Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters have to be replaced almost 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 need to do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your 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 gutters, either when building your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and types of materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means your next gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the major improvements in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to standard gutters that are only available in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in most situations with a special machine, eliminating 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 just one day!
Since they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it might be difficult to believe how another option can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you will want 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 even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are less chances for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, some standard gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the entire length and width of your house reduces the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that can hide inside of them or build nests with the organic materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and can destroy your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars’ of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the perfect length without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to eliminate the excess 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 fewer 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 exterior walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation because of their size and the training and machinery required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have have the machinery required to produce 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 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 decide if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a project that a single person can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 30 feet or so by themselves, 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, securing the gutter every several feet. For rain gutters any longer, the installation team will need to begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places 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. You can easily damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Oak Lawn Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Oak Lawn area. Call 708-401-6855 now for more information!