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 subsequent questions you’ll have before making your ultimate selection.

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

An Upgrade – Switching out the rain gutters can significantly impact the curb appeal of your house, enhancing its look in a subtler way than painting or new landscaping.

A New House – Building a home comes with a constant stream of choices about appearance and functionality. Gutters included. Deciding on the first gutters that go on your home is important because they should last at least 15-20 years or more.

A Renovation – If the roof on your home has suffered damage, the gutters may have to be replaced. Or, they might just be deteriorating and need to be replaced.

You know why you are installing new gutters, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your home.

You want to renovate without spending too much money.

Your landscaping is being damaged by ineffective gutters.

Determining your “Why” will provide direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know if certain features are important or if you can choose a less expensive product.

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

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The fun part about choosing new rain gutters is choosing the style. Gutters can blend in or stand out against your home exterior, depending on your preference.

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

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable options that hold up well in most scenarios, other than cold climates, where they can deteriorate. Vinyl and plastic gutters are acceptable in most regions of the country, and they are available in a wide variety of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These mid-priced materials are attractive and durable. Both of these materials come in a variety of colors too. They are fairly lightweight and are not difficult to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to withstand rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the gutter materials, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but the most stylish as well. Homeowners in Beaver Creek who choose these options are searching 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 gutters come in smaller sections, so they are easy to install. In fact, many homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters. This type is the more affordable choice, and they are made with more seams, which means more sections where leaks are going to occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a local contractor because they need special equipment. They are more expensive to buy and 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 great with every style of home. They’re better for angled roofs, which are more common. This one of the reasons for their popularity. And, 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 traditionally made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they give homes a luxurious, established curb appeal. However, more modern styles made from vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round gutters are harder to install, but much easier to clean, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of your region will determine a lot about what gutters you should purchase. As we already mentioned, some types of materials don’t hold up well in cold climates.

The most important climate factor is how much work the gutters will have to do. Essentially, how much rain or water are your gutters going to need to withstand?

Professional gutter companies in Beaver Creek are going to take a lot of factors into consideration to determine the size and type of rain gutters that will work best for your home.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional home exterior contractors use is not a secret. Here are the pieces of specific information you will need to decide how large your gutters should be:

Average Rainfall – This weather statistic can be found online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also check 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 basic length times width calculation for basic roofs. But, you 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 roof that is less sloped. Determining your roof-pitch factor is going to help you determine how much rainfall will actually be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is included in precipitation calculations, but you also want to be aware of the potential for ice dams. If it snows regularly in your region, you should seek professional guidance about the type of rain gutters that best prevent ice dams from forming, which could severely damage your roof.

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

HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?

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

Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for labor, knowing that the job will be done correctly. An added bonus of hiring Better Beaver Creek Gutters to install the new gutters is that we will help you answer all your questions about new gutters so that you are able to find the perfect style and type for your home.