Listed/Heritage
Parkhill House
PARKHILL HOUSE – MODERN MATERIALS MAKE A HERITAGE PROPERTY SHINE
Traditional architecture meets modern building techniques at Parkhill House in Scotland.
The splendid 1887 Victorian house, set in the Perthshire countryside, is being restored to its former glory by its new owners. They chose seamless aluminium gutters from specialists ARP to replace the original rotting and missing cast iron gutters. And the results are a spectacular success.
Parkhill House is a handsome sandstone 19th-century residence set on its own grounds with an imposing Westmorland green slate roof. Sadly, the house had fallen into disrepair with dry rot and broken, leaking guttering near the top of the list of vital repairs.
Leaky gutters can cause significant damage to the fabric of a building if left unchecked. The existing cast iron guttering had fallen foul to the elements and, on the north face of the building, had been replaced with plastic guttering unbecoming of the building’s good-looking facades.
Parkhill House now boasts black seamless ogee profile aluminium guttering from ARP that was made bespoke, on-site, just for the house. Not only does it look the part, the 140m of ARP seamless guttering copes easily with the rainwater runoff from the 800 square metre roof.
“We have been careful to restore the house to its original appearance, using lead flashing and Westmorland slates on the roof. But we quickly realised that simply replacing the cast iron guttering like for like was not the best option for the house,” says Parkhill House’s new owners.
“We started looking at aluminium as a sympathetic alternative and quickly realised it was the right way to go. The resulting guttering from ARP just melts into the original appearance perfectly. I believe that had the original Victorian builders had access to aluminium, they would have used it – it is so convenient, attractive and sustainable.”
ARP Mustang aluminium guttering is made bespoke, on-site, for every project. It can be produced in single lengths of up to 30 metres, to the exact dimensions required – perfect for a ‘nonstandard’ property like Parkhill House.
The majority of the assembly work can be carried out at ground level, reducing the amount of work at roof level, which in turn will improve the accuracy and safety of the installation. Once it is up, the seamless gutter – which has no joins to leak or fail – requires little or no maintenance throughout its long life. It will not crack, creak or fade, making it a truly fit-and-forget system.
Unlike the original cast iron guttering, the Mustang seamless gutter system will not rust or corrode, so it does not need to be painted or treated. It will just efficiently continue to do its job for thirty years or more.
Mustang® Seamless Aluminium Gutter system is the only BBA-certified seamless aluminium system available in the UK. It is produced on-site by approved contractors, using a specialist roll-forming seamless gutter machine in lengths of up to 30m for a joint-free, leak-free solution.
Mustang gutters are made from 0.9mm aluminium coil – one of the most widely available elements in the world with incredibly low embodied carbon. Mustang gutters are non-corrosive, long-lasting and require little maintenance.
Unlike plastic alternatives, aluminium gutters can be easily and efficiently 100% recycled once they reach the end of their useful life. As part of its BBA approval, all Mustang installers must pass regular site inspections and audits, ensuring a quality, leak-free fit.
At Parkhill House, polyester powder-coated black ogee gutters were used to match the previous guttering, contrasting beautifully with the red sandstone walls.
The wooden corbels have been painted black to match, and the whole system, made to measure for the property, will help maintain the building’s good looks for many years to come.
Use our website to find an installer, or call us on 0116 289 4400.
| Sector | Location |
|---|---|
| Refurbishment | Scotland |
