Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Rain gutters need to be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so somewhere around 20 years. This is a long time, but in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters need to do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and annual maintenance.

If you haven’t needed to replace your home’s gutters lately, it’s probably about time to begin considering the options. More than likely, your options have changed a lot since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when you built your home or the last time you had to replace them.

Styles and types of materials improve drastically over a period of only a few years. This means your next gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal than the ones that are currently on your home.

Seamless gutters are one of the newest options available.

What are Seamless Gutters?

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

Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to standard gutters which only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most cases with a special machine, removing the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.

Many gutter installation businesses own their own equipment and are able to do the whole process on their own – measure, manufacture and install your seamless gutters – in less than one day!

Because they are built to size, it is possible to have seamless gutters that stretch over 50 feet, with the maximum length of a seamless gutter around 100 feet with no joints. This gives homeowners the option to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.

Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Traditional gutters have been used for so long that it might be difficult to believe how another option can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a smart choice for your house, you need to know what sets them apart so you can understand why there is such 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 very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which should be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and correctly sized. The custom measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being overstated or obvious.

Easier Care – Fewer joints mean there are fewer chances for debris to cling on or get stuck within the rain gutters. Water flows through more smoothly with less clogs from dirt and debris. As a homeowner, this will likely make you very pleased, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as much. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, some standard rain gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.

Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start pulling away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that can cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints across the length and width of your house reduces the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).

Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals and insects that will hide inside of 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 can damage your roof, causing hundreds of dollars worth of repairs (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 ensures that your gutters will be the correct size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the home. This is an eco-friendly practice that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Plus, there is no need to eliminate the excess or see it end up in a landfill.

Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are designed with the newest technology and the best materials available. This results in less leaks, less chance of rust and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting rain gutters also protect your home, including the walls, windows and the soil below.

Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional

Seamless gutters typically need professional installation because of their size and the training and equipment necessary to build them. Most homeowners 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 exact cuts.

Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will immediately understand their value which pays for itself over time via fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless gutters, talk with 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 project 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 seamless gutters that are less than 35 feet, they will start in the middle and work their way to each end, securing the gutter every few feet. For gutters longer than that, the installation team will start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places 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. Homeowners can easily damage a long gutter by mishandling it. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. White Plains Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the White Plains area. Call 914-219-6910 now for more information!