Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need 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 home’s gutters should do their job with very little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot since you last shopped for gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of just a few years. This means your next gutters will be 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 most revolutionary upgrades in home gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, as opposed to standard gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation businesses own their own machinery and can do the entire process – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it might be difficult to realize how another option can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart idea 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:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you very happy, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, some regular rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints along the length and width of your home reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that will hide inside of them or build nests with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and are able to destroy your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage. Keeping that buildup out of rain gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an eco-friendly practice that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, 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 made with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This results in less leaks, less chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting gutters also protect your home, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation due to their size and the experience and machinery necessary to manufacturer them. Individuals don’t have access t the equipment necessary 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 immediately see their value which pays for itself because of less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a task that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet by themselves, but anything longer will require a second person.
For seamless gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, fastening the gutter every several feet. For gutters any longer than that, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places due to 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 easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Oak Park Gutter Cleaning is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Oak Park area. Call 708-304-9926 now for more information!