Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters should be replaced about as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s gutters need to do their job with little work on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your gutters lately, it’s probably about time to start considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot since you last shopped for gutters, either when you built your home 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 rain gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the ones that are currently on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the biggest enhancements in residential gutters is the creation 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 many cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation businesses have their own machinery and are able to complete the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This gives homeowners the choice to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in any 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 much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your home, you will want to understand what sets them apart 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 only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication 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 home without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very happy, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, some regular gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the length and width of your house reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that can hide inside of them or build a nest with the organic materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and are able to damage your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site guarantees 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 get rid of the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are made with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, less chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters can also protect your home, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually need professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery required to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are installed, you will quickly see their value which pays for itself because of less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions about the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who provides both standard and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long gutters is not a job that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 35 feet on their own, but anything longer than that will require a second person.
For gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, fastening the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters longer than that, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure 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 damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. ATL Gutters, Inc. is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Atlanta area. Call 470-250-2904 now for more information!