Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Rain gutters should be replaced nearly as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a long time, and in the meantime, your home’s rain gutters should do their job with little effort on your part besides gutter cleaning and routine maintenance.

If you haven’t replaced your gutters recently, it’s probably a good time to begin considering the options. Odds are, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when building your home or the last time you replaced them.

Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means that your next gutters will be more efficient, lighter and offer better curb appeal 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 creation of seamless gutter systems.

Seamless gutters are installed in long sections, opposed to traditional gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet long. They are made on-site in most situations with a special machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow items.

Many gutter installation services have their own equipment 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 extend over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter at around 100 feet without joints. This offers homeowners the choice to have a single piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.

Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Standard 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 good idea for your home, you should know what sets them apart so you can 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 noticeably sleek look. Seamless gutter fabrication machines even cut out holes for downspouts, which must be present every 20 to 30 feet, so that they are smooth and perfectly sized. The custom measurements also improve the curb appeal of your house without being too overstated or obvious.

Easier Care – Fewer 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 will likely make you very pleased, because it means you won’t be cleaning them out nearly as often. Seamless gutters usually only need 1 annual cleaning. In contrast, some traditional rain gutter systems must be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year in order to keep them functioning well.

Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak at any joint as soon as the gutters start to pull away from the house. Loose fasteners are also a problem that results in gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints along the entire length and width of your house reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).

Prevent Pests – Clogged gutters will attract small animals, rodents and insects that are able to hide inside of them or build nests with the materials that are present. From there, 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 cutting them on site guarantees that your gutters will be the correct size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an environmentally-friendly process that reduces your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to destroy the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.

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

Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional

Seamless gutters usually require professional installation because of their size and the experience and equipment needed to build them. Individuals don’t have the equipment needed to make seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make precise cuts.

Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are professionally installed, you will immediately see their value which pays for itself because of fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any 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 worth it for your budget and needs.

Installing these extra-long rain gutters is not a project that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 35 feet on their own, 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, securing the gutter every few feet. For gutters longer than that, the installation team will need to start in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and secure those places 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 easily damage a long gutter by mishandling it. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness.  Better Bethlehem Gutters  is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Bethlehem area. Call 610-298-9392 now for more information!