Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Rain gutters have to be replaced almost as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your rain gutters need to 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 recently, it’s probably a good time to start considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when building your house or the last time you replaced them.
Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of only a few years. This means your next rain gutters will be 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 standout upgrades in rain gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, as opposed to traditional gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many situations with a special machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting long, narrow items.
Many gutter installation businesses own their own machinery and can do the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Because they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 40 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless rain gutter at around 100 feet with no joints. This offers homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it can be hard to believe how another option can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your home, you need know the benefits of them so you can understand why there is a noticeable price difference for them.
There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:
Better Curb Appeal – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your house without being overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with fewer clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you very pleased, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In contrast, some traditional rain gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them functioning well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Standard gutters can leak at any joint if the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that lead to gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the entire length and width of your house helps reduce the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that are able to hide within them or build a nest with the debris that is present. From that point, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have access to your attic and are able to destroy your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars’ of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of rain gutters makes them less attractive for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the perfect size without having scrap 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 eliminate the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.
Last Longer – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials on the market. This leads to less leaks, less chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil below.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have own the equipment necessary 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 installed, you will quickly see their value which pays for itself because of less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning 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 a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a project 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 seamless gutters that are 35 feet or less, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, attaching the gutter every few feet. For gutters any longer, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those sections 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. Homeowners can damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Skokie Gutter Solutions is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Skokie area. Call 847-443-5781 now for more information!