Kewin Lindholm

  • Posts: 4
Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« on: June 13, 2023, 04:10:22 pm »
Hi All,

Started on the house clean I posted about in another thread and when I got to side storage room I thought the gutters were white! However, they're just super oxidized from their original brown.

I've tried 000 grade steel wool, bleach and WD40 as per internet 'wisdom' but except for lifting a bit of light oxidation on the downspouts they've not been effective.

Would you have any tips/tricks for getting rid of this type of oxidation or at least reducing it quite a bit?



Cheers

Kewin.

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2023, 04:43:31 pm »
Unfortunately they do fade very quickly the only solution it to replace them ,but again they will also fade quickly it’s a problem with black and brown plastics especially gutters .

Smudger

  • Posts: 13215
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2023, 12:33:44 pm »
Yep nothing worthwhile doing to treat them - colour has gone

I had a customer turn them around - but tobehonest it’s better to replace

Darran
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

Kewin Lindholm

  • Posts: 4
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2023, 02:02:13 pm »
Hey All,

Just thought I'd round off this thread with a pic.

In the end I cleaned up all the low level tiles (awning, windows sills, etc.) and turned the gutters around as suggested. The downpipes I restored with some t-cut and a coat of yacht varnish. The flaky / moved tiles just need addressing now, but I clean stuff, I don't repair stuff  :)

Thanks for the hints and tips.

Kewin.

Smudger

  • Posts: 13215
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2023, 02:38:25 pm »
so how long did it take to "T-cut" then varnish a downpipes?

Darran
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2023, 05:13:16 pm »
so how long did it take to "T-cut" then varnish a downpipes?

Darran


For the amount involved it would have been far cheaper to replace with new I think 😂😂

Smudger

  • Posts: 13215
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2023, 12:36:02 am »
Thats what I ws driving at - not knocking the guy and if it were a personal job then thats fine - but several hours "restoring" cheap plastic guttering is not the way forward IMO

a couple of lengths and some downpipes is what £20 - £25 and about an hour to fit ?

Darran
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

waterforce

  • Posts: 75
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2023, 08:43:36 pm »
Owatrol on the UPVC brings them back like new with little effort.

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2023, 09:39:18 pm »
Owatrol on the UPVC brings them back like new with little effort.


But doesn’t last long just like putting silicon polish of dull plastic bumpers on a car within a few days it’s back to dull old plastic

waterforce

  • Posts: 75
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2023, 10:08:17 pm »
Owatrol on the UPVC brings them back like new with little effort.


But doesn’t last long just like putting silicon polish of dull plastic bumpers on a car within a few days it’s back to dull old plastic
Have you used it?

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2023, 10:52:01 pm »
Owatrol on the UPVC brings them back like new with little effort.


But doesn’t last long just like putting silicon polish of dull plastic bumpers on a car within a few days it’s back to dull old plastic
Have you used it?


Not personally but know ones that have and I have seen the results, not good just as well do the job right and replace the plastic .

Mark Dee

  • Posts: 58
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2023, 10:58:04 pm »
Owatrol on the UPVC brings them back like new with little effort.


But doesn’t last long just like putting silicon polish of dull plastic bumpers on a car within a few days it’s back to dull old plastic
I havent used Owatrol but I have researched it (Roger Oakley uses the brand and he knows his stuff), it's a bit more specialist than wiping over with silicone. Have seen "non sales" (ie independent users) reviews on the product  they are getting 12 months on a composite front door before giving a relatively light booster coat. Its definitely a product worth testing and if I wanted a job to test it on those gutters were a prime candidate.

Mark Dee

  • Posts: 58
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2023, 11:01:27 pm »
Owatrol on the UPVC brings them back like new with little effort.



But doesn’t last long just like putting silicon polish of dull plastic bumpers on a car within a few days it’s back to dull old plastic
Have you used it?


Not personally but know ones that have and I have seen the results, not good just as well do the job right and replace the plastic .



Fair comment

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Oxidized brown Gutters - any way to clean them back up?
« Reply #13 on: August 09, 2023, 06:38:40 pm »
Owatrol on the UPVC brings them back like new with little effort.



But doesn’t last long just like putting silicon polish of dull plastic bumpers on a car within a few days it’s back to dull old plastic
Have you used it?


Not personally but know ones that have and I have seen the results, not good just as well do the job right and replace the plastic .



Fair comment


I have had a few customers ask me about plastic restoration and we don’t offer it we only clean the stuff a couple have used that stuff and it gives it a false look shine looks like a wet look varnish  or the  silicone stuff you put on dull faded car bumpers , but after a few weeks it looked awful, some was on brown faded plastic the other was on black gutters . To me it looked what it was old plastic tarted up it needed replacing , end off .