Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?

The very first thing to consider when you are purchasing new gutters is, “Why?” This pivotal question will help to answer the questions you’ll have before making your selection.

In our experience as a local gutter service, here are only three reasons homeowners might be shopping for new gutters:

An Upgrade – Installing new rain gutters can drastically impact the curb appeal of your home, improving its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.

A New Home – Designing a new home comes with a constant stream of decisions about appearance and functionality. Rain gutters included. Deciding on the first gutters that go on your home is important because they should last approximately 15 years.

A Renovation – If the roof on your home has had damage, the gutters might have to be replaced, too. Or, they could just be wearing down and need to be replaced.

You know why you are replacing the rain gutters, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your home.

You want to renovate but not spend a lot of money.

Your landscaping is being ruined by ineffective gutters.

Determining your “Why” will give you direction while you are shopping. You’ll know what features are worth spending your money on or if you can go with a more affordable product.

Here are the questions you’ll have when it’s time to install new gutters.

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The fun part about choosing new rain gutters is picking out the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your personal preference.

These are the choices you will have, in order of cost:

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are economical options that hold up well in most scenarios, except in cold climates, where they can become brittle. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in most regions of the country, and they come in a wide variety of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These mid-priced options are both stylish and durable. Both of these materials are available in a variety of colors as well. They are fairly lightweight and easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to resist rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the rain gutter materials available, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but are the most attractive as well. Homeowners in Pleasanton who choose these materials are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s exactly what they’ll get!

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

Almost all of the gutter types above will offer both of these options below:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These types of rain gutters come in smaller sections, so they are easy to install. In fact, most homeowners choose to install their own sectional gutters on their own. This type is the less expensive choice, and they are made with more seams, which means more areas where leaks can occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters will need to be installed by a contractor because they need special equipment. They are more expensive to buy and to install, but less likely to leak than sectional gutters.

K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS

K-Style – K-Style gutters are popular because they look excellent with every style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This speaks to their popularity. In addition, they are not hard to install. Many homeowners are proficient enough to install their own K-Style gutters by themselves.

Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are usually made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, established appearance. However, more modern styles made from vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, because they are both lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round rain gutters are much harder to install, but they are easier to clean out, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of your region will dictate a lot about which gutters you should install. As we mentioned, certain materials don’t hold up in extremely cold climates.

The single most important climate factor to consider is how much work the gutters will need to do. Basically, how much water are the gutters going to need to handle?

Professional gutter contractors in Pleasanton can take many factors into consideration to determine the size and type of rain gutters that will work best for your roof.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional gutter contractors use is no secret. Here are the pieces of specific information you will need to decide how large your gutters should be:

Average Rainfall – This statistic is available online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You should also look into the maximum rainfall intensity for your area. This is the max amount of rain that will occur within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a standard length times width calculation for standard roofs. However, you will need to figure all the surfaces of multi-faceted roofs.

Roof-Pitch Factor – A roof that is steep will collect more wind-blown rain than a less sloped roof. Figuring out your roof-pitch factor is going to help to calculate how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is going to be included in average precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to consider the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows regularly in your region, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of gutters that best prevent ice dams, which might severely damage your roof.

Of course, the final question is probably the most important …

HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?

You also have to ask yourself if you’re willing to try to do the work on your own, or if you are going to hire a professional to install your new gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, compared to doing it yourself.

Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for professional labor, to ensure that the installation will be done right. An added bonus of hiring Prime Pleasanton Gutters to install the gutters is that we can help you answer all of your questions about new gutters so that you are able to find the perfect style and type for your home.