Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters need to be replaced almost as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your gutters need to do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.
If you haven’t had to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably about time to start looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when building your home or the last time you had to replace them.
Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of only a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be even more efficient, lighter and more attractive 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 improvements in rain gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to standard gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in most cases with a custom machine, removing the difficulties of transporting long, narrow materials.
Most gutter installation companies own their own equipment and can do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in less than one day!
Since they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that extend over 50 feet, with the longest 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 whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Standard gutters have been popular for so long that it can be hard to realize how another option can be much more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your home, you should know the benefits of them 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:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must 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 overstated or obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water drains through smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely happy, because it means you won’t need to clean them out as often. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, most regular gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint if the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across the entire length and width of your home reduces the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals and insects that can hide inside of them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and will 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 building them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the correct size without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to get rid of 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 rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters can also protect your house, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation due to their size and the training and machinery required to build them. Most homeowners don’t have own the equipment necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to program these machines to make exact cuts.
Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are installed, you will immediately see their value which pays for itself over time via fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless rain gutters, speak to a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless gutters is not a job that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet or so by themselves, but anything longer will require a second person.
For gutters that are 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, fastening the gutter every few feet. For rain gutters that are longer than that, the installation team will need to begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those sections 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 damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. AllClean Arlington Heights Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Arlington Heights area. Call 847-443-3663 now for more information!