Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?
The first thing to consider when you are shopping for new gutters is, “Why?” This pivotal question will help you answer many of the following questions you’ll have before making your ultimate selection.
In our experience as a local gutter service, here are just three reasons homeowners might be shopping for new gutters:
An Upgrade – Installing new gutters can really affect the exterior style of your house, increasing its look in a more subtle way than painting or new landscaping.
A New House – Building a new home comes with a constant stream of choices about both appearance and functionality. Rain gutters are one of them. Choosing the first gutters that go on your home is important because they will need to last at least 20 years or more.
A Renovation – If your roof is damaged, the gutters might have to be replaced. Or, they could just be deteriorating and need to be replaced.
You will know why you are replacing the rain gutters, but the reason often has underlying motivations…
You want to sell your home.
You want to renovate without spending too much money.
Your landscaping is getting ruined by ineffective gutters.
Determining your “Why” will help to provide direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know what features are worth spending money on or if you can go with a less expensive product.
Here are the major questions you’ll want to consider when purchasing new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The best part about choosing new rain gutters is picking out the style. Gutters can blend in or stand out against your home exterior, depending on your preference.
These are the choices you will have, in order of lowest to highest cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are affordable options that hold up well in most scenarios, besides extremely cold climates, where they can wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are sufficient in most regions of the country, and they are available in a wide range of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These mid-priced options are stylish and durable. Both of these materials come in a wide range of colors too. They are fairly light and are not difficult to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to resist rust and corrosion even better.
COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS
Of all the gutter materials available, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but are the most stylish as well. Homeowners in Muncie who decide on these materials are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Almost all of the gutter types above offer both of these options:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These gutters come in smaller sections, so they are easy to install. In fact, most homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters on their own. This type is the more affordable choice, and they are made with more seams, which means more areas where leaks are going to occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters need to be installed by a contractor because they need special equipment. They are more expensive to buy and to install, but less likely to leak than sectional gutters.
K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS
K-Style – K-Style gutters are far more popular because they look excellent with almost any style of home. They’re better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This speaks to their popularity. Plus, they are not hard to install. Many homeowners are capable enough to install their own K-Style gutters.
Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are usually made of copper and steel, and they recommended for rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they give homes a regal, established appearance. However, more modern styles made from vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, being lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round gutters are harder to install, but much easier to clean, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.
DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?
The climate of the region you live in will dictate a lot about the gutters you can have. Like we mentioned, some materials don’t hold up in extremely cold climates.
The single most important climate factor is how much work the gutters will need to do. In other words, how much water are your gutters going to have to handle?
Professional gutter contractors in Muncie are going to take many factors into account to determine the size and the type of rain gutters that are going to work the best for your roof.
WHAT IS THE FORMULA?
Luckily, the formula professional home exterior contractors use is not a secret. Here are the pieces of specific information you will need to decide how large your gutters should be:
Average Rainfall – This weather statistic is available on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also check the maximum rainfall intensity for your area. This is the max amount of rain that occurs within a 5-minute span.
Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a simple length times width calculation for residential roofs. However, you will have to figure all the surfaces of multi-faceted roofs.
Roof-Pitch Factor – A roof that is steep will collect more wind-blown rain than a roof that is less sloped. Knowing your roof-pitch factor will help to determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall is included in average precipitation calculations, but you also want to consider the potential for ice dams. If it snows a lot in your region, you need to seek professional guidance about the type of gutters that help to prevent ice dams, which might really damage your roof.
Of course, the final question is probably the most important …
HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?
You also have to ask yourself if you’re going to do the work on your own, or if you want to enlist the services of a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, versus doing it yourself.
Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for professional labor, knowing that the job will be done correctly. An added bonus of hiring Muncie Gutters Plus to install the new gutters is that we can help you answer all of your questions about gutters so that you find the perfect style and type.