Metal gutters

Steel gutters

Until recently, these gutters were fitted to most Polish homes. They were made from galvanised sheet steel, usually painted or left in its natural colour. Today's products look markedly different from their predecessors. The sheet is coated on both sides with zinc or tin, providing effective protection against corrosion. Galvanised and stainless sheet steel can also be painted. Other coatings include titanium zinc, pural and plastisol. These coatings make durable steel systems highly resistant to corrosion and harmful influences.

Metal gutters are joined with connectors or snap clips with rubber seals, without any additional sealing. Other components, such as internal and external corners and end caps, are joined in much the same way as straight lengths. Corners are pressed as separate components, and an end cap closes the system.

Leave the calculation of the gutter system components needed for your roof to an experienced roofing team. Choosing specialists from Ambit Pokrycia dachowe saves time and reduces the risk of extra costs.

Some steel system manufacturers protect long components with film to prevent scratches during transport and storage. Just before installation, the film can easily be removed so the new components can be fitted to the roof without damage.

Zinc gutters

Zinc has been used in construction for more than 200 years. In the early days, Poland was the second major centre of zinc sheet production after England. Between the wars, Poland's roofing and sheet-metal craftsmanship ranked among the world's best. Although those days are gone, zinc roofing and gutters, enhanced with titanium, copper and aluminium, are becoming popular again.

Today, zinc is relatively little known in Poland and isn't associated with the country's building traditions, even though Poland has relatively abundant zinc deposits.

Pure zinc is no longer widely used. Instead, an alloy commonly called titanium zinc is used, containing around 99% zinc, with the remainder made up of copper, titanium and aluminium. The material was developed in Western Europe in the 60s in response to severe environmental pollution. Although pure zinc has long been used to protect materials such as steel from corrosion, it corrodes much faster under acid rain. Adding titanium inhibits this process. Titanium zinc alloy is an ideal material for coated components.

Zinc alloyed with titanium is considered one of the most durable metals used for drainage systems in Poland. Without any maintenance, titanium-zinc sheet retains its properties and high quality for 80 or even 120 years, depending on weather conditions and pollution levels. Both steel gutters and downpipes are also coated with patina. Zinc is cheaper than copper and is less often targeted by thieves.

Titanium-zinc gutters are still relatively uncommon, even though the Polish building materials market has been open to new developments for more than twenty years. A major barrier to the technology's growth is the shortage of experienced roofers and sheet-metal workers who know the material.

Companies specialising in these products train professionals at their own expense and lend specialist equipment. A new generation of sheet-metal workers is also emerging, with skills developed through training organised by companies committed to Poland's construction industry. Ambit is one of those companies. Choose our components and you can be sure they're installed by properly trained professionals working for a company that values precision and quality in every project.

Copper gutters

Despite the high price of copper components, interest in products made from this material is growing. Customers are often willing to pay more for installation so they can avoid repair costs for many years afterwards.

These customers follow the principle that roofing and its supplementary components should have the same service life. Gutters and flashings should be as durable as the roof covering, so repairs can be carried out together and damaged or leaking parts don't accelerate deterioration of the roof. Copper components are increasingly chosen for roofs with clay tiles. Their service life is estimated at around 100 to 300 years, compared with 100 to 150 years for clay tiles.

Copper sheet develops a grey protective patina, but a grey-blue deposit doesn't appear on it as quickly as on titanium-zinc gutters. Copper systems are considered environmentally friendly because of their durability and full recyclability. Their production also complies with ISO:14001, which guarantees a low environmental impact.

Benefits of a good metal gutter system

These systems should form the ideal link between water drainage and high-quality roofing.

• high corrosion resistance,
• mechanical strength, especially against wind, heavy rain and accumulated snow,
• watertightness,
• excellent hydraulic performance: gutter and downpipe surfaces should be smooth to maintain suitable flow speeds. This allows the system to drain water efficiently and prevents damage thanks to its self-cleaning capability,
• low thermal expansion: the less the components expand, the easier they are to install correctly. Lower stresses reduce the risk of mechanical damage,
• completeness: a system should include matching gutters and downpipes as well as couplings, bends, gutter brackets, end caps, outlets, plinth offsets, inspection fittings and more,
• standards and certificates: Polish and European standards define the quality of materials used in manufacture and of the systems themselves. If you're looking for a high-quality modern system, choose a material that stands out by meeting additional requirements.

Manufacturers

The Polish market offers many types of metal gutter from different manufacturers. Our range includes top products from leading metal gutter system manufacturers:

• BalexMetal Wijo
• Budmat Flamingo
• Ruukki
• Marley Alutec
• Galeco steel
• Siba
• Plast-Dach Assa
• Rheinzink
• Alpodach
• K&J&G

Ambit products are backed by long-term warranties, giving you confidence that you're getting top-quality gutters. We also invite you to meet our specialist for expert advice on choosing the right gutters and answers to all your questions. Alongside metal gutters, our range also includes PVC gutters.