Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your rain gutters should do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to start looking at the options. Odds are, your options have changed since you last shopped for gutters, either when building your house or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means your next gutters will be more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal 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 major upgrades in rain gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, as opposed to standard gutters that are only manufactured in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in many cases with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation services have their own machinery and are able to complete the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it might be hard to believe how another choice can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good choice for your home, you should understand the benefits of them so you can 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 look. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very pleased, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, most traditional 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 from any joint once the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the length and width of your house reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that are able to hide within them or build nests with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can destroy your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars’ 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 manufacturing them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the perfect length 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. Plus, 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 built with the latest technology and the best materials available. 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.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters almost always require professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment needed to build them. Individuals don’t have access t the machinery required to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to program these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will immediately understand their value which pays for itself due to less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who provides both standard and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a task that a homeowner 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 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 any longer, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those places due to the length and 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. Ready Clean Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Roseville area. Call 586-221-9995 now for more information!