Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters should be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters need to do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your gutters recently, 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 new gutters, either when you built your house 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 gutters will be even 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 major upgrades in home gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to standard gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many cases with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Most gutter installation services have their own machinery and are able to complete the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Because they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the option 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 might be hard to believe how another choice can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your home, you will want to understand the benefits of them so you can understand why there is a noticeable price difference between the two.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a sleek look. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your home without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely happy, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, most regular 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 from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that leads to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the length and width of your home reduces the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that will hide inside of them or build nests with the organic materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and are able to destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of rain gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site means that your gutters will be the correct length 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. Plus, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are made with the newest technology and the best materials on the market. This creates fewer leaks, less chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation because of their size and the experience and machinery required to build them. Individuals don’t have to own the machinery required to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are installed, you will immediately understand their value which pays for itself due to less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions about the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine 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 by themselves, but anything longer requires a second person.
For gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, securing the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters that are longer than that, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those places 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 damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Bellingham Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Bellingham area. Call 360-233-8723 now for more information!