Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters should be replaced about as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, and in the meantime, your gutters need to do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t replaced your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to start considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for new gutters, either when building your home or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and types of materials improve drastically over a period of only a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be much more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal 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 standout enhancements in residential gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters which are only manufactured in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation services have their own machinery and can complete the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been used for so long that it might be hard to believe how another choice can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good choice for your home, you should understand what sets them apart so you can also understand why there is a noticeable price difference between the two.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
More Attractive – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines 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 increase the curb appeal of your home without being overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are less chances for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through smoothly with less clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely pleased, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, most regular rain gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Standard gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that result in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints throughout the entire length and width of your house helps reduce the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract animals and insects that are able to hide inside of them or build nests with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and will destroy your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of 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 correct size without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are made with the newest technology and the best materials on the market. This creates less leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters also protect your home, including the walls, windows and the soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation due to their size and the training and machinery required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have have the machinery necessary to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to program these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will understand their value which pays for itself over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who provides both traditional 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 task that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 30 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer 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, securing the gutter every several feet. For gutters longer than that, the installation team will begin 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 long gutter by handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Muncie Gutters Plus is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Muncie area. Call 765-207-5441 now for more information!