Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced about as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters need to do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably about time to start considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed since the last time you 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 your next gutters will be more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest upgrades in home gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to standard gutters which are only available in sections between 10 and 20 feet. 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 can do the whole 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 stretch over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been popular for so long that it might be hard to see how another choice can be more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good choice for your home, you should understand the benefits of them so you can also 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 only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The custom measurements also increase the curb appeal of your home without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely happy, as it means you won’t need to clean them out as often. Seamless gutters only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, most traditional gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the length and width of your house reduces the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals and insects that can hide within 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 are able to destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage. Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting 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 house. This is an eco-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to destroy the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are designed with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This creates 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 house, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation because of their size and the experience and equipment needed to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have have the equipment necessary to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will quickly see their value which pays for itself because of less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who does both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer 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, securing the gutter every several feet. For gutters any longer than that, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those sections because of 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. You can damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Prime Pleasanton Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Pleasanton area. Call 925-267-6662 now for more information!