If you’re thinking about replacing your current gutters, you might be wondering which is better: plastic or aluminium gutters.
Whether you’re looking to replace your current plastic gutters or aluminium gutters, you’re definitely wondering if the grass is greener on the other side.
With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at the two materials and rate them based on their cost and efficiency.
Cost Comparison
It’s no secret that plastic is a cheap yet durable material so armed with that knowledge we can already tell it’s going to be cheaper than aluminium.
How much cheaper?
Well, for plastic you’d be looking at around £5 – £10 per metre whereas aluminium guttering can set you back almost 5 times that at £25 – £30 per metre.
Winner: Plastic
Durability
Whilst plastic is super cheap, you have the possibility of running into durability issues, especially if we have particularly intense heatwaves. The issues are compounded if your plastic guttering is black in colour with estimates suggesting that they can increase in heat by a further 30 degrees celcius. High temperatures can go past guttering’s ‘softening point’ which essentially means it will start to lose its shape.
Overall, you can expect to get around 20 years of life out of plastic guttering before they’re ready to be replaced.
Aluminium on the other hand is made out of metal and needs minimal maintenance throughout its life (apart from a yearly clean). Typically, aluminium gutters are lightweight, durable and don’t fall foul of corrosion.
Overall, you can expect aluminium to last at least 40 years meaning, once installed, you’ll probably never have to change the again.
Winner: Aluminium
Overall
Whilst the initial cost of aluminium gutters is almost 5x the cost of plastic, over the course of the time you own your home, aluminium gutters will likely be more cost effective. Not only will they be on for good, they’ll also save you time on cleaning as well as money on replacement and repairs. If you have the money, we’d recommend going with aluminium.