Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters have to be replaced almost as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your gutters should do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your home’s gutters recently, it’s probably a good time to begin considering the options. More than likely, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for new gutters, either when building your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be much more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the ones that are currently on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest improvements in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to standard gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation companies have their own equipment and can complete the whole process – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless rain gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the choice 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 might be difficult to realize how another choice can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you will want to understand the benefits of them so you can understand why there is 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 very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The custom measurements also help 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 gutters. Water flows through smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely happy, since it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, some standard rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Standard gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a 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).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that will 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 can damage your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of rain gutters makes them less appealing 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 extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an eco-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to destroy the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) 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, less chance of rust 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 surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically require professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have have the machinery needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to program these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will quickly understand their value which pays for itself because of fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who does both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a project that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer than that 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 gutters longer than that, the installation team will need to 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 damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Iowa City Gutter Solutions is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Iowa City area. Call 319-214-8840 now for more information!