The Maintenance of Rainwater Goods and Drainage
The rainwater goods include the gutters and downpipes which are instrumental in the long-term survival of the church building. Together with a watertight roof, they ensure that rainwater is directed safely away from the building. As water is one of the greatest causes of damage to buildings, their interiors and contents it is vital to keep these elements well maintained.
Figure 1 Blocked gutter and downpipe (© Sara Crofts, SPAB)
Blocked gutters will overflow and may leak onto the walls, causing damage to the masonry and any interior decoration. Excess water may also saturate the ground below and undermine the wall or encourage rising damp in the walls. Any water ingress, caused by blocked and overflowing rainwater goods or leaks in the roof, could lead to fungal and insect infestations.
Figure 2 Water ingress has caused plaster failure and damage to the monument (© Sara Crofts, SPAB)
All of these problems will be costly to repair and may lead to a considerable loss of original fabric. As with all buildings and artworks it is much preferable to instigate an effective and regular maintenance regime in order to detect any damage and blockages of the rainwater disposal systems before they can do any damage.
Every five years, following a site visit, the inspecting architect will write the Quinquennial Report, listing necessary repairs in order of priority. However, if any part of the roof is found to be damaged you should not wait until this is confirmed in the next report. Consult your architect immediately. If the problem is not immediately attended to it will increase the damage - and subsequent repair bills.
To ensure the rainwater goods are in working order it is highly recommended that regular inspections and maintenance are undertaken. While the churchwardens are responsible for the care of the church building the PCC may decide to delegate the inspection and maintenance of the rainwater goods to another person. This should be a clearly stated responsibility and the PCC should request frequent reports on the state of the rainwater disposal system.
Churchwardens (or other appointed persons) should inspect roofs frequently from the ground or, if possible, from neighbouring buildings -ideally every week.
At least every three months, and especially after heavy rain or gales, a PCC member should inspect the roof and the gutters and pipes, paying close attention to the condition of all elements of the roof and the rainwater disposal system.
At least twice a year, the gutters, valleys, rainwater heads, dry areas, channels, downpipes and gullies need to be cleared out and the drains rodded. This is a crucial part of the overall building maintenance. A routine maintenance contract for the cleaning of all rainwater goods in November and May of each year is recommended. The gutters should be cleaned both during and after the autumn fall of leaves. This is particularly important in the case of church buildings near trees.
Every year, a churchwarden or PCC member should also inspect all the roof spaces and coverings, furniture and fittings, the bell frame and tower. Any sign of plant growth, damp, rot, fungal or beetle attack should be noted and, if possible, its cause should be investigated.
Figure 3 Plant growth in the gutter
After any of these inspections, consult your architect as soon as you find evidence that any part of the roof and rainwater system is damaged. If a problem of damp, rot, fungal or beetle attack has, or may have, caused damage for a time a thorough inspection by an expert is strongly recommended.
Drainage
Above ground rainwater goods are only as effective at removing rainwater as the below ground drainage to which they connect. If the drainage system does not direct the rainwater away from the building it will lead to severe problems causing the instability of foundations and rising damp. Below ground drainage includes rainwater gullies and gratings, manholes, pipework, soakaways, septic tanks and land drains.
Figure 4 Blocked rainwater gully (© Sara Crofts, SPAB)
In order to ensure their working order, it is recommended that gullies are cleaned regularly and at least twice a year, missing and broken grates are replaced, any manholes are inspected annually (if necessary by qualified contractors) and all drains to be jetted every five years. If you observe any drainage blockages you should ask your inspecting architect for advice.
November 2007
Further Information
SPAB, Technical Q&A 4: Rainwater Disposal (available on the SPAB website)
