Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Gutters should 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 home’s rain gutters should 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. Odds are, your options have changed since the last time you shopped for gutters, either when building your home or the last time you had to replace them.

Styles and materials improve significantly over a period of just a few years. This means that your next gutters will be a lot more efficient, lighter and more attractive 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 standout enhancements in home gutters is the invention of seamless gutter systems.

Seamless gutters are installed in very long sections, opposed to traditional gutters that only come in sections between 10 and 20 feet. They are made on-site in many cases with a custom machine, eliminating the difficulties of transporting such long, narrow materials.

Most gutter installation businesses have their own machinery and are able to do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in less than one day!

Because 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 without joints. This gives homeowners the option to have an individual piece of lightweight aluminum in whatever color they choose.

Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Standard gutters have been used for so long that it might be difficult to believe how another choice can be much more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good choice for your house, you should know what sets them apart so you can also understand why there is such a noticeable price difference for them.

There are many benefits of seamless gutters over traditional gutter systems:

More Attractive – With joints just at the corners, seamless gutters have a very sleek appearance. Seamless gutter fabrication machines cut out holes for gutter downspouts, which have to be present every 20 to 30 feet, so they are smooth and correctly sized. The measurements also improve the curb appeal of your home without being too overstated or obvious.

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

Lower Chance of Leaks – Normal gutters can leak from any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that can cause gutter leaks. Eliminating joints throughout the entire length and width of your house helps reduce the chance of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).

Discourages Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals, rodents 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 easy access to your attic and can damage your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of repairs. Keeping that buildup out of your rain 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 size without having additional pieces that were cut off to match the exact length of the house. This is an environmentally-friendly practice that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Also, there is no need to get rid of the excess (which can result in harmful chemicals) or see it end up in a landfill.

Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are built with the latest 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.

Seamless Gutters Installed by a Professional

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

Seamless gutters are more expensive, but once they are professionally installed, you will understand their value which pays for itself because of fewer repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have questions concerning the value of seamless rain gutters, talk with a gutter installer who does both traditional and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.

Installing seamless rain gutters is not a task that a homeowner can handle safely. Professionals can install a section up to about 30 feet on their own, but anything longer requires 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, attaching the gutter every few feet. For gutters longer than that, the installation team will need to begin in two places (1/3 of the way from each end) and attach those places 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. You can damage a long gutter by handling it improperly. This can damage the gutter’s appearance as well as limit its effectiveness.  Better Bethlehem Gutters  is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Philadelphia area. Call 610-298-9392 now for more information!