a while causing structural damage. PVCU rooflines will not rot, will never need painting, do not discolour and will keep on being maintenance free for up to 40 years. All they will need to have is the occasional clean with warm lathery water.

Soffits
Fascias, also known as soffits, are boards fixed to the top of the exterior walls of a building, just under the rooftop, which then projects over the fascia. This used to be usually made from wood, but nowadays PVCu replacements are more desired as they are light, straightforward to fix, long lasting and less expensive. Timber boards need regular painting and replacement and UPVC in opposition is very resilient, only fading and cracking after several decades.

Guttering
The guttering is fitted to the fascia and collects the rain from the roof, diverting it into drain pipes which take the water down into the public waste water system, or away from the home to a soakaway, where it can disband without contamination. Larger diameter downpipes take effluent from the toilets down into the sewers. If the guttering or downpipe is clogged up or cracked, then water can escape over the brickwork and penetrate into the house, causing damp problems.

Gutters have been made from all sorts of materials, including concrete, wood, aluminium, galvanised steel and other metals, but before PVC-U became popular, they were mostly painted steel. This needs regular cleaning and re-painting and if it's not done, rust can set in and cause leaks. This will mean replacing sections, which is expensive and demanding because of the weight of the steel. PVCU scores highly over steel on both those counts and when considering guttering replacement on your home we strongly propose you opt for UPVC .