SAFER TO INSTALL. SAFER FOR OTHER OPERATIVES.
The SureFix screw-in rise and fall gutter bracket eliminates the health and safety hazard that traditional gutter brackets create on construction sites. No protruding stakes. No risk to follow-on trades. Installed after brickwork is complete. Fast. Precise. Futureproof.
THE PROBLEM WITH TRADITIONAL GUTTER BRACKETS
The traditional gutter bracket — the drive-in spike — is designed to be built in with the brickwork. This creates two serious problems:
1. Incorrect Installation by Bricklayers. The bracket must be positioned at the correct height and fall before the brickwork reaches that course. In practice, bricklayers are focused on the wall, not the rainwater system. Brackets are frequently positioned incorrectly, at the wrong height, at the wrong angle, or at the wrong spacing. Once the mortar sets, the bracket cannot be adjusted without damaging the masonry.
2. A Health & Safety Hazard for Follow-On Trades. Once the spike is built in, it protrudes from the wall at head and shoulder height. The brickwork continues above it. The gutter is not fitted until much later. In the meantime, every operative who works near that wall — electricians, window fitters, renderers, scaffolders, labourers — is at risk of walking into, catching on, or being struck by the protruding metal stake.
There have been multiple documented cases of operatives sustaining injuries from protruding gutter stakes on construction sites. These injuries range from cuts and lacerations to more serious puncture wounds and head injuries.
MAJOR HOUSEBUILDERS ARE BANNING TRADITIONAL GUTTER BRACKETS
Due to the injury risk, a number of major UK housebuilders have banned the traditional build-in method entirely. Their site safety teams have determined that protruding gutter stakes represent an unacceptable hazard under CDM (Construction Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
When the traditional bracket is banned, the only alternative is to fit brackets retrospectively — after the brickwork is complete. But the traditional bracket was never designed for retrospective installation. Fitting it after the fact requires:
- Drilling into the mortar joint (risking damage to the brick face)
- Hammering the spike into position (causing vibration damage to fresh mortar)
- Accepting that the bracket may not seat correctly because the mortar joint is not deep enough
- Spending 2–3 minutes per bracket instead of the designed build-in time
This is slow, damaging, and unreliable. It is not how the traditional bracket was designed to be used.
THE SUREFIX SOLUTION: DESIGNED FOR POST-BRICKWORK INSTALLATION
The SureFix screw-in rise and fall gutter bracket was designed from the ground up to be installed after the brickwork is complete. It does not need to be built in. It does not protrude during construction. It is fitted when the rainwater system is needed — not before.
How it works:
- Drill a pilot hole into the mortar joint using the SureFix Depth-Stop Drill Bit (controls depth automatically)
- Screw the SureFix spike directly into the mortar joint using the SureFix Setting Tool
- Adjust the rise and fall to set the correct gutter gradient
- Done. Under 30 seconds per bracket.
No protruding stakes during the build. No risk to follow-on trades. No retrospective bodging. The SureFix bracket is installed at the right time, in the right way, with zero compromise.
SAFETY COMPARISON: TRADITIONAL vs SUREFIX
| Safety Factor | Traditional Bracket | SureFix Rise and Fall Bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Protruding stakes during construction | Yes — exposed metal at head height | No — installed after brickwork |
| Risk to follow-on trades | High — documented injuries | Zero — nothing to hit |
| CDM Regulation compliance | Questionable — being banned | Fully compliant |
| Installation timing | During brickwork (or retrospective bodge) | Any stage after brickwork |
| Masonry damage risk | High — hammering into mortar | Zero — screw-in thread |
| Removable for maintenance | No — permanently built in | Yes — unscrew and reinstall |
| Site manager confidence | Low — liability concern | High — documented, defensible |
CDM REGULATIONS 2015 — DESIGNER DUTIES
Under CDM 2015, designers have a duty to eliminate hazards at source wherever reasonably practicable. Specifying a gutter bracket that creates a protruding hazard during construction — when a safer alternative exists — is increasingly difficult to justify.
The SureFix screw-in rise and fall gutter bracket eliminates the hazard at source. It is the designer’s compliant choice. It gives site managers a documented, defensible decision. It gives H&S officers a clear audit trail.
For specifiers and architects: Specifying SureFix means no protruding brackets during the build phase, no injury risk to follow-on trades, and no retrospective installation damage. It is the CDM-compliant specification.
WHO BENEFITS FROM SUREFIX ON SITE
| Role | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Site Manager | Eliminates a documented injury risk. Reduces liability. Defensible H&S decision. |
| Bricklayer | No longer responsible for positioning brackets. Faster brickwork. Fewer interruptions. |
| Roofer / Gutter Installer | Installs brackets at the correct time. 30 seconds per bracket. No damage to brickwork. |
| Electrician / Window Fitter / Renderer | No protruding stakes to avoid. Safer working environment. |
| Scaffolder | No risk of catching on exposed brackets when erecting or striking scaffold. |
| H&S Officer | Clear audit trail. CDM-compliant specification. Documented hazard elimination. |
| Specifier / Architect | Meets designer duties under CDM 2015. Eliminates hazard at source. |
FUTUREPROOF: REMOVABLE AND REINSTALLABLE
The SureFix screw-in rise and fall gutter bracket is fully removable. If the gutter system needs maintenance, replacement, or the property needs re-rendering, the bracket unscrews cleanly from the mortar joint. No damage. No broken masonry. No expensive repairs.
Once the work is complete, the same bracket screws back in. Same hole. Same position. Same performance. This is what Futureproof means — a bracket that works today, tomorrow, and for every maintenance cycle after that.
Fast. Precise. Futureproof.
BUY DIRECT FROM SUREFIX HQ
The SureFix screw-in rise and fall gutter bracket is available direct from SureFix HQ. Dispatched within 24 hours. ParcelForce Tracked 48 delivery. The cheapest price available anywhere — no middleman, no markup.
Also available through Travis Perkins branches nationwide as a stockist. But buying direct from SureFix HQ is always the cheapest and fastest option.
UK & EU Patent Protected — UK Patent GB2607490 | European Patent EP4144934