Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters have to be replaced almost as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters need to do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably about time to start looking at the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot since the last time you 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 rain gutters will be more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest upgrades in home gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to standard gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation companies own their own equipment and are able to complete the entire process – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it can be hard to realize how another choice can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good choice for your home, you need to understand what sets them apart so you can also understand why there is a noticeable price difference between the two.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
More Attractive – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The custom measurements also increase the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are fewer chances for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely pleased, as it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, most regular gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints throughout the length and width of your house reduces the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals and insects that will hide within them or build nests with the organic materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and will destroy your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the perfect length without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an eco-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are made with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This results in less leaks, a smaller chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your house, including the exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment necessary to build them. Most homeowners don’t have the machinery needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to program these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will quickly understand their value which pays for itself due to fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, speak to a gutter installer who does both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a task that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet or so on their own, but anything longer requires a second person.
For seamless gutters that are 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, attaching the gutter every several feet. For rain gutters any longer than that, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places because of 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. Fairfield Gutter Specialists is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Fairfield area. Call 513-447-6835 now for more information!