Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters need to be replaced almost as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your 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 home’s gutters lately, it’s probably about time to start looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed since you last shopped for gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve drastically over a period of just a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the current ones on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest upgrades in residential 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 custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow items.
Most gutter installation services have their own machinery and can do the entire process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Because they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the choice to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been used for so long that it can be hard to realize how another choice can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good choice for your home, you should know the benefits of them 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:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are less opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, as it means you don’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, some regular gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint if the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the entire length and width of your home reduces the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that will hide inside of them or build nests with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and will damage your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars worth of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of your rain gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site means that your gutters will be the correct size without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the length of the house. This is an eco-friendly process that lowers 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 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 house. Longer lasting gutters can also protect your home, including the walls, windows and the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery 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 professionally installed, you will see their value which pays for itself over time via fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who offers both standard 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 project that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet by themselves, 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 several feet. For rain gutters longer than that, the installation team will need to begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those places 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 long gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Classic Centreville Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Centreville area. Call 703-936-6891 now for more information!