When I was working on my new house, I had a lot of trouble choosing a gutter type. It’s such an important consideration, and there are so many types! I loved the look of seamless gutters, but wondered: are they worth the price tag? Are seamless gutters better than regular gutters?
With a seamless gutter, your chances of leakage drastically decrease, explains Roof Works in Jackson (https://www.bestnewjerseyroofing.com/roofer-near/jackson/). Seamless gutters only have seams at the corners of your house. They’re made of metal and installed on-site using a machine. Because of this, they can be pricier than regular gutters and more complicated to set up.
So, what is the setup process for a seamless gutter like? How much will they cost you? What are your alternatives and what are the advantages? This article will look at all of these questions, hopefully helping with your confusion along the way.
What Is a Seamless Gutter?
The concept of the seamless gutter is simple.
With traditional sectional gutters, you have seams or areas where one section of the gutter connects to another. While these gutters are easy to install, they may leak, which can cause erosion around your home.
The seamless gutter is designed to solve this problem. Sections of seamless gutter are as long as your house and meet at its corners. You won’t have to worry about seamless gutters leaking, because they have minimal seams.
Seamless Gutters Vs. Traditional Gutters
Traditional gutters come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the main thing to keep in mind is their seams. When I was choosing my gutters, I got annoyed at the idea of having to keep up with leakage. My father also warned me of a few basic seam-troubles.
Upkeep
For one, while putting up a seamless gutter may be a cumbersome process, maintaining traditional gutters can be even worse.
Seamless gutters require more maintenance because of their many problem spots. Each seam and joint becomes a place where a new problem may arise. Keeping up with the problems may be a more cumbersome task than installation on a seamless system.
Seamless gutters avoid this problem. By avoiding the seams, they avoid all the linkage problems, leakage, and heavy rust that seams entail. They may be a bit of a trial to have put up, but once they’re up, you can more or less forget about them. Just make sure you clean them out.
Cost
According to homeguide.com, seamless gutters can run anywhere from $4-$15 per foot. That means that your seamless gutter system could end up costing as much as $1000.
While $1000 for gutters may seem like a big ask, the investment might pay off. Upkeep time and costs on leaky, rickety gutters can get incredibly taxing. Seamless gutters give you that peace of mind that sectional gutters just can’t offer.
Looks
This one is a difficult question to tackle, especially because it’s so subjective, but I’ll try.
Me, personally- I love my seamless gutters. They blend right in with the house and give it a kind of streamlined, modern look. They don’t detract from my wood siding, and they look more complete from far away.
My neighbor, however, has some beautiful metal sectional gutters which give his house a nice rustic appeal. Sometimes, I even envy those gutters.
All in all, seamless gutters will provide a sleeker look whereas sectionals will give you something more rustic. If you’re willing to put in the upkeep, sectionals will add to a more antiquated-looking house. Seamless gutters will pair perfectly with a modern design in, say, a suburban area with tight restrictions on aesthetics.
Installation
Here’s where sectional gutters really have the upper hand.
Because sectional gutters come in small pieces, or sections, they can be easily installed by DIY-ers. You might need to call in some help from your seniors, but you won’t have a hard time getting them up in the end.
Seamless gutters absolutely have to be professionally installed. They’re a whole new part of the house-building process, which will fall on the unlucky homeowner. If you don’t want to spare the time and money for a professional installation, seamless gutters aren’t an option.
The Final Verdict
So, now that we’ve discussed the options, and the alternatives, I’d like to help you make your final choice.
If you’ve got the money, and you want something sleek and easy to maintain, seamless gutters are the way to go. Just keep in mind that they could really break the bank, depending on the footage.
If you’re looking for something more rustic, however, and you want to save some money, go with the sectionals. They require more upkeep but can save you money in the short term.
All in All
All in all, seamless gutters are a durable, easy to maintain gutter option for those willing to make the investment.