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 long time, and in the meantime, your home’s gutters need to do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your gutters recently, it’s probably a good time to begin considering 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 had to replace them.
Styles and types of materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the new 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, opposed to standard gutters that are only manufactured in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most cases with a special machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation services have their own machinery and can complete the whole process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Since they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it can be difficult to see how another choice can be a lot more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you need know 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:
More Attractive – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a sleek look. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also increase the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are fewer chances for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely happy, because it means you don’t need to clean them out as often. Seamless gutters only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, most traditional gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can cause 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).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that can hide within them or build nests with the materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and are able to destroy your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the perfect size without having additional 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. In addition, there is no need to get rid of 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 results in fewer leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters can also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually need professional installation due to their size and the training and equipment required to build them. Individuals don’t have own the equipment needed to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will immediately understand their value which pays for itself due to less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long gutters is not a job that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer than that will require 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, attaching the gutter every several feet. For gutters that are longer than that, 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 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. Swift Gutter Cleaning is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Coon Rapids area. Call 763-265-6359 now for more information!