Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?

The number one thing to ask yourself when you are shopping for new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help to answer the questions you’ll have before making your final selection.

In our experience as a local gutter service, here are only three reasons homeowners will be shopping for new gutters:

An Upgrade – Switching out the gutters can drastically impact the exterior style of your house, improving its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.

A New Home – Designing a home comes with a lot of choices about appearance and functionality. Gutters are one of them. Choosing the gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last approximately 15 years or more.

A Renovation – If your roof is damaged, the gutters may have to be replaced, too. Or, they could just be wearing down and need to be replaced.

You know why you are replacing the gutters, but the reason often has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your home.

You want to renovate but not spend a lot of money.

Your landscaping is being ruined by ineffective gutters.

Determining your “Why” will help to give you direction while you are shopping. You’ll know which features are important or if you can go with a less expensive product.

Here are the major questions you’ll have when it’s time to purchase new gutters.

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The best part about purchasing new gutters is picking out the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.

These are the options for materials, in order of cost:

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable materials that are durable in most cases, except in cold climates, where they can wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in most regions of the country, and they are available in a wide variety of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These reasonably priced materials are attractive and durable. Both of these materials come in a wide range of colors too. They are fairly light and are easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to withstand rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the rain gutter materials, copper and stainless steel cost the most, but the most eye-catching as well. Homeowners in Iowa City who decide on these materials are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s exactly what they’ll get!

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

Most of the gutter options above will offer both of these options below:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These rain gutters are made in smaller sections, so they are easier to install. In fact, many homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters. This type is the less expensive choice, and they are made with more seams, which means there are more areas where leaks can occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters will need to be installed by a professional contractor because they need specialized equipment. They are more expensive to buy and install, but less likely to leak or wear down than sectional gutters.

K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS

K-Style – K-Style gutters are far more popular because they look great with every style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This one of the reasons for their popularity. Plus, they are not hard to install. Many homeowners are proficient enough to install their own K-Style gutters.

Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are usually made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they provide homes a regal, established curb appeal. However, modern styles made from vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, because they are lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round gutters are a lot harder to install, but they are easier to clean, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of the city you live in will dictate a lot about which gutters you should purchase. As we already mentioned, some types of materials don’t hold up well in cold climates.

The single most important climate factor to think about is how much work the gutters will need to do. Essentially, how much water are the gutters going to have to withstand?

Professional gutter contractors in Iowa City can take many factors into consideration to get a good idea of the size and type of gutters that will work the best for your house.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional gutter contractors use is no secret. Here are the pieces of specific information you will need to decide how large your gutters should be:

Average Rainfall – This statistic can be found on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also find the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the maximum amount of rain that will occur within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a standard length times width calculation for basic roofs. However, you need to factor in all the surfaces of multi-faceted roofs.

Roof-Pitch Factor – A steep roof will collect more wind-blown rain than a less sloped roof. Figuring out your roof-pitch factor is going to help you determine how much rainfall will actually be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is going to be included in average precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to be aware of the potential for ice dams. If it snows regularly in your state, you should seek professional guidance about the type of gutters that best prevent ice dams, which could really damage your roof.

Of course, the last question is arguably the most important …

HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?

You also have to ask yourself if you’re going to do the work yourself, or if you want to pay a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, versus doing it yourself.

Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for labor, knowing that the installation will be done right. An added bonus of hiring Iowa City Gutter Solutions to install the gutters is that we can help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you are able to find the perfect style and type for your home.