Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?
The first thing to consider when you are planning to install new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help to answer many of the questions you’ll have before making your selection.
In our experience as a local gutter service, here are three reasons homeowners might be in the market for new rain gutters:
An Upgrade – Switching out the rain gutters can really impact the exterior style of your house, increasing its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.
A New Home – Building a new home comes with a lot of of decisions about appearance and functionality. Gutters are one of them. Choosing the first gutters that go on your house is important because they should last at least 15 years or more.
A Renovation – If your roof has experienced damage, the gutters may need to be replaced, too. Or, they might simply be deteriorating and need to be replaced.
You obviously know why you are installing new gutters, but the reason often has underlying motivations…
You want to sell your home.
You want to renovate but not spend too much money.
Your landscaping is getting damaged by ineffective gutters.
Determining your “Why” will provide direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know what features are important or if you can choose a less expensive product.
Here are the questions you’ll need to ask when it’s time to install new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The best part about purchasing new rain gutters is choosing the materials. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your home exterior, depending on your personal preference.
These are the choices you will have, in order of lowest to highest cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are affordable options that hold up well in most scenarios, besides cold climates, where they can become brittle. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in most regions of the country, and they are available in a wide variety of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These mid-priced options are attractive and durable. Both of these materials come in a wide range of colors too. They are fairly lightweight and are not hard to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to withstand rust and corrosion even better.
COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS
Of all the gutter materials, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but are the most stylish as well. Homeowners in Longview who decide on these options are searching for an elegant touch, and that’s exactly what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Almost all of the gutter types above offer both of these options below:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These gutters are made in smaller sections, so they are easy to install. In fact, many homeowners choose to install their own sectional gutters. This type is the more affordable choice, and they have more seams, which means there are more areas where leaks can occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters need to be installed by a contractor because they need specialized tools. They’re more expensive to purchase and to install, but less likely to leak or wear down than sectional gutters.
K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS
K-Style – K-Style gutters are far more popular because they look excellent with every style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are more common. This attributes to their popularity. In addition, they are not hard to install. Most homeowners are proficient enough to install their own K-Style gutters by themselves.
Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are usually made of copper and steel, and they recommended for rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they give homes a luxurious, established appearance. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round rain gutters are a lot harder to install, but they are easier to clean out, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.
DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?
The climate of your region may dictate a lot about the gutters you should purchase. Like we already mentioned, certain types of materials don’t hold up in cold climates.
The single most important climate factor to think about is how much work the gutters will need to do. Essentially, how much rain or water are your gutters going to have to withstand?
Professional gutter companies in Longview can take many factors into consideration to determine the size and type of gutters that will work the best for your roof.
WHAT IS THE FORMULA?
Luckily, the formula professional home exterior contractors use is not a secret. Here are the pieces of specific information you will need to decide how large your gutters should be:
Average Rainfall – This statistic is available on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You should also look into the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the max amount of rain that can happen within a 5-minute span.
Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a standard length times width calculation for residential roofs. But, you need to factor in all the surfaces of multi-faceted roofs.
Roof-Pitch Factor – A roof that is steep will collect more wind-blown rain than a roof that is less sloped. Knowing your roof-pitch factor will help to calculate how much rainfall will actually be collected, regardless of the rainfall statistics.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall is going to be factored into precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to consider the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows a lot in your region, you should seek professional guidance about the type of gutters that best prevent ice dams, which could severely damage your home’s roof.
Of course, the last question is probably the most important …
HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?
You also have to ask yourself if you’re willing to try to do the work yourself, or if you want to pay a professional to install your new gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, instead of doing it yourself.
Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for labor, knowing that the installation will be done right. An added bonus of hiring Longview Gutters & Exteriors to install your gutters is that we can help you answer all of your questions about new gutters so that you find the best style and type.