Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced about as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your gutters should do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably about time to begin considering the options. More than likely, your options have changed a lot since the last time you 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 just a few years. This means that your next gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the standout improvements in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation services have their own machinery and are able to complete 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 with no 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 can be difficult to believe how another choice can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you will want to understand the benefits of them so you can understand why there is such a noticeable price difference for them.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
More Attractive – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are less opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very pleased, because it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most standard rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across 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 are able to hide within them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and will destroy your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars worth 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 building them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect length without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly practice 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 latest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, less chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your house, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation because of their size and the experience and machinery necessary to build them. Individuals don’t have access t the equipment necessary 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 professionally installed, you will immediately see 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 rain gutters, speak to a gutter installer who offers both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 35 feet by themselves, but anything longer than that will require a second person.
For gutters that are 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, attaching the gutter every several feet. For rain gutters any longer than that, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach 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. OKC Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Oklahoma City area. Call 405-267-8335 now for more information!