Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters have to be replaced nearly as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s gutters should do their job with very 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 begin considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for new gutters, either when building your house or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of only a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the current ones on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the most revolutionary enhancements in rain gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation companies have their own machinery and can do the entire process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter around 100 feet without joints. This gives 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 see how another option can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you should understand the benefits of them so you can understand why there is such 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 look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most traditional gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the length and width of your house reduces the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that are able to 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, resulting in hundreds of dollars of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect size without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an eco-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to eliminate the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are designed with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This leads to 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 surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters almost always require professional installation due to their size and the experience and machinery required to build them. Individuals don’t have own the machinery necessary to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will quickly understand their value which pays for itself due to fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless rain gutters, speak to a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet or so on their own, but anything longer than that requires 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 few feet. For rain gutters longer than that, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten 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 damage a long gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. AllClean Albany Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Albany area. Call 518-254-8220 now for more information!