Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters should be replaced almost as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters should do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin 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 house or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve drastically over a period of just a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest upgrades in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in many situations with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation services have their own equipment and can do the whole process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are built 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 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
Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it might be hard to believe how another option can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good choice for your home, you need to understand what sets them apart so you can also 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 very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your home without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints mean there are fewer chances for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely happy, as it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, most standard gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that result in gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the length and width of your house helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals and insects that are able to hide inside of them or build a nest with the materials that are present. From that point, 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 attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site means that your gutters will be the correct length without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly practice that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to eliminate the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are made with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This creates fewer leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually need professional installation due to their size and the experience and machinery necessary to build them. Most homeowners don’t have to own the equipment necessary to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to program these machines to make exact 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 any questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who offers both standard and seamless gutter systems to determine if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a task that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 30 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer than that will require 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 several feet. For gutters any longer than that, the installation team will need to 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. Homeowners can easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. ASAP Gutter Service is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Strongsville area. Call 440-271-8707 now for more information!