Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced about 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 gutters should do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot since you last shopped for new gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means that your next gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest improvements in rain gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, as opposed to traditional gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in most cases with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation businesses own their own machinery and can complete the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 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 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 option can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your house, you need understand what sets them apart so you can 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 only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also increase the curb appeal of your home without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints mean there are fewer chances for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very pleased, since it means you don’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most traditional rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak at any joint as soon as the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the length and width of your house helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals and insects that are able to hide within them or build nests with the materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and can destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less appealing 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 eco-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to destroy the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are made with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This creates fewer leaks, less chance of rusting 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 surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation because of their size and the experience and equipment required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery required to make 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 see their value which pays for itself over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both standard 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 project that a single person 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 gutters that are 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, attaching the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters longer than that, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those sections because of 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. You can easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Rockville Gutter Cleaning is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Rockville area. Call 301-383-8339 now for more information!