Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters should be replaced almost as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your rain gutters should do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably about time to start looking at the options. Chances are, 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 that your next gutters will be 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 biggest enhancements in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to standard gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation companies own their own equipment and can 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 stretch over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been popular for so long that it can be difficult to realize how another choice can be much 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 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 very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly 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 cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely happy, since it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most standard gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the length and width of your house helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that will hide inside of them or build a nest with the organic materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and will damage your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of rain gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site means that your gutters will be the perfect length without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly practice 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 made with the newest technology and the best materials on the market. This results in less leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your home, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation because of their size and the training and machinery needed to build them. Individuals don’t have have the equipment necessary to produce 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 fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who offers both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long gutters is not a task that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 30 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer will require 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, fastening the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters that are longer, 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 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 affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Premiere Gutters of Plymouth is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Plymouth area. Call 612-429-3993 now for more information!