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 long time, but in the meantime, your gutters need to do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. Chances are, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means your next gutters will be a lot 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 most revolutionary enhancements in rain gutters is the invention 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 long. They are made on-site in many situations with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation companies have their own equipment and are able to do the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter 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
Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it can be difficult to realize how another choice can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good idea for your home, you need to 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 only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer chances for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely pleased, since it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, most standard gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the entire length and width of your home reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that will hide within them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can damage your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site means that your gutters will be the perfect size without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an eco-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your home, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters almost always require professional installation because of their size and the experience and equipment necessary to build them. Most homeowners don’t have to own the equipment necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to program these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will immediately see 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 gutters, speak to a gutter installer who provides both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a job that a single person can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 35 feet or so on their own, 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, fastening the gutter every several feet. For gutters any longer, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those sections due to 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 handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Total Tigard Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Tigard area. Call 503-300-6244 now for more information!