Benefits of Seamless Gutters
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 rain gutters need to do their job with very little work 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. More than likely, your options have changed since you last shopped for gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve drastically over a period of only a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be 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 most revolutionary enhancements in rain gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, as opposed to traditional gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most cases with a special machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation services have their own machinery and can do the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been used for so long that it might be hard to see how another choice can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your home, you should understand the benefits of them so you can understand why there is a noticeable price difference between the two.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are less opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely pleased, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out as often. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, some regular gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that can result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints throughout the entire length and width of your house helps reduce the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals and insects that will hide within them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can damage your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage. Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect length without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Plus, there is no need to get rid of 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 fewer leaks, a smaller chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation because of their size and the experience and machinery required to build them. Most homeowners don’t have own the equipment necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will quickly understand their value which pays for itself over time via less 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 determine if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless gutters is not a task that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet by themselves, but anything longer than that requires a second person.
For gutters that are 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, securing the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters that are longer than that, 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 handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Farmington Hills Gutter Service is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Farmington Hills area. Call 248-290-8714 now for more information!