Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters should be replaced nearly as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, and in the meantime, your gutters should do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably a good time to start looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for new gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and types of materials improve significantly over a period of only a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your home.
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 traditional gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Most gutter installation businesses own their own equipment and can do the whole process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been used for so long that it can be hard to see how another option can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you should know the benefits of them so you can 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 must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you very happy, because it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most traditional gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the entire length and width of your house reduces the chance 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 a nest with the organic materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and will damage your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect size without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an eco-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Also, 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 designed with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, a smaller chance of rust 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 needed to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will immediately understand their value which pays for itself over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who provides both traditional 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 project 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 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, securing 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 places because of 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 seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Prime Pasco Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Pasco area. Call 509-215-1872 now for more information!