Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters should be replaced about as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, and in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters should do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably about time to begin considering the options. More than likely, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for new gutters, either when you built 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 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 most revolutionary upgrades in home gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to traditional gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation businesses have their own machinery and are able to complete the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Since they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been used 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 will want 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 very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter 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 measurements also increase the curb appeal of your home without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are less opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, since it means you won’t need to clean them out as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, some traditional rain gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the entire length and width of your house helps reduce the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that are able to hide inside of them or build a nest with the materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and are able to destroy your roof, resulting in 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 guarantees that your gutters will be the perfect size without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, 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 results in less leaks, less chance of rust 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 almost always need professional installation due to their size and the experience and equipment needed to build them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to program these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will immediately understand 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, speak to 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 these extra-long gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet on their own, but anything longer than that requires a second person.
For seamless 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 gutters any longer than that, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those sections 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 easily damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Fayetteville Gutter Service is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Fayetteville area. Call 479-239-8564 now for more information!