Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Gutters have to be replaced almost as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, and in the meantime, your rain gutters need to do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.

If you haven’t needed to replace your gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. Odds are, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you replaced them.

Styles and materials improve a lot over a period of only a few years. This means that your next rain gutters will be much more efficient, lighter and more attractive than the current ones on your house.

Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.

What are Seamless Gutters?

One of the biggest enhancements in residential gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.

Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to traditional gutters that are only manufactured 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.

Most gutter installation companies own their own equipment and can do the whole process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in just one day!

Because 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 around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in any color they choose.

Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it might be difficult to believe how another choice can be more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a smart idea for your home, you need to understand what sets them apart 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:

Better Curb Appeal – With joints only at the corners, seamless gutters have a noticeably sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The measurements also help the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated and obvious.

Easier Care – Less joints means there are fewer opportunities for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this will likely make you extremely happy, as it means you won’t need to clean them out as much. Seamless gutters only need 1 annual cleaning. In comparison, most traditional gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.

Lower Chance of Leaks – Regular gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that leads to gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints along the length and width of your house helps reduce the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).

Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract animals and insects that are able to 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, leading to hundreds of dollars worth of damage. Keeping that buildup out of gutters makes them less appealing for pests.

Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site means that your gutters will be the perfect length without having scrap pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an eco-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to eliminate the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.

Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials on the market. This leads to fewer leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters can also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and surrounding soil.

Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional

Seamless gutters usually need professional installation due to their size and the training and equipment needed to manufacturer them. Individuals don’t have to own the machinery necessary to produce 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 understand their value which pays for itself due to less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions about the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who provides both standard and seamless gutter systems to determine if the price difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.

Installing seamless gutters is not a job that a homeowner can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 30 feet or so by themselves, 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, attaching the gutter every several feet. For rain gutters longer, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and fasten those sections 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. Homeowners can easily damage a seamless gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Lorain Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Lorain area. Call 440-271-8684 now for more information!