Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced about as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your 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 gutters lately, it’s probably about time to start considering the options. Chances are, your options have changed since you last shopped for new gutters, either when building your house or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve drastically over a period of only a few years. This means your next gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the current ones on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest 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 long sections, opposed to standard gutters which are only available in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most situations with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation services have their own machinery and are able to do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Because they are built to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it might be hard to realize how another choice can be more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your house, you will want to know the benefits of them so you can understand why there is such a noticeable price difference for them.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
More Attractive – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you very pleased, since it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, some regular gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that lead to gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across the length and width of your home helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals and insects that will hide within them or build nests with the materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your rain gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect size without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to destroy the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are built with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting gutters can also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment necessary to build them. Most homeowners don’t have own the equipment necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will quickly see their value which pays for itself over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long gutters is not a task that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer requires a second person.
For seamless gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, securing the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters any longer, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those places due to 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 easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Medford Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Medford area. Call 857-232-3223 now for more information!