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uPVC vs Aluminium Fascias and Gutters
uPVC is the default and it's perfectly good. Aluminium costs more and looks considerably better on the right house — here's how to tell which yours is.
- uPVC: cost-effective, huge colour range
- Aluminium: seamless runs, rigid, long-life finish
- Aluminium suits period and larger properties
- Both maintenance-light compared with timber
- Fascia condition matters more than material
- Full replacement includes rafter-foot inspection
What we check before either goes on
Fascia and gutter work is one of the few times anyone looks at the rafter feet. If the timber ends are soft, capping them with new board simply hides the rot. We cut back and splice new sound timber where needed and record it with photos — that's the part of the job that determines whether the new boards sit straight in ten years' time.
Where uPVC is the sensible buy
On a standard semi or estate house with straight runs and modest gutter loads, uPVC does everything asked of it, comes in woodgrain and colour finishes, and costs materially less. The weak points are joints and brackets rather than the board itself, so we set bracket centres tighter than the minimum and use proper expansion allowances at joints.
Where aluminium earns its money
Long elevations, deep gutters, exposed frontages and period houses. Aluminium gutter can be run seamlessly to length so there are no joints to fail, the sections hold a crisp profile that suits Victorian and Edwardian frontages, and the powder-coated finish holds colour far longer. On a large detached property with high rainwater volumes it also carries more water without oversizing everything.
- ▸Seamless runs — fewer failure points
- ▸Deep-flow and heritage ogee profiles
- ▸Powder-coated colour holds up well
FAQs
Can I mix — uPVC fascia with aluminium gutter?+
Yes, and it's a common compromise where budget is tight but the gutter run is long or highly visible.
Do you cap over old timber?+
Only where the timber is genuinely sound, and we'll show you photos either way. Capping rot is a false economy we won't quote for.
How long does a full fascia and gutter replacement take?+
Most semis are one to two days once scaffold is up; larger detached properties two to three.
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