There are many different types of guttering you can choose and understanding which type is best for you will often seem not only confusing but also, for many, somewhat dull. And yet, the choice you make could well end up being far more important than you realise and have a great effect on not only the look of your home but, more surprisingly, on the safety too.
Whether you choose plastic guttering or a solution made from cast iron, the end result is likely to look extremely different and different materials are likely to compliment different styles of home in completely different ways. However, not only are aesthetics likely to be very important, but practicality is also going to make a big difference too.
Ultimately, the trick to choosing guttering is to attempt to balance aesthetics, practicality, convenience and longevity as closely as possible, whilst ensuring that the material you choose is not going to look incongruous on your building. For example, almost all new builds will actually probably benefit from plastic gutters in terms of looks, but older, ornate buildings will probably look far better when utilising a cast iron option.
Plastic guttering also scores highly on the practicality and convenience scales, along with the longevity. Whilst steel or aluminium options may seem more attractive on the surface to some, within a very short time they are likely to rust meaning they will not last as long and very quickly look far less attractive. They are also far harder to fit in the first place making them far less convenient and a great deal more costly overall.
So, for those with older houses, cast iron may well be the best bet, but for almost all other homes, a plastic option is likely to look far better and work out a great deal cheaper both in the short term and the long term.