Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?

The very first thing to consider when you are planning to install new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help you answer most of the following questions you’ll have before making your ultimate selection.

In our experience as a local gutter service, here are three reasons homeowners will be in the market for new rain gutters:

An Upgrade – Installing new gutters can really impact the exterior style of your house, improving its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.

A New Home – Designing a home comes with a lot of of choices about appearance and functionality. Gutters included. Deciding on the first gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last at least 20 years or more.

A Renovation – If your home’s roof has had damage, the gutters might need to be replaced. Or, they might just be aging and need to be replaced.

You obviously know why you are replacing the gutters, but the reason often has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your house.

You want to renovate without spending too much money.

Your landscaping is being ruined by ineffective gutters.

Figuring out your “Why” will help to give you direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know what features are must-haves 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 can blend in or stand out against your home exterior, depending on your preference.

These are the choices you will have, in order of cost:

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable materials that are durable in most scenarios, except in extremely cold climates, where they can become brittle. Vinyl and plastic gutters are sufficient in nearly every region of the country, and they are available in a wide range of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These mid-priced materials are both stylish and durable. Both materials come in a variety of colors too. They are fairly light and easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) will resist rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the rain gutter materials, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but are the most attractive as well. Homeowners in Freeport who purchase 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 rain gutters come in smaller sections, so they are easier to install. In fact, homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters. This type is the less expensive choice, and they have more seams, which means there are more sections where leaks are going to occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters will need to be installed by a professional contractor because they need special tools. They’re more expensive to buy 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 are better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This one of the reasons for their popularity. Plus, they are easy to install. Most homeowners are proficient enough to install their own K-Style gutters by themselves.

Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are traditionally made of copper and steel, and they are best for 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 functional. Half-Round 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 your region may dictate a lot about what gutters you should install. Like we already mentioned, some types of materials will not hold up in cold climates.

The single most important climate factor to consider is how much work the gutters will need to do. Essentially, how much rain or water are the gutters going to have to handle?

Professional gutter contractors in Freeport are going to take many factors into consideration to determine the size and the type of rain gutters that are going to work the best for your house.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional 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 check the maximum rainfall intensity for your area. This is the maximum amount of rain that can happen within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a simple length times width calculation for residential roofs. However, you will need to factor in all the surfaces of multi-faceted roofs.

Roof-Pitch Factor – A steep roof will collect more wind-blown rain than a roof that is less sloped. Determining your roof-pitch factor is going to help to determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall will be factored into precipitation calculations, but you also want to consider the potential for ice dams. If it snows a lot in your city, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of gutters that best prevent ice dams, which could really damage your home’s roof.

Of course, the last question is probably the most important …

HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?

You also need to ask yourself if you’re going to try to do the work yourself, or if you want to enlist the services of a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation will ensure efficiency, compared to doing it yourself.

Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for labor, to ensure that the installation will be done right. Another bonus of hiring Freeport Gutter Force to install the new gutters is that we are able to help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you find the best style and type.