Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters have to be replaced about as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your home’s gutters should 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 start looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when building your house or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest improvements in home gutters is the creation 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. They are made on-site in most cases with a special machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting long, narrow items.
Most gutter installation businesses have their own equipment and are able to do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless rain gutter around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the choice to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been used for so long that it might be difficult to realize how another option can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good choice for your house, you need understand what sets them apart 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:
More Attractive – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must 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 overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are less opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, because it means you don’t need to clean them out as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most traditional rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the length and width of your home helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that can hide within them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and are able to damage your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of rain 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 additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an eco-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Plus, there is no need to destroy the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are built with the latest technology and the best materials available. This creates fewer leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your house, including the exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation due to their size and the experience and machinery required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have have the equipment required to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will immediately 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 standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless 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 will require a second person.
For 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 longer, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those places 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 damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Downers Grove Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Downers Grove area. Call 630-333-4862 now for more information!