Gutter Profiles in Australia
Installing, cleaning and maintaining a guttering system isn’t a one-size-fits-all job. There are many different types of gutters in all shapes and sizes. Below, we identify four common gutter profiles used in Australia, and share some information and tips about gutter cleaning on different gutter profiles.
1. Quad Gutter Profiles
What are Quad gutters?
Quad guttering (also referred to as “D Gutter”) is the most common gutter type we see in Melbourne, and arguably the most effective.
Quad gutters are highly versatile and available in a huge range of materials and colours. Whether you need blue Colorbond, grey stainless steel or something completely different like plastic, you can generally find a Quad gutter supplier who can help you out. In saying that, it’s important that the material you choose for your gutter does work well with the material used for your roofing or you may be facing some issues down the track.
These gutters are also available in a variety of widths with a few different profile variations including high fronts and low fronts. High fronts are perfect for hiding tiles or the edges of roof sheeting.
The aesthetic appearance of a Quad gutter falls somewhere between a Round gutter and the Squareline gutter look. The slightly rounded shape perfectly complements the classic build of most Australian homes and buildings, hence the popularity.
Aside from being easily accessible for cleaning purposes, they are also a great shape and fit for installing gutter protection. If living in areas of high rainfall levels, Quad guttering can be available with slots to reduce the risk of overflow.
Overall, we’ve found that cleaning Quad gutters is a more straight forward task, and they generally are quite long lasting with few complaints from homeowners. The only slight drawback with Quad gutters is, as we extract the dirt and mud from the gutters, some of this debris becomes lodged in the rolll-bead of the upper outside gutter lip. But this gutter lip is perfect for fitting in non-screwed gutter protection mesh.
2. Roundline Gutter Profiles
What are Roundline gutters?
Roundline gutters are sometimes referred to as half-round gutters because they have the shape of a semi-circle when viewed from a head-on angle. They’re generally found on Spanish and Tuscan style homes as well as modern home renovations, because they have a really smooth look that matches those styles of architecture.
They’re great for carrying water because they generally have a large diameter. They can sometimes involve less maintenance due to the smooth shape having less crevasses for build up to occur and debris to get lodged. They’re great for naturally flushing out any blockages too. This also makes them one of the more easier guttering profiles to clean.
These gutters work with a range of accessories like stop ends and gutter brackets, but the accessories you need will depend entirely on your home and your preferences. Being less common, the accessories may not always be as available as the those that are on offer for Quad gutters.
3. Squareline Gutter Profiles
What are Squareline gutters?
Squareline gutters have a similar style to Quad gutters in that they are great for hiding the ends of tiles or sheets of roofing iron. They’re popular with newer builds and renovations for this reason.
They have a square shape (the name says it all) which works well with most buildings. There are two main types of Squareline gutters, the first being Lo-square which are shorter and the second being Hi-square which are higher. The Hi-square version is generally used in circumstances where the property owners want their roofing edges covered for aesthetic reasons. The Lo-square design is more economical but may not reach the height of roofing to cover it up.
Squareline gutters have quite high water capacities so they are a great option for people living in wet and rainy areas. If you don’t live in an area with high rainfall however, these gutters might end up being more of a nuisance than anything. Due to the flat, square shape of these gutters, they tend to clog easily without regular rainfall to flush them. In saying that, if you’re set on a Squareline gutter profile, you can always install a gutter guard to help reduce the amount of debris that collects in them over time.
4. O-Gee Gutter Profiles
What are O-Gee gutters?
O-Gee guttering is a shapely, stylish look and we tend to find it on Melbourne’s heritage houses due to its decorative aesthetic. They look great with the classic heritage home architecture and they work quite well in most instances.
This gutter profile is generally built in a continuous fashion with no joins, reducing the chances of leakages and the propensity for build-up and clogs. They are quite sturdy so can handle copious amounts of tree shed without wear and tear – great for those in the leafier suburbs.
The only frustration is that most of these gutters are accompanied by internal brackets that can restrict the flow of debris and cause blockages within the O-Gee guttering system.
They’re relatively easy to clean, except when they’re fitted with internal brackets. In fact, we generally advise people to avoid having internal brackets at all in any gutters, for this very reason.
Expert Gutter Cleaning
So, now you know a more about the 4 most common gutter profiles found in Melbourne’s residential roofing, now’s the time to make an appointment to get them cleaned.
Call 1300 GRAYSONS (1300 472 976) to chat with a Grayson’s representative and we’ll have your gutters looking good as new in no time at all!