Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters have to be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s gutters should do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. Chances are, your options have changed since you last shopped for new gutters, either when building your house or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and types of materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means that your next gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the standout upgrades in rain gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, as opposed to traditional gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation businesses own their own machinery and are able to do the whole process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it might be difficult to realize how another choice can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you need understand the benefits of them so you can also understand why there is such a noticeable price difference between the two.
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 look. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The custom measurements also increase the curb appeal of your house without being overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are fewer chances for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely pleased, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, most standard rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint if the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across the length and width of your home reduces the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that are able to hide inside of them or build a nest with the organic materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and will destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site means that your gutters will be the correct size without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an eco-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to get rid of 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 leads to fewer leaks, a smaller chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your house, including the exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation due to their size and the training and equipment needed to build them. Individuals don’t have have the machinery required to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on 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 due to less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who does both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long gutters is not a job that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet by themselves, but anything longer than that will require a second person.
For gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, fastening the gutter every several feet. For gutters that are longer than that, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places because of the length and the 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 mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. True Clean Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Taylor area. Call 313-251-3604 now for more information!