chez: The colour steel is 2K while the PVC is standard white classic, 4.5K and 5.5K coloured on storm cloud. These quotes are from two different companies.
Have to wonder if the labour cost is higher with PVC.
We got continuous steel a few months ago. Some notes:
I sometimes hear the rain hitting it but it’s just a slightly different sound on your house that you get used to. Definitely a much better looking product imho. I’m now always noticing houses with pvc and the slight sagging that’s around the joins. Seems to be easier to clean. I cleaned all the exterior of our house the other weekend and the sturdiness of the product was obvious when I was running an extended brush along it.
gzt: Have to wonder if the labour cost is higher with PVC.
I've been watching this thread for a while. My suspicion is that the labor portion of the bill is where the difference in cost lies. Both products require a similar amount of work, with PVC being easy enough for a DIY person with only basic tools.
We were recently quoted around $1,000 to replace 8m of guttering on a small sleepout with Marley PVC. Three hours work for two people at $80 per hour each, or roughly 50% of the cost. That seemed excessive, but it was from a plumbing crowd, not a guttering company. The prices quoted for Marley products were also higher than the prices at Bunnings.
In the end I did the job with my neighbour (a builder), and used another PVC product. Not only was it much cheaper, but it was also easier to work with than Marley. Provided it is UV stable (as claimed), I expect it will last. Total cost was under $500, and included an additional length of adjacent guttering plus downpipe that the original quote didn't cover.
I'm not sure about the labour cost and hours but here's my experience on this project and want to put it out here.
The company sent one man to install the coloursteel gutters all around my 2 storey house. Mind you, we had a scaffolding that made his job so much easier and safer as the house painting was done by the professionals as well. The man had to do his string alignment and put the brackets on weekend (due to limited good weather condition) which took him for about more or less 2 hours. When the weather was perfect, he came back to install the gutters alone. The guy worked the whole day from 9 until 4ish (with breaks, of course).
Two days after, I ran a water test in both levels of the house. Water was flowing well to the downpipes direction which means the slope was right. No significant amount of water sitting on the gutter. Then, I noticed a leak around one of the downpipes on the second level. I took a video and photo and informed the guy I was having the main communication with. He came later on the day and did an inspection on the leak and around the job done. The other guy forgot to seal it that was why. So far, the only problem was that and it was sorted out immediately. The company has 10 years workmanship warranty which gives me a peace of mind in case I detect any problem in the future.
chez: I noticed a leak around one of the downpipes on the second level. I took a video and photo and informed the guy I was having the main communication with. He came later on the day and did an inspection on the leak and around the job done. The other guy forgot to seal it that was why. So far, the only problem was that and it was sorted out immediately. The company has 10 years workmanship warranty which gives me a peace of mind in case I detect any problem in the future.
Keep an eye on that spot. The Roofing code of practice makes the point that sealant should be sandwiched in the joint as it is made and applying it after the fact is generally futile. The working sealant should be protected from UV for longest life.
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