aluminium guttering

[belu]

Hi there

We are hoping to install new guttering to our house in Loudeac.  The local Brico says that the guttering should be soldered; however, when reading up on this product in the UK via a very reputable, established manufacturer it says that sealant is sufficient.  Because our soldering skills are non-existent does anyone have any advice as to whether the sealant option is viable.  I appreciate we should probably have the guttering installed by a professional but we are skint and the cheapest quote we have had is 3,000 euros.  Materials for the same project at Brico will cost 420 euros.  All advice appreciated.

Mark

[Gluestick]

The metal guttering used in France is usually pure Zinc: not alluminium alloy. It is not Zinc Coated (i.e. galvanised) mild steel, either.

Soldering Alloy is extremely difficult (read impossible) as firstly, Alluminium and its alloys are amongst the best heat conductors in the physical world: second, as soon as alloy or worse, pure alluminium is exposed to air it oxidises, making any form of soft-metal alloy jointing all but impossible. (There are new systems now for repairing alloy castings but these are really beyond the scope of a response to your question.)

Soft Soldering Zinc gutters is not a difficult job: it takes skill and practice, however, to achieve a neat a leakproof job. It also requires access to decent large soldering irons and the means to keep heating them. (Normally a gas fired pot or shaped flame burner).

Synthetic mastic and adhesives will work: however, mastic tends to pull away from the bond and crack over a quite short time. Additionally, the ambient temperature changes and sunlight experienced in France as you go South will cause degredation of mastic not generally experienced in the UK.

You can always elect to use UVPC guttering and downpipe which is a much easier proposition for the average DIYer.

If you are reasonably handy with tools, however, soft soldering zinc guttering and pipes is quite feasible. Just needs quite a bit of practice on some gash bits first of all, rather than at the top of a treble eleven ladder!

We discussed this at some length quite recently.

Here:

 

N.B. This post has been made from the volition of endeavouring only to attempt to provide primary advice and guidance to the Original Poster and not in the cause of implying that this contributer enjoys absolute expertise in the subject, but rather a certain level of knowledge, culled from many years of practical experience in dealing with metals and their joining and jointing and the various methodologies commonly used therein.

This post therefore, does not set out to be an exhaustive treatment of the subject matter.

[:P]

[Val_2]

Here in Brittany where the poster also lives, zinc guttering is the usual form of guttering and downpipes and not PVC. One major reason is for safety as zinc is preferred by the pompiers when fixing their ladders up to gain access for upper floors as it does not melt like plastic and also many areas here have strict aesthetic codes to materials and colours,hence PVC is not allowed especially near les monuments historiques.

[Anton Redman]

Provided you put some effort into ensuring the joints are firmly held on both sides and take care lineing up it works and that far North should have a long life..

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

Not having seen the OP's house I'm guessing, but in Brittany a popular style of guttering involves a sort of  V-section tucked under the second or third row of tiles above the eaves. I don't know if this is available in anything other than zinc.

[Chancer]

I have the option of PVC in the identical profile and colour so use that, the cheapy system I use has no seals and I have had success with brico-depot grey sikaflex (a copy not the original)

I have also used it a few times on zinc roof flashings etc, it is a good colour match and as usual sticks like sh1it to a blanket.

[belu]

Thanks very much to everyone who responded - I did get mixed up with aluminium and zinc!  I would definitely prefer to use the zinc version rather than upvc so shall have to give the matter some more thought; at least I have a few months to brush up on my soldering skills!