Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters have to be replaced about as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, and in the meantime, your gutters need to do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin considering the options. More than likely, your options have changed a lot since you last shopped for new gutters, either when building your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of only a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the major improvements in home gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to standard gutters which are only manufactured in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most situations with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation companies have their own equipment and can do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter at 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 used for so long that it can be difficult to see how another option can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your home, you should 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:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also increase the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are less opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you very pleased, because it means you won’t need to clean them out as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, most 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 if the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the length and width of your home reduces the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals and insects that will hide inside of them or build nests with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site means that your gutters will be the perfect length without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an eco-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to get rid of the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are built with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This creates less leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters can also protect your house, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation due to their size and the experience and machinery required to manufacturer them. Individuals don’t have own the machinery needed to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are installed, you will understand their value which pays for itself because of less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long gutters is not a project that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet on their own, but anything longer than that will require 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 few feet. For gutters any longer, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those sections 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 long gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. TLC Gutter Cleaning is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Wheaton area. Call 630-345-4882 now for more information!