Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain 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 gutters need to do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to start considering the options. Chances are, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you replaced 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 home.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the major improvements in residential gutters is the invention 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 long. They are made on-site in most situations with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation services own their own machinery and can complete the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Since they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This offers 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 believe how another choice can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you will want to know what sets them apart 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:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a sleek look. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The custom measurements also increase the curb appeal of your house without being overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely pleased, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual 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 – Regular gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that result in gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the entire length and width of your home helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals and insects that can hide within 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 are able to destroy your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site means that your gutters will be the correct length without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an eco-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to eliminate the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are designed with the latest technology and the best materials available. This results in fewer leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation due to their size and the experience and equipment required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery needed to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to program 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 concerning the value of seamless rain 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 project that a single person 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 less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, securing the gutter every several feet. For gutters any longer, 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 easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. First-Rate Fayetteville Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Fayetteville area. Call 910-460-6131 now for more information!