These days everyone’s keeping a tight rein on their resources, saving for rainy days and pre-empting potentially expensive, unforeseen problems – particularly with regards to properties.

From property developers to housing associations, more and more people are looking for intelligent ways to minimise the cost of maintaining and repairing their premises. Leaking guttering is a common problem and left unattended can cause significant damage to a building inside and out. Traditional methods to replace or repair guttering can be costly and often mean a lot of disruption to businesses and residents alike.

Fortunately HD Sharman has long had the answer. Manufacturers of the original and best seamless guttering system, their patented Plygene Gutterline product has been in even greater demand as the economic climate drives the need for a cost effective guttering solution.

Commercial appeal 

The commercial appeal of Gutterline is well known, which is why it is the product of choice for many architects, roofers, building contractors, specifiers and property developers across the UK.

For example Brian Steel from Steel Roofing Ltd believes the “Plygene Gutterline system is a great idea, a hard-wearing liner, made-to-measure, that fits inside the existing broken gutters.”  Brian immediately saw the benefits of using Gutterline as there was no need for any structural work making leaking gutters a quick resolve at significantly less cost.

Plygene Gutterline can be tailored to match any roof design and rainwater run-off system, and can include corners, T junctions, overflows, weirs, syphonic outlets, and side boxes. It’s that flexibility which means it can be used on all sizes and types of buildings, from old industrial mills to modern shopping malls, on all kinds of roof and for any gutter profile.

Keith Bartlett, owner of KB Buildings Limited was impressed by Plygene Gutterline right from the outset and uses it on most of their customer projects, industrial and agricultural buildings, even new builds. Keith explains the benefits of installing Gutterline, “We only have to do the job once and there is no comeback, which is a great time and cost saving benefit for us.” We install Plygene Gutterline on all industrial jobs as a sort of insurance policy. For example, large valley gutters would cost a fortune to replace so Gutterline is our insurance policy that they won’t leak, ever! And on old buildings it is the only product on the market that is suitable.”

Addressing a social problem

And it’s not just commercial and industrial property owners that are feeling the benefit of HD Sharman’s “do it once, do it right” approach to leaking gutters. There are more than 2,000 housing associations responsible for 1.7 million properties throughout the UK and they’re feeling the squeeze in government funding as acutely as many of their third sector counterparts, perhaps more so. While housing association portfolios include some modern properties (generally requiring lower levels of maintenance) by far the greatest proportion is traditional mid-to-late 20^th century ex-council stock and as such they represent one of the largest spenders on property maintenance and repair services in the UK.

Not only do social landlords have a responsibility to maintain and repair leaking gutters, they’re also obliged to re-house tenants where extensive rectification work is needed. HD Sharman recognised the problem and produced a solution to what had become a nationwide problem.

They developed their Plygene Gutterline system specifically for Finlock-type sectional concrete guttering. It addresses outer and inner toughs to create a one-piece “gutter within a gutter” which makes it impossible for water to seep behind or beneath it and also incorporates a heavy duty sarking angle designed to deflect run-off water into the gutter’s outer trough. Fitted correctly (HD Sharman provide free training to all users of the system) it provides a permanent solution to gutter leakage and, because there’s no need to remove the existing, in-built guttering system it negates the need to rehouse tenants in order to do the work.

Lee Holohan has worked as a roofing contractor for more than 10 years and he first used the Gutterline system following a personal recommendation “I needed to resolve a leaking concrete-based gutter system for a housing project when a friend pointed me in the direction of HD Sharman. A made-to-measure roll of Plygene Gutterline for Finlock sealed the existing gutter and stopped leaks without using messy adhesive, structural work or disruption”.

Greenfields Community Housing is one of several more recent converts. Responsible for more than 8000 properties, Greenfields are actively using the Gutterline for Finlock system to help reduce costs and stop gutters leaking and it’s already had a significant impact on the community gateway’s performance – as monitored and published on their website.

Broad appeal

What sets Gutterline apart is that it can be used on any type of building and with any original gutter structure. One of the Directors at HD Sharman, Margaret Bullen believes it’s the combination of widespread application with the nationwide drive to reduce maintenance and repair costs that have combined to take the Plygene Gutterline product to the next level. She says “Our customer base has really broadened in the past few years. From mills to supermarkets, factories to aircraft hangers, farm buildings to hospitals, the product has even been used for cathedrals. I think people are just more aware that what we provide is a permanent, cost-effective solution to leaking gutters and that any other approach just doesn’t make sense – certainly not financially.”

For more information see www.hdsharman.co.uk

Most contractors at sometime or another in their career try a product or process that is completely new to them.  Frequently it pays off.  At other times, well they probably put it down to experience.  Not many though, it’s probably fair to say, would go out on a limb with a product they’d never used before, especially when the job in question was of such critical importance and had such a tight deadline.

Raymond Allan owns Zenit Contracts, a roofing and cladding company based in Paisley near Glasgow, and earlier this year he received a call from a main contractor who was struggling to overcome a leaking gutter problem on a property belonging to one of their clients who is a major player in cell culture and research for the medical sector.  In a high-tech industry and on a high-spec building, the leaking gutter was a serious concern.

Previous contractors had tried to cure the leaks but had been unsuccessful.  Now Raymond was asked to come and solve the problem with patch repairs on the leaking joints of the gutter.

Something special

When he went along to survey the job, however, and saw that the 80 metre long sectional, insulated membrane gutter, that also incorporated three syphonic outlets, had earlier been unsuccessfully overlaid by the previous contractor, he realised that patching wasn’t the answer.  Something different, something innovative, something special was called for.  But what?

As it happened, at the time he was faced with this conundrum Raymond was looking to apply for membership of the NFRC and in the literature he’d received was an advertisement for H D Sharman Ltd’s Plygene Gutterline, which seemed to be the perfect answer to the problem.  Talking about it with his team, he was delighted to learn that one of his employees had worked with it previously and was highly enthusiastic about its qualities.

Clearly though some research was called for and so Raymond went onto the H D Sharman website, where to his delight, he found not only did it fully describe the product, but a library of videos also expertly explained its qualities and even demonstrated in clear detail the fitting techniques involved.

Most helpful

Raymond’s next step was to telephone H D Sharman Ltd who, he says, couldn’t have been more helpful.  They immediately sent him product literature and samples of the Plygene Gutterline liner together with details of the product’s 20-year guarantee, a copy of the BBA Certificate, plus fully detailed installation instructions. They also told him that if he sent them the specifications of the gutter they would work out the exact requirements and price up the job for him.  Consequently he emailed over all the measurements along with pictures of the syphonic outlets and from this information H D Sharman were able to provide, by return, an accurate quote for the materials.

Armed with all this support material, Raymond presented his proposal to the client, who was not only impressed with the cost advantage provided by Plygene Gutterline over alternative methods, but was particularly reassured by the long term guarantee and the BBA approval, plus the fact that the installation timescale would not be affected by inclement weather.  A most important consideration in view of the urgency attached to the job.

But, a major concern for Raymond was still the near impossible deadline.  He says though that H D Sharman pulled out all the stops to help him and managed to turn round the complete order including the made-to-measure liner, stop ends and syphonic kits in an incredible 3 days. They even delivered it on the Saturday of a bank holiday weekend.

No problem

Thanks to the accuracy of the made-to-measure one-piece liner, the installation went like a dream and despite never having worked with Plygene Gutterline previously, the Zenit team completed the job without any problems.  Recent heavy rains have put the liner to a severe test, but everyone acknowledges that the problem of the leaking gutter has at last been successfully resolved and the client is absolutely delighted with the outcome.

Raymond Allan is especially pleased with the result.  As he commented, because of the current economic climate much of his work has moved from new roofing projects to refurbs.  Part of his philosophy is to keep the level of service high but to contain costs wherever possible.  Plygene Gutterline, he says, offers another opportunity to do exactly that.  Since that successful ‘experiment’ he has already quoted for two further Plygene Gutterline based jobs – both of which he is fairly confident of winning.

Because of this, he says he will undoubtedly be sending his team down to H D Sharman Ltd to take advantage of their free training facilities.

Find out more about HD Sharman and Gutterline at www.hdsharman.co.uk

Steel Roofing Ltd in Castleford has been working with HD Sharman since his business started over 7 years ago.

“I came into contact with HD Sharman at one of their free training courses for the company I worked for at the time. I was very impressed with the product and the people and could immediately see the benefits of working with Plygene Gutterline®.”

Steel Roofing Ltd fits cladding for industrial buildings and offices, working on projects all over the UK. Leaking gutters are a common problem and it is very time consuming and costly to take down broken gutters for repair. Brian continues, “The Plygene Gutterline® system is just such a great idea, a hard-wearing liner, made-to-measure, which simply fits inside the existing broken gutters. With Plygene Gutterline® there’s no need for any structural work so it’s very quick to resolve and at significantly less cost.

Jayne will be getting actively involved with most areas of the business but primarily her role is to manage office functions including dealing with customer enquiries orders and quotations.

Jayne said, “I am loving working at HD Sharman, they are a very customer-focused company, which is what I enjoy most. It is a very different environment here, very fast paced, there’s always something happening. I look forward to speaking to existing and future customers in due course.”

Tim Weston, owner of Ashbourne Roofing, is so impressed by Plygene Gutterline® he has incorporated the distinctive logo onto his vehicle! Tim first used HD Sharman’s exclusive guttering system 3 years ago and has never considered anything else for his thriving business which includes specialist roofing, restoration and maintenance services for historic buildings throughout the UK. Tim had used other linings before working with HD Sharman but immediately realised that Plygene Gutterline® was by far the best solution. Tim explains, “I need a gutter lining system that provides a permanent solution yet keeps costs down. Gutterline is the only one that does the job permanently.”

Tim explains why Gutterline works, “Gutterline is light, weldable and very durable, but for me the biggest advantage is that there is no comeback. For example, we recently had a contract to resolve leaking gutters on 68 council houses. We achieved 100% resolve with Gutterline and only had 3 snags to sort out on the whole job. 3 snags out of 68 houses! That’s why we use Gutterline.”

Ashbourne Roofing also used Gutterline for valley gutters at Rolls Royce in Derby. “The valleys were getting very rusty and it would have been expensive to remove and replace them. Gutterline was an efficient, permanent and cost effective solution. The customer was very happy,” says Tim. So was the owner of the 17th century barn that was once part of the Chatsworth Estate and now a private residence. “The wooden gutters were rotting and should have been lined with lead, but that was a very expensive option. We used Plygene Gutterline® on the original wooden gutters and it has worked really well, and for a fraction of the cost. The customer was delighted.”
The rising cost of lead is creating a massive opportunity for companies like Ashbourne Roofing and HD Sharman. “We’ve recently worked on 16 roofs where thieves had stolen the lead capping. It would have cost thousands of pounds just to buy the replacement lead, but we used Plygene Gutterline® as an alternative. Our customers saved thousands of pounds and their problems were solved permanently.”

Tim and his team find Gutterline remarkably easy to use. “We originally attended HD Sharman’s training sessions at their head office to learn how to fit Plygene Gutterline®, because once it is fitted properly it really does stop gutters leaking for good. It is a very efficient way of working for us now. As a gang of 4 we can fit a council house in a day. And because there is no building work, the residents do not have to move out of their houses.”
As well as providing a fantastic product, Tim thinks HD Sharman’s themselves are amazing. “What more can I say? They offer a fantastic service, always bending over backwards to help you, even when I give them impossible deadlines and push them to deliver, they always do.”

Find out more about HD Sharman and Plygene Gutterline at www.hdsharman.co.uk

Neil believes the whole Plygene Gutterline system helps their working day, “Plygene Gutterline is very flexible and easy to install. HD Sharman provides free training and fantastic technical support, which results in fast, efficient installations. It’s also very durable, so we rarely have to revisit work. This all adds up to cost savings that we can pass on to our customers.”

To find out how you can become a Plygene Gutterline installer and save time, money and unnecessary construction, contact HD Sharman to arrange a free training session on 01298 812371 or visit www.hdsharman.co.uk

More and more rainwater gutter specifications include syphonic outlets and a number of contractors have asked if they will still be able to fit Plygene Gutterline. The answer is “yes you can”.

In fact HD Sharman manufacture a wide range of made to measure fittings that will enable contractors to install Plygene Gutterline without compromising the integrity or the efficiency of the syphonics. Already HD Sharman have developed customised kits that are tailored-made to match the different profiles and operational features of all the most popular makes of syphonic outlets. These include ranges from Sapoflow, Fullflow, Geberit, RWP, Deberit Pluvia and Dallmer. As demand grows, HD Sharman will introduce additional syphonic outlet kits to extend this list.

All Plygene Gutterline syphonic fitting kits have been designed for ease of installation. They are quick and extremely efficient.

If you have syphonic outlets in any of your future gutter lining projects, all you have to do is contact HD Sharman and they will provide you with all the help and advice you need. They will even arrange a free training session for you and your fitting team.

If you are not sure whether it is a syphonic outlet or the type, take some photographs and email them to us at contact@hdsharman.co.uk and we’ll advise you what you need.

Contact HD Sharman on 01298 812371

“Multiple projects have arisen this year whereby we have required the use of a strong, durable membrane system, in particular one with a BBA approved accreditation behind it.
With all the various options on the market place we felt we needed a system which could be easily installed and came with good support from the manufacturer, H D Sharmans were found.”

“With an excellent help desk service and great technical advice it was clear to us that this membrane could be utilised for the projects we had in mind.”

“We have never had any call backs to a TGM installed project.”

Since we first launched Plygene Gutterline back in the 1980’s when it was the first liner of its type, it’s reputation as the best solution there is to stop gutters leaking has continued to soar and today it is by far and away the UK’s most successful gutter lining system.
The success of our Plygene Gutterline is founded on basic qualities;

• every liner is made to measure for each project;
• it is simple and quick to install – even in damp weather;
• it is totally reliable, creating a one-piece watertight ‘gutter within a gutter’;  and
• it is a complete system including bespoke outlets, corners, weirs, overflows, stop ends, sideboxes … you name it.
• And, in addition to being the only system of its type to be awarded BBA approval, it also carries a 20 year guarantee. But, despite all these attributes, the extra factor that really impresses our customers is the way do whatever we can to help them.

Free Training

We have established a purpose-built training centre at our headquarters in Derbyshire where any contractor, specifier or property owner can arrange skill-building sessions on the approved Gutterline fitting techniques, which provide valuable product knowledge for future projects. All the training is one-to-one based and involves practical, hands-on coaching in the correct way to install the product as well as picking up a rew “trade secrets” along the way. Training usually involves half or full day sessions … and best of all we offer them free of charge.

Extra Support Too

In addition to the training, we can always offer to come along and meet specifiers in order to discuss any project and to advise on the suitability of Plygene Gutterline for the job in question.  We provide expert help in specifying the system and all the correct components and can advise on technical aspects such as flow rates, the use of corners, overflows weirs and how to incorporate the correct type or outlet including syphonics. In addition, our technical team can assist with measuring up and costing any project. Best of all, thanks to our unparalleled experience and expertise we can very often assist specifiers, property owners and even contractors on the best, most effective and cost-effective solutions to their leaking gutter problems.

We like to go the extra mile to help out our customers. Invaluable support like this is something you can’t put a price on … but then again, since we don’t charge for it anyway, it really is something money can’t buy.