Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters have to be replaced almost as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your home’s rain 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 home’s gutters recently, it’s probably a good time to begin 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 house or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of only a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be much more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the major enhancements in residential gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, as opposed to traditional gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation companies own their own machinery and can complete the entire process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the option to have an individual 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 see how another option can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you will want to understand the benefits of them so you can also understand why there is such 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 cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should 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 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 should make you extremely pleased, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most regular gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Standard gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints throughout the entire length and width of your home helps reduce the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that will hide inside of them or build nests with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and are able to damage your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of your rain gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect 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.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to fewer leaks, less chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your home, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation due to their size and the training and machinery required to build them. Most homeowners don’t have own the machinery needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will quickly understand their value which pays for itself due to fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who provides both standard and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a job that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet 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, fastening 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 sections because of the length and 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 limit its effectiveness. Somerville Gutter Solutions is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Somerville area. Call 617-315-2216 now for more information!