Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Rain gutters need to be replaced about as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your gutters should do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.

If you haven’t had to replace your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to start looking at the options. Chances are, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when building your home or the last time you replaced them.

Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of just 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 home.

Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.

What are Seamless Gutters?

One of the major enhancements in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.

Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters which are only available in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most situations with a special machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.

Most gutter installation companies own their own machinery and can do the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!

Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single 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 believe how another option can be more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you should 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:

Better Curb Appeal – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek look. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also improve the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated or obvious.

Easier Care – Less joints means there are fewer chances for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely pleased, because it means you won’t need to clean them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, some standard gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.

Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across the entire length and width of your house reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).

Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that can hide within them or build a nest with the materials that are present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and are able to damage your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of rain gutters makes them less attractive for pests.

Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site ensures that your gutters will be the perfect size without having scrap 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. In addition, there is no need to destroy the excess 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 fewer leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting 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 necessary to build them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the equipment needed to produce 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 see their value which pays for itself over time via fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost 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 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 rain gutters longer than that, the installation team will need to begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places due to 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 easily damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Durham Gutter Defense is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Durham area. Call 919-420-3646 now for more information!