Gutter Replacement Glossary
15 rainwater, profile, and roof-drainage terms explained in plain English so you can compare any written gutter quote.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
- 15trade & drainage terms defined
- EN 12056roof drainage sizing standard
- 4main gutter profiles compared
- 26counties covered
Guttering & roof drainage glossary
Plain-English definitions of the rainwater, profile, and specification terms used on Irish gutter replacement quotes.
- BS EN 12056-3 Roof Drainage
- The European engineering standard used in Ireland to calculate effective roof catchment area, rainfall design intensity, gutter cross-section, and downpipe discharge capacity.
- Cast Aluminium Gutter
- Heavy-wall sand-cast or die-cast LM6 grade aluminium guttering finished in polyester powder coat, replicating historic Victorian and Georgian cast-iron profiles without rusting.
- Deepflow Profile
- A high-capacity semi-elliptical gutter section (typically 110 mm to 115 mm wide by 75 mm deep) that carries roughly double the flow rate of standard 112 mm half-round uPVC.
- Downpipe Shoe & Offset Swan-Neck
- The angled pipe fittings at the top and bottom of a rainwater downpipe that step the pipe from the overhanging fascia back to the masonry wall and discharge into the ground gully.
- EPDM Internal Union Seal
- A compressible synthetic rubber gasket seated inside a gutter union bracket or extruded aluminium joint to allow thermal expansion and contraction without dripping.
- Fascia Bracket Spacing
- The centre-to-centre distance between gutter support brackets along the fascia board — typically 600 mm to 800 mm in coastal or snow-prone Irish counties so snow load cannot twist the run.
- Gully Trap & Soakaway
- The ground-level surface-water grating and subterranean stone-filled percolation pit that receives rainwater from the downpipe and disperses it away from house foundations.
- Half-Round Profile (112 mm / 125 mm)
- A traditional semicircular rainwater gutter profile suited to modest domestic roof pitches and standard terraced or semi-detached dwellings.
- Hopper Head (Rainwater Header Box)
- An open-topped collector box mounted at the top of a downpipe to receive discharge from two converging gutters, a parapet outlet, or a valley chute.
- Longitudinal Fall (1:350 to 1:600)
- The slight downward gradient set along a gutter run from the high end to the running outlet so rainwater clears quickly without standing water or silt build-up.
- Ogee / K-Style Profile
- A double-curved decorative cornice gutter profile common on Irish bungalows and 1990s housing estates, frequently formed on site as a continuous seamless aluminium run.
- Running Outlet
- The funnel-shaped gutter fitting positioned directly above the downpipe that connects the horizontal gutter channel to the vertical rainwater pipe.
- Seamless Extruded Aluminium
- Coil-fed 0.7 mm to 0.9 mm pre-painted aluminium formed inside a mobile roll-forming van into a single joint-free length cut to the exact eaves measurement.
- Stop End (Internal & External)
- The blanking cap fitted at the closed ends of a gutter run to retain water within the channel and direct flow toward the running outlet.
- Thermal Movement in uPVC
- Linear expansion and contraction of rigid PVC guttering between winter frosts and summer sun (around 4 mm per 4 m length), accommodated by lubricating union seals to prevent loud clicking.
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Every guide, price check and Dublin & Ireland area
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Questions we get asked
How much does gutter replacement cost in Ireland?
New uPVC gutters and downpipes on a semi cost €600 to €1,900, fitted. Seamless aluminium is €1,200 to €3,400 and cast iron €2,100 to €7,500. The price guide has every job.
How long does it take?
A day for most houses. A big detached house, scaffolding, cast iron or rotten fascia behind the gutters adds time. See how long it takes.
Is there a grant for new gutters?
Not for an ordinary house. On a protected structure, the Built Heritage Investment Scheme run through the councils can help with repairs to historic rainwater goods such as cast iron. With SEAI's external wall insulation grant, the gutters and downpipes have to come off and go back anyway, so plan them together.
Will it make a mess?
Very little. The old gutters come down in lengths and leave in the company's van, and the ground is swept at the end of the day. All the work is outside.
Gutters explained
- Cost of new guttersPrices by material and house, and what moves them
- Gutter installationNew gutters on a new build, extension or garage
- uPVC gutteringPlastic gutters: colours, sizes, the price per metre
- Aluminium guttersSeamless runs made on site
- Cast iron guttersRestore or replace on a period house
- Gutter profilesHalf round, square, ogee and deep flow
- Downpipe replacementCracked, loose or blocked downpipes
- Repair or replace?When a repair is enough
- How long it takesA day for most houses
Gutter replacement in your county
One company covers each request. Pick your county for its rainfall, house types and the towns covered.
- Carlow906 mm of rain · Carlow, Tullow
- Cavan1,042 mm of rain · Cavan, Virginia
- Clare1,288 mm of rain · Ennis, Shannon
- Cork1,109 mm of rain · Cork city, Carrigaline
- Donegal1,317 mm of rain · Letterkenny, Buncrana
- Dublin753 mm of rain · Dublin city and suburbs, Swords
- Galway1,289 mm of rain · Galway city, Tuam
- Kerry1,357 mm of rain · Tralee, Killarney
- Kildare871 mm of rain · Naas, Newbridge
- Kilkenny876 mm of rain · Kilkenny, Callan
- Laois938 mm of rain · Portlaoise, Portarlington
- Leitrim1,127 mm of rain · Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton
- Limerick1,044 mm of rain · Limerick city, Newcastle West
- Longford1,019 mm of rain · Longford, Edgeworthstown
- Louth831 mm of rain · Drogheda, Dundalk
- Mayo1,458 mm of rain · Castlebar, Ballina
- Meath869 mm of rain · Navan, Ashbourne
- Monaghan989 mm of rain · Monaghan, Carrickmacross
- Offaly900 mm of rain · Tullamore, Edenderry
- Roscommon1,099 mm of rain · Roscommon, Boyle
- Sligo1,253 mm of rain · Sligo, Tubbercurry
- Tipperary1,032 mm of rain · Clonmel, Nenagh
- Waterford1,020 mm of rain · Waterford city, Tramore
- Westmeath1,001 mm of rain · Athlone, Mullingar
- Wexford1,021 mm of rain · Wexford, Enniscorthy
- Wicklow896 mm of rain · Bray, Greystones
Get a free quote for new gutters
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