Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters should be replaced about as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, and in the meantime, your gutters need to do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your gutters recently, it’s probably about time to begin considering the options. More than likely, your options have changed since you last shopped for gutters, either when building your house or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and types of materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means that your next 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 upgrades in residential gutters is the invention 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 long. They are made on-site in most situations with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Most gutter installation companies have their own equipment and are able to do the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is possible 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 option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it can be hard to realize how another option can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you need to understand the benefits of them so you can also understand why there is such a noticeable price difference for them.
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 machines even cut out holes for downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you very pleased, as it means you don’t need to clean them out as often. 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 functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that can cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the entire length and width of your home helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals and insects that can hide within them or build nests with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage (at a minimum). 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 perfect length without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an eco-friendly practice that lowers 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.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are built with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This leads to less leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your home, including the walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters almost always require professional installation due to their size and the experience and equipment required to build them. Most homeowners don’t have to own the equipment required to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will immediately understand their value which pays for itself over time via fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, speak to 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 seamless gutters is not a job that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet on their own, but anything longer than that will require a second person.
For gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, fastening the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters longer than that, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those places 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. Homeowners can damage a seamless gutter by handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Swift Gutters Inc. is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Middletown area. Call 513-270-2731 now for more information!