Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced almost as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your home’s gutters need to do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your gutters recently, it’s probably a good time to start looking at the options. Odds are, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for new gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of only a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be a lot 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 biggest improvements 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 cases with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation businesses have their own machinery and are able to do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Because they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the choice to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been used for so long that it can be hard to believe how another option can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your home, you need to understand what sets them apart so you can understand why there is a noticeable price difference between the two.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also increase the curb appeal of your house without being overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are less opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very pleased, as it means you don’t need to clean them out as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, most regular rain gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the 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 small animals and insects that are able to hide inside of them or build nests with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and can destroy your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site means that your gutters will be the perfect length without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to eliminate the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) 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 creates 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 exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters almost always require professional installation because of their size and the experience and machinery necessary to build them. Most homeowners don’t have the equipment needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are installed, you will understand their value which pays for itself because of fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions about the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both standard 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 single person can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 30 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer than that will require a second person.
For seamless gutters that are 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, attaching the gutter every several feet. For rain gutters that are longer, 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 long gutter by handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Renton Gutters & More! is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Renton area. Call 425-428-4486 now for more information!