Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters have 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 annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably about time to begin looking at the options. Odds are, your options have changed since you last shopped for gutters, either when building your home or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve drastically over a period of just a few years. This means your next gutters will be much more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the most revolutionary upgrades in home gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters that are only sold in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in many situations with a special machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation services have their own machinery and can complete the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are built to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 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 any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it might be hard to believe how another option can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your home, you will want to 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:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your home without being 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 fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely happy, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most regular gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that lead to gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across the entire length and width of your house reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that will hide inside of them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and will damage your roof, leading to 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 cutting them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect length without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an eco-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to destroy the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, less chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your house, including the walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually need professional installation because of their size and the experience and equipment needed to build them. Individuals don’t have own the machinery necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will quickly understand their value which pays for itself over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both traditional 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 rain gutters is not a job that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet or so on their own, but anything longer will require a second person.
For gutters that are 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, fastening the gutter every several feet. For rain gutters longer, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those sections 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 its effectiveness. Redding Gutter Service is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Redding area. Call 530-296-1160 now for more information!