Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced nearly as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your gutters need to do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your home’s gutters recently, 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 a lot over a period of only a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be much more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the major improvements in rain gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters which are only sold in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in most cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation services own their own equipment and can complete the entire process – 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 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it might be difficult to believe how another option can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you will want to understand 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:
More Attractive – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also help the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are less chances for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you very pleased, since it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, some regular rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that can result in gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the length and width of your house helps reduce the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that can hide inside of them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can damage your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site ensures 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 environmentally-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Plus, there is no need to get rid of the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to fewer leaks, less chance of rusting 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.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation due to their size and the training and equipment needed to build them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery needed to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will see their value which pays for itself due to less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are worth it 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 30 feet on their own, but anything longer requires a second person.
For seamless 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 gutters that are 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 handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Warwick Gutter Cleaning is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Warwick area. Call 401-213-8344 now for more information!