Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s gutters need to do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot since you last shopped for gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and types of materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the current ones on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the most revolutionary enhancements in residential gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to standard gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in most cases with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation businesses own their own machinery and are able to complete the entire process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Since they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the choice 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 difficult to realize how another choice can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your house, you should understand the benefits of them 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:
More Attractive – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek look. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are less opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very pleased, since it means you don’t need to clean them out as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, some regular rain gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints throughout the length and width of your home reduces the chance 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 a nest with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can damage your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site means that your gutters will be the correct size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to get rid of the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials on the market. This results in fewer leaks, a smaller chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting gutters also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation due to their size and the experience and equipment needed to build them. Individuals don’t have to 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 do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will immediately understand their value which pays for itself over time via 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 provides both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a job that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet or so on their own, but anything longer than that 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 few feet. For gutters that are longer, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places due to 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 long gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Clear & Clean Gutters of Corvallis is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Corvallis area. Call 541-204-8381 now for more information!