Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters should be replaced almost as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, and in the meantime, your gutters should do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for new gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest enhancements in rain gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to traditional gutters that are only manufactured in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation businesses have their own equipment and are able to complete the whole process – 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 extend over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it might be difficult to believe how another choice can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your house, you will want to understand the benefits of them so you can also understand why there is 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 very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even 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 increase the curb appeal of your house without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you very happy, since it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, some standard rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that can cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the length and width of your home helps reduce the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals and insects that are able to hide inside of them or build nests with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and will damage your roof, causing hundreds of dollars worth of damage. Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the correct size without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly practice that reduces 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 newest technology and the best materials on the market. This creates less leaks, less 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 the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters almost always require professional installation because of their size and the training and machinery needed to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have to own the machinery needed 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 due to fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who provides both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 35 feet on their own, 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, fastening the gutter every few feet. For gutters any longer, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those sections due to 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. Homeowners can damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Suffolk Gutter Service is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Suffolk area. Call 757-231-9024 now for more information!