Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters should be replaced almost as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, and in the meantime, your gutters need to do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the current ones on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the most revolutionary enhancements in home gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to traditional gutters that are only sold in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation services have their own machinery and are able to complete the entire 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 rain gutter around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been popular for so long that it can be hard to see how another option can be 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:
More Attractive – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also increase the curb appeal of your house without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are less opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely pleased, as it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, some traditional 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 from any joint as soon as the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that can cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the entire length and width of your home helps reduce the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that can hide inside of them or build nests with the organic materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and will destroy your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site means that your gutters will be the perfect size without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an eco-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are made with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to fewer leaks, less chance of rusting 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 the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation due to their size and the training and machinery needed to build them. Individuals don’t have have the equipment needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to program these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will quickly see 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 offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a job that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 30 feet or so on their own, 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, attaching the gutter every few feet. For gutters longer than that, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those sections due to 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. Homeowners can damage a long gutter by mishandling it. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Tuscaloosa Gutter Service is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Tuscaloosa area. Call 205-272-6615 now for more information!