Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Rain gutters have to be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, 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. More than likely, your options have changed since you last shopped for new gutters, either when building your house or the last time you had to replace them.

Styles and types of materials improve drastically over a period of only a few years. This means 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 new options available.

What are Seamless Gutters?

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

Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most cases with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.

Most gutter installation companies have their own equipment and are able to complete the entire process – 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 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the choice to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.

Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it can be hard to realize how another choice can be more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good choice for your house, you will want to know what sets them apart so you can also understand why there is such 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 sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being overstated or obvious.

Easier Care – Less joints means there are less opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely pleased, as it means you don’t need to clean them out as much. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most regular gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.

Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that can result in gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across 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 animals and insects that are able to hide within them or build nests with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and are able to damage your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars’ of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less attractive for pests.

Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the correct size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to eliminate the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.

Last Longer – Seamless gutters are built with the latest technology and the best materials on the market. This results in fewer leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting gutters also protect your house, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil.

Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional

Seamless gutters almost always need professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the equipment needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the knowledge of how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.

Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are installed, you will understand their value which pays for itself because of fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions about the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who offers both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.

Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer requires a second person.

For 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 any longer than that, the installation team will need to begin 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. You can easily damage a long gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Grand Rapids Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Grand Rapids area. Call 616-201-0872 now for more information!