Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Gutters need to be replaced about as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, and in the meantime, your home’s gutters should do their job with very little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.
If you haven’t needed to replace your gutters recently, it’s probably about time to start considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed a lot 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 a lot over a period of just a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be much more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the ones that are currently on your house.
Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.
What are Seamless Gutters?
One of the major improvements in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.
Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to standard gutters which are only sold in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most cases with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.
Many gutter installation businesses have their own machinery and can complete the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!
Since they are manufactured to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless rain gutter around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.
Benefits of Seamless Gutters
Traditional gutters have been popular for so long that it can be difficult to believe how another option can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you should understand the benefits of them so you can also 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 sleek look. Seamless gutter machines even cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated and obvious.
Easier Care – Less joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely pleased, since it means you won’t be cleaning them out as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most standard gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.
Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that causes gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the entire length and width of your house helps reduce the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).
Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals and insects that can hide within them or build a nest with the materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and will damage your roof, leading to hundreds of dollars’ of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less appealing for pests.
Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then manufacturing them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the perfect size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an eco-friendly process 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 made with the newest technology and the best materials available. This leads to less leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your house, including the walls, windows and the soil.
Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional
Seamless gutters usually require professional installation because of their size and the training and machinery needed to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have to own the machinery needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to program these machines to make precise cuts.
Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will quickly see their value which pays for itself because of less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions about the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who provides both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the price difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.
Installing seamless rain gutters is not a task that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet on their own, but anything longer than that 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, attaching the gutter every several feet. For rain gutters longer than that, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those sections because of 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 easily damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Best Bend Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Bend area. Call 541-283-0733 now for more information!