Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters have to be replaced about as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s gutters need to do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your gutters recently, it’s probably about time to start considering the options. More than likely, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and types of materials improve drastically 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 standout improvements in home gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to traditional gutters that are only manufactured in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Most gutter installation businesses have their own equipment and can do the entire process – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers 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 see how another option can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you should know what sets them apart so you can understand why there is such a noticeable price difference between the two.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
More Attractive – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek look. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The custom measurements also improve the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, some standard gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that leads to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the entire length and width of your home helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that are able to hide within them or build nests with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and can destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars worth of damage (at a minimum). 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 ensures that your gutters will be the correct size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an eco-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to fewer leaks, a smaller chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting gutters also protect your home, including the walls, windows and the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually need professional installation due to their size and the training and machinery needed to manufacturer them. Individuals don’t have access t the equipment required to produce 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 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 about the value of seamless rain gutters, speak to a gutter installer who provides 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 project 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 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, securing the gutter every few feet. For gutters that are longer than that, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those places 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 easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. EP Gutter Specialists is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the East Providence area. Call 401-208-0484 now for more information!