Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters have to be replaced nearly as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, and in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters need to do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to start looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed a lot since you last shopped for new gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be much 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 biggest improvements in rain gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to standard gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in most cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Most gutter installation businesses own their own equipment and can do the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Since 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 at around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been used for so long that it might be difficult to believe how another choice can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your house, you should understand the benefits of them so you can understand why there is a noticeable price difference for them.
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 look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are less opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you very pleased, since it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, some traditional gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the entire length and width of your home reduces the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals and insects that can hide within them or build a nest with the materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can damage 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 manufacturing them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the correct length without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly practice 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.
Last Longer – 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 home. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your house, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually need professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment necessary to build them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the equipment needed to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are installed, you will quickly understand their value which pays for itself because of fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who provides both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are worth it 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 or so by themselves, but anything longer than that 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 few feet. For gutters any longer than that, the installation team will need to begin 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 damage a long gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Lee’s Summit Gutter Service is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Lee’s Summit area. Call 816-227-6571 now for more information!