The problem of rainwater management has plagued housing design for thousands of years. How do you stop the rain that falls on your roof from running down your walls? Guttering is one solution.

Eaves: Life Before Guttering

The simplest way to keep your walls dry is for your roof to have eaves. Eaves are a continuation of the roof slope beyond where it joins the wall. This feature allows rain to flow off the roof a couple of feet away from the walls. However, eaves have their disadvantages: the water is not channelled away from the house so puddles and pooling can form. The habit of sheltering under the eaves of a neighbour’s house and listening to their conversation led to the expression ‘eavesdropping’ that we still use today.

What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

The Romans installed the first British drainage systems. They piped clean water into their homes and used rainwater collected through systems of ceramic guttering to remove waste products from their villas. It was a thoroughly modern system that, following the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 4th Century AD, was completely abandoned in Britain for centuries.

Norman Conquest

The Gothic Cathedral designs of the Normans, all stone parapets and pointed arches, had water movement firmly in mind when it came to the roofline. Stone gutters channelled the water into the ears and out through the mouths of hideous gargoyles.

The First Downpipe

By the 13th Century, guttering was starting to reappear, at least on the grander buildings found in the larger cities. In 1240 a downpipe (possibly the first since the departure of the Romans) was installed on the Tower of London. The walls had recently been whitewashed and it was worried that splashback from the guttering would ruin the effect.

Lead and Cast Iron

Lead was a metal that was easy to mine and its malleability at room temperature made it ideal for shaping pipes. It was the leading metal used for guttering until the development of cast iron in the 18th Century. Cast Iron overtook lead as the chief material for guttering during the Victorian era and dominated the field until the development of plastics.

We take guttering seriously at RG Leverett, because we know the damage that can be caused to a property by rainwater when the guttering is not doing its job properly. If you have any worries about the state of your roofline, we would be more than happy to take a look and offer a quote for any renovation work you might want doing. Give us a call on 01603 418818 or email enquiries@roofsuk.co.uk.