Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Gutters have to be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your home’s 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 home’s gutters lately, it’s probably a good time to begin looking at the options. More than likely, your options have changed since you last shopped for gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you had to replace them.

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

Seamless gutters are one of the new options available.

What are Seamless Gutters?

One of the standout upgrades in residential gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.

Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, as opposed to standard gutters which are only available 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 services have their own machinery and can complete the whole process – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in only one day!

Since they are manufactured to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the choice to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.

Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Traditional gutters have been popular for so long that it might be hard to realize how another choice can be more effective. To determine if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you need 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:

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

Easier Care – Less joints mean there are fewer opportunities for debris to get hung on or get stuck within the gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with fewer clogs. As a homeowner, this should make you extremely pleased, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, most traditional gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.

Lower Chance of Leaks – Standard gutters can leak from any joint as soon as the gutters start pulling away from the home. Loose fasteners are also a problem that cause gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints across the entire length and width of your home helps reduce the likelihood of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).

Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that can hide inside of them or build nests with the materials that are present. From there, insects, birds, squirrels and chipmunks have easy access to your attic and can destroy your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars’ of damage (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less appealing for pests.

Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then building them on site means that your gutters will be the correct 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. In addition, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.

Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are made with the latest technology and the best materials available. This creates fewer leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the home. Longer lasting gutters also protect your home, including the exterior walls, windows and the soil.

Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional

Seamless gutters usually require professional installation because of their size and the experience and machinery required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have have the equipment necessary to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.

Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will immediately see their value which pays for itself due to fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, speak to a gutter installer who offers both traditional and seamless gutter systems to determine if the cost difference and benefits are worth it for your budget and needs.

Installing seamless gutters is not a project that a single person can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet or so 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, securing the gutter every few feet. For gutters longer, the installation team will begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach 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 long gutter by mishandling it. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness. Better Baltimore Gutters is proud to provide seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Baltimore area. Call 410-587-2431 now for more information!