Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters should be replaced almost as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, and in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters need to do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin considering the options. Odds are, 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 significantly over a period of just a few years. This means that your next gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the ones that are currently on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the major upgrades in residential gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to standard gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation businesses own their own equipment and can do the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless 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 used for so long that it can be hard to realize how another choice can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your home, you need know what sets them apart 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 just at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely pleased, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, some traditional rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that result in gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the entire length and width of your house helps reduce the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals and insects that will 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 destroy your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage. 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 correct length without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the length of the house. This is an eco-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to destroy the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are built with the latest technology and the best materials available. This creates fewer leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting gutters also protect your home, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation due to their size and the experience and machinery needed to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to program these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will quickly see their value which pays for itself over time via fewer 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 traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price 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 than that requires 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, attaching the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters longer, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure 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. You can easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Waltham Gutters, Inc. is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Waltham area. Call 774-208-0559 now for more information!