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, and in the meantime, your gutters should do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably a good time to begin considering 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 replaced them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of only a few years. This means your next gutters will be more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the standout improvements in home 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 many situations with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation businesses have their own equipment and are able to do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Since they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless rain gutter around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been popular for so long that it might be difficult to believe how another option can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your house, you will want to know the benefits of them so you can also 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 sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which have to 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 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 drains through more smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you very happy, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, some standard rain gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the entire length and width of your home helps reduce the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals and insects that can hide within them or build a nest with the materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and are able to damage your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars’ of damage. Keeping that buildup out of your rain gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site ensures that your gutters will be the correct size without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly process that reduces 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.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are designed with the latest technology and the best materials available. 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 exterior walls, windows and the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually need professional installation due to their size and the training and machinery required to manufacturer them. Individuals don’t have own the equipment necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will immediately see their value which pays for itself over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both standard and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long gutters is not a project that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet on their own, but anything longer requires a second person.
For gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, fastening the gutter every several 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 sections because of 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 long gutter by handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Elkhart Gutter Experts is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Elkhart area. Call 574-285-4184 now for more information!