Benefits of Seamless Gutters

Gutters need to be replaced about as often as the roof on a home, so roughly every 20 years. This is a good long while, but in the meantime, your home’s gutters should 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 start considering the options. Chances are, your options have changed a lot since you last shopped for new gutters, either when you built your house or the last time you had to replace them.

Styles and types of materials improve significantly over a period of only 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 major upgrades in home gutters is the creation of seamless gutter systems.

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

Most gutter installation services own their own equipment and are able to do the entire process on their own – measure, manufacture and installing your seamless gutters – in only one day!

Because they are built to size, it is not uncommon to have seamless gutters that stretch over 40 feet, with the longest length of a seamless rain gutter around 100 feet with no joints. This gives 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 difficult to believe how another option can be more effective. To decide if seamless gutters are a good idea for your house, you need to know the benefits of them 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:

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

Easier Care – Fewer joints means there are less 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 very pleased, as it means you won’t be cleaning them out as often. Seamless gutters typically only need 1 yearly cleaning. In comparison, most regular gutter systems have to be cleaned 2 to 4 times a year to keep them working well.

Lower Chance of Leaks – Traditional gutters can leak at any joint once the gutters start to pull away from the home. Loose fasteners are another problem that can lead to gutter leaks. Getting rid of joints along the length and width of your house reduces the risk of leaks (which protects your windows, porches, and landscaping).

Prevent Pests – Buildup in your gutters will attract small animals and insects that will 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 are able to damage your roof, resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of repairs (at a minimum). Keeping that buildup out of your gutters makes them less attractive for pests.

Eliminates Waste – Measuring for seamless gutters and then cutting them on site ensures that your gutters will be the correct size without having extra pieces that were cut off to match the length of the home. This is an eco-friendly process that lowers your home’s carbon footprint. Plus, there is no need to get rid of the excess or see it end up in a landfill.

Longer Lifetime – Seamless gutters are made with the newest technology and the best materials available. This results in less leaks, a smaller chance of rusting and reduced risk of the gutters pulling away from the house. Longer lasting gutters 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 required to manufacturer them. Most homeowners don’t have the machinery necessary to produce seamless gutters, nor do they have the training on how to set up these machines to make exact cuts.

Seamless gutters do cost more, but once they are installed, you will immediately see their value which pays for itself over time via less repairs and longer time between replacements. If you have any questions concerning the value of seamless rain gutters, speak to a gutter installer who provides both standard and seamless gutter systems to decide if the cost difference and benefits are a good fit for your budget and needs.

Installing these extra-long gutters is not a project that a single person can handle safely. Pros can install a section up to about 30 feet by themselves, but anything longer than that 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, attaching the gutter every several feet. For gutters any longer than that, 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 damage a seamless gutter by handling it improperly. This can affect the gutter’s appearance as well as its effectiveness. Lynchburg Gutters is proud to offer seamless gutter installation to all homes and businesses in the Lynchburg area. Call 434-201-7552 now for more information!