Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters need to be replaced nearly as often as the roof, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters need to do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably about time to begin considering the options. More than likely, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and types of materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means your next gutters will be a lot 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 biggest improvements in home gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as 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, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation businesses have their own equipment and can do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that extend over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the choice 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 can be difficult to see how another option can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you need to know what sets them apart so you can 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 just at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also increase the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated and 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 more smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very pleased, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, some traditional rain gutter systems have to 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 if the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are another problem that leads to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints along the length and width of your house reduces the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals, rodents and insects that can hide within them or build nests with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and can damage your roof, resulting in 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 manufacturing them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the perfect length without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an eco-friendly practice 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 available. This creates fewer leaks, a smaller chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting gutters also protect your home, including the walls, windows and surrounding soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation because of their size and the experience and machinery needed to build them. Individuals don’t have the machinery 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 installed, you will immediately see their value which pays for itself due to fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless rain gutters, speak to a gutter installer who does both standard and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a job that a single person can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 35 feet by themselves, but anything longer than that will require 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 few feet. For gutters that are longer than that, the installation team will start 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 damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Total Tulsa Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Tulsa area. Call 918-203-8998 now for more information!