Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters should be replaced about as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, and in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters should do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when building your home or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and types of materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means 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 traditional gutters which 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 materials.
Many gutter installation businesses have their own machinery and are able to do the whole process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been popular for so long that it might be difficult to see how another option can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your home, you will want to know the benefits of them so you can also understand why there is such 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 very sleek look. Seamless gutter machines even 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 help the curb appeal of your home without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are less chances for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely pleased, as it means you don’t need to clean them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, some regular gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that can result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints throughout the length and width of your house reduces the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals and insects that will hide within them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and will destroy your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ of damage. 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 length of the home. This is an eco-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Plus, there is no need to get rid of the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are built with the latest 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 also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters almost always require professional installation because of their size and the experience and machinery necessary to manufacturer them. Individuals don’t have access t the machinery needed to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up 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 over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet on their own, but anything longer than that 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, attaching the gutter every several feet. For rain 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. Homeowners can easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Boulder Gutters, Inc. is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Boulder area. Call 720-713-1189 now for more information!