Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters should be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters should do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably about time to start looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and types of materials improve significantly over a period of only a few years. This means your next 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 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 available in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation companies own their own machinery and can complete the whole process – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Because they are built to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been popular for so long that it might be hard to believe how another choice can be a lot more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good idea for your home, you will want to understand 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 look. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your home without being overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints mean there are less chances for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, as it means you won’t need to clean them out as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, most traditional gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the entire length and width of your house helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals and insects that can hide inside of them or build a nest with the organic materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and can damage your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of your 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 scrap pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an eco-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are built with the latest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters also protect your house, including the exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment needed to build them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the equipment required to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will understand their value which pays for itself because of fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both traditional 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 project that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet or so on their own, but anything longer than that will require a second person.
For 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 longer than that, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those sections 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 damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Pristine Clean Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Woodbury area. Call 651-237-8968 now for more information!