Building defects database - Finlock gutters

Record details

© Copyright Philip Santo	(a) Front elevation of a 1950s local authority-built house with Finlock gutters showing slight unevenness to the gutter above the larger window. The slight deflection to the roof from the party wall and the 'pagoda' effect at the gable end, with a similar 'pagoda' effect on the adjacent property, are simply due to slight adjustment of the roof structure since construction. This is unrelated to the gutters and not a consequence of cavity wall tie deterioration.
© Copyright Philip Santo	(b) Slight unevenness across the plane of the roof slope of the central property is not significant. The central house and the far end terraced property still have their original Finlock gutters but adjacent properties to right and left have had their gutters replaced. A slight dip in the gutter line above the large window at the central property is just apparent. A similar amount of unevenness on other properties where gutters have not been painted white is less obvious.
© Copyright Philip Santo	(c) Displacement to the gutter above the main window on the front elevation is not obvious but can be discerned from some angles of view. This is a minor defect without structural significance in this case. Leakage through Finlock gutter joints has caused serious deterioration in numerous cases and brought this form of construction into disrepute. Nevertheless, careful examination will distinguish cases where major replacement work is necessary from those which will remain sound if properly managed. The need for removal should not automatically be assumed.
© Copyright Philip Santo	(d) After removal of the lower courses of tiles the front corner of this roof reveals the Finlock gutter, to the left. The original gutter has previously been lined with stainless-steel profile sections to prevent leakage through the gutter section joints, but this lining itself now needs to be replaced. The top of the end section of gable wall brickwork is visible at the bottom of the photo. The roof lining felt beyond is now showing its age.
© Copyright Philip Santo	(e) The outer part of the gutter is to the right of this picture. The shiny vertical section in the centre is the lining at the rear of the gutter. Roofing felt to the left has been peeled back to expose concrete, laid in the trough formed by the inner part of the Finlock sections, to create a lintel over the first-floor windows. This is vulnerable to deterioration if leakage occurs through the gutter joints.