Our Regular customers will know that we are based in South East London and Stevenage in Hertfordshire. So today we are putting Stevenage under the Spotlight.
Stevenage before it became a new town
Stevenage Old Town
Stevenage used to be a town with 6000 inhabitants, mostly religious and conservative. Some 40 kilometres outside of London, it was a calm, rustic area with large green fields, farms and Victorian houses for the upper class. During WWII London was bombed which left many Londoners in poor living conditions. Before the end of the war the Labour party created the ministry for Town and Country Planning, which was to come with solutions for this urban problem. Planner Patrick Abercrombie was hired for the job. He decided that London was in dire need of a green belt around the city. Outside of the green belt new towns were to be built to accommodate the large number of inhabitants of the city. Stevenage, in Abercrombie’s opinion, formed a good place to carry out these plans. The ground was good for building houses and industries, the area was already accommodated with a rail- and motorway, and the electricity and gas network could simply be enlarged in order to supply more people. The decisive factor was however the green and rustic area which would form a suitable area for workers from London’s factory districts. Abercrombie advised the British government to buy land and expropriate in this area as soon as possible. The original inhabitants of Stevenage were not amused with these plans, which meant that at the start of this project much media attention was given to the resistance of this group of people and the promises which were initially made to them. Still the ground in the area was bought up by Stevenage Development Corporation and the first Victorian homes and farms were abolished. In 1951 the first houses were presented to the new inhabitants.
Stevenage becomes a new town
Stevenage New Town
Stevenage was the first of 28 new towns built in the UK between 1946 and 1970. The town was to get the most modern facilities and the best architects would plan out the optimal design. One of the main attractions would be the car-free shopping centre, which was inspired by Rotterdam’s Lijnbaan. Just as unique was to be the ingenious network of separated traffic flows, which would make inhabitants feel safer and also move faster within their city. Houses were built in the same style so that no one person would feel more or less than another.
Overall a very friendly town to work in. Stevenage is surrounded by beautiful countryside. A plus for Stevenage is the bicycle tracks that are seperate to the roads and underpasses allowing people to cross the roads safely. A very green town which does not hide the fact it is within the Hertfordshire countryside.
Moss is a big problem for most homes. It's hard know if your guttering needs clearing unless you can climb up there and take a look But if your guttering hasn't been cleared for over a year then you bet on your guttering looking like the above.
At Guttering Direct we are proud of the service we give when clearing gutters. Our service not only includes Gutter Clearing but also we will repair any split or broken guttering. Secure any brackets or guttering that has come away from the fascia boards with new screws. Re-seal any double brackets and then wash the guttering through with water to make sure the flow is correct and that the guttering is channelling the water correctly towards the downpipes. All this is included in our fixed price.
Guttering that needs to be cleared. See how
the corner and ridge way leading up the roof is
totally crammed with leafs and moss. This leads to
dampness getting into the house.
Think about a car going through an MOT test. The car won't pass if it is not safe to drive. Our gutter service is very much like an MOT, we will leave your guttering working the way it should be with no more drips or overflows or blockages.
The tools we use;
Gloves for obvious hygienic reasons and to protect our hands from any sharp objects that might be found in the Guttering such as glass, nails, screws etc.
A brush always helps to brush away hard to gather
tile grain which over the year washes down from the
roof. We can grab leafs, moss etc with our
hands but tile grain is easily brushed away.
A bucket allows us to collect all the muck from
the guttering without making a mess down below.
We always use aluminium buckets because they are
stronger and last longer. Plastic buckets tend to split.
Finally we use Rods to help enable us to reach the hard to get to places such as above conservatory's or the ridge ways
leading up the roof. Rods make our job that bit more easier
and leave a much more professional finish.
The process of clearing guttering.
So what do we do? How do we do it?
Here's how!
Firstly we clear the guttering. This includes the upper gutters & lower. Any conservatory's, garages etc. We then check the downpipes and unblock the if need be.
Once we are happy that the guttering is cleared and ready to start channelling water again we run some water through the gutters to make sure there are no leaks and that the downpipes are totally clear.
We then Seal any double brackets that might need to be re-sealed
Secure any guttering or brackets that have come lose back to the fascia board.
Sweep any debris up from the floor. (we never leave you with a mess)
Then leave you with a receipt and guarantee that your guttering is ready to protect your home once again!
So that's the process!
What can happen to gutters that are not looked after or cleared on a regular basis?
Guttering that is not looked after can become blocked and then over time water that overflows can rot the wood work (fascias, soffits etc) and cause dampness within the home. The guttering will eventually fall down and the beams supporting the roof of the house can also become rotten and dangerous.
Guttering is a protector. Your home relies on your guttering to keep it from becoming damp. This is why guttering should always be checked at least once a year and cleared.
An example of Cleared / Clean guttering.
You can contact us today for a free quote by visiting our website at www.gutteringdirect.com
