Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?
The number one thing to ask yourself when you are purchasing new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help to answer the subsequent questions you’ll have before making your final selection.
In our experience as a local gutter service, here are only three reasons homeowners will be shopping for new gutters:
An Upgrade – Installing new rain gutters can significantly affect the curb appeal of your home, improving its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.
A New Home – Designing a new home comes with a lot of of choices about appearance and functionality. Rain gutters are one of them. Deciding on the gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last approximately 20 years.
A Renovation – If your roof been damaged, the gutters may need to be replaced, too. Or, they may simply be aging and need to be replaced with new ones.
You will know why you are replacing the rain gutters, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…
You want to sell your house.
You want to renovate without spending a lot of money.
Your landscaping is being damaged by ineffective gutters.
Figuring out your “Why” will give you direction while you are shopping. You’ll know if certain features are important or if you can choose a more affordable product.
Here are the major questions you’ll have when it’s time to install new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The best part about choosing 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 are durable in most scenarios, besides extremely cold climates, where they can wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in nearly every region of the country, and they come in a wide variety of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These reasonably priced options are attractive and durable. Both materials are available in a variety of colors as well. They are fairly light and are easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) resist rust and corrosion even better.
COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS
Of all the gutter materials, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but the most attractive as well. Homeowners in Roseville who choose these options are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Almost all of the gutter types above offer these options below:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These types of gutters come in smaller sections, so they’re easy to install. In fact, most homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters on their own. This type is the more affordable choice, and they have more seams, which means more areas where leaks are going to occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters will need to be installed by a local contractor because they require special equipment. They are more expensive to order and install, but less likely to leak or wear down than sectional gutters.
K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS
K-Style – K-Style gutters are popular because they look great with every style of home. They’re better for angled roofs, which are more common. This one of the reasons for their popularity. Plus, they are not hard to install. Many 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 complement rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they give homes a luxurious, established curb appeal. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, being lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round rain gutters are harder to install, but they are easier to clean out, when the time comes for gutter cleaning.
DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?
The climate of the city you live in will determine a lot about what gutters you should purchase. As we already mentioned, certain types of materials will not hold up well in extremely cold climates.
The most important climate factor to consider is how much work the gutters will need to do. Essentially, how much rain or water are your gutters going to need to withstand?
Professional gutter contractors in Roseville will take a lot of factors into account to get a good idea of the size and the type of gutters that will work the best for your roof.
WHAT IS THE FORMULA?
Luckily, the formula professional contractors use is no secret. Here are the pieces of specific information you will need to decide how large your gutters should be:
Average Rainfall – This weather statistic is available online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You should also check the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the max amount of rain that will occur within a 5-minute span.
Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a basic length times width calculation for basic roofs. However, 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 you determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall will be factored into average precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to be aware of the potential for ice dams. If it snows often in your city, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of rain gutters that help to prevent ice dams, which might severely damage your roof.
Of course, the final question is probably the most important …
HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?
You also need to ask yourself if you’re willing to try to do the work yourself, or if you want to hire a professional to install your new gutters. Professional installation ensures maximum efficiency, instead of doing it yourself.
Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for professional labor, knowing that the job will be done right. An added bonus of hiring Roseville Gutter Service to install your gutters is that we will help you answer all your questions about new gutters so that you are able to find the best style and type for your home.