Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters have to be replaced almost as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters need to do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed a lot since you last shopped for new gutters, either when building your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and types of materials improve significantly over a period of only a few years. This means your next gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the current ones on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the standout enhancements in rain gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to traditional gutters which are only sold in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most situations with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation companies own their own machinery and can complete the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Because they are built to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it might be hard to believe how another choice can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your home, you should understand the benefits of them so you can also understand why there is a noticeable price difference for them.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely happy, since it means you don’t need to clean them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, most traditional gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the entire length and width of your home helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals and insects that will hide within them or build nests with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and can destroy your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars worth of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of rain gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site ensures that your gutters will be the correct size without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to get rid of the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are built with the latest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters can also protect your home, including the walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation because of their size and the training and machinery necessary to build them. Individuals don’t have the machinery necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will quickly understand their value which pays for itself over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless gutters is not a job that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet or so on their own, but anything longer requires a second person.
For seamless gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, securing the gutter every several feet. For gutters any longer than that, the installation team will need to begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those sections due to the length and weight of the seamless gutter.
Paying for professional seamless gutter installation also means that your warranty will be intact in the event of an accident or storm damages.
Seamless gutter installation is not a recommended DIY home improvement project. You can damage a seamless gutter by handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Discount Gutter Services is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Dayton area. Call 937-400-2640 now for more information!