Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters need to be replaced almost as often as the roof on a home, 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 routine maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably about time to start considering the options. Chances are, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for new gutters, either when building your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the standout improvements in home gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to traditional gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation businesses own their own machinery and can do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are built to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless rain gutter around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the choice to have a single 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 option can be more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you should know what sets them apart so you can also understand why there is 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 fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer chances 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 extremely pleased, since it means you don’t need to clean them out as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most traditional gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that lead to gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across the entire length and width of your house reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that will hide inside of them or build a nest with the organic materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can destroy your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of rain 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 correct length without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to destroy the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are made with the newest technology and the best materials available. This creates less leaks, less chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters also protect your house, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation because of their size and the experience and machinery needed to build them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery needed to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to program 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 due to fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about 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 a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a task that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet by themselves, but anything longer requires 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 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 due to the length and 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 damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Better Beaver Creek Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Beaver Creek area. Call 937-230-7208 now for more information!