Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters should be replaced almost as often as the roof, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, and 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 needed to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to start considering the options. Chances are, your options have changed since you last shopped for new gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve drastically over a period of just a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your home.
Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the major improvements in rain gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to standard gutters that are only sold in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation companies have their own equipment and can do the entire process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it can be hard to believe how another option can be a lot more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you need understand what sets them apart so you can 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 only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also improve the curb appeal of your home without being overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through more smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely pleased, since it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, some regular 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 if the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that cause gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across the length and width of your home helps reduce the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals and insects that are able to hide inside of them or build a nest with the organic materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and are able to damage your roof, causing hundreds of dollars’ of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site means that your gutters will be the correct length without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly practice that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. In addition, there is no need to destroy the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.
Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are made with the newest technology and the best materials available. 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 house, including the walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters typically need professional installation because of their size and the training and machinery needed to build them. Most homeowners don’t have access t the machinery required to make 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 understand their value which pays for itself over time via fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a job that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 35 feet or so on their own, but anything longer than that 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, fastening the gutter every several feet. For gutters any longer, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places because of 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 handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. AllClean KC Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Kansas City area. Call 913-347-4365 now for more information!