Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters should be replaced about as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, and in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters should do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to start looking at the options. Odds are, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when building your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of only a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be a lot 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 major upgrades in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to standard gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most situations with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Most gutter installation companies have their own machinery and can do the whole process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless rain gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it can be hard to believe how another choice can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you should know the benefits of them so you can understand why there is such a noticeable price difference for them.
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 cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The custom measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are less opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, some traditional rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint as soon as the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that result in gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the length and width of your home reduces 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 are able to hide within 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 damage your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your rain gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the correct size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an eco-friendly practice that reduces 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 designed with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This results in less leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your home, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation due to their size and the training and machinery required to manufacturer them. Individuals don’t have access t the machinery necessary to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will see their value which pays for itself due to less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who provides both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet by themselves, but anything longer than that requires 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 few feet. For rain gutters that are longer than that, the installation team will 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. Homeowners can damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Hoover Gutter Service is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Hoover area. Call 205-270-5808 now for more information!