Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?

The very first thing to consider when you are shopping for new gutters is, “Why?” This pivotal question will help to answer the questions you’ll have before making your 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 impact the exterior style of your house, improving its look in a more subtle way than painting or landscaping.

A New House – Building a home comes with a lot of of choices about both appearance and functionality. Rain gutters are no exception. Choosing the gutters that go on your home is important because they will need to last at least 20 years.

A Renovation – If your roof has suffered damage, the gutters might need to be replaced. Or, they may just be aging and need to be replaced.

You will know why you are replacing the rain gutters on your home, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your house.

You want to renovate without spending too much money.

Your landscaping is being damaged by ineffective gutters.

Figuring out your “Why” will provide direction while you are shopping. You’ll know what features are worth spending your money on or if you can go with a more affordable product.

Here are the questions you’ll have when it’s time to purchase new gutters.

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The fun part of purchasing new rain gutters is picking out the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.

These are the choices for materials, in order of lowest to highest cost:

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are economical materials that are durable in most scenarios, other than extremely cold climates, where they can wear down. 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 options are both attractive and durable. Both materials are available in a variety of colors too. They are fairly lightweight and not hard to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) resist rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the rain gutter materials available, copper and stainless steel cost the most, but are the most stylish as well. Homeowners in Perth Amboy who purchase these materials are searching for an elegant touch, and that’s what they’ll get!

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

Most of the gutter materials above will offer these options below:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These rain gutters are made in smaller sections, so they are easier to install. In fact, many homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters. This type is the more affordable choice, and they are made with more seams, which means more areas where leaks can occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters will need to be installed by a contractor because they require specialized tools. They are more expensive to order 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 popular because they look great with every style of home. They’re better for angled roofs, which are more common. This attributes to their popularity. In addition, 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 traditionally made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, classic appearance. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round rain gutters are much harder to install, but they are easier to clean, when the time comes for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of your region will dictate a lot about what gutters you should purchase. Like we already mentioned, some materials don’t hold up well in cold climates.

The single most important climate factor to think about is how much work the gutters will need to do. Basically, how much rain or water are the gutters going to need to withstand?

Professional gutter installers in Perth Amboy can take many factors into consideration to get a good idea of the size and type of rain gutters that are going to work 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 statistic can be found online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also look into the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the maximum amount of rain that can happen within a 5-minute span.

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

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

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is going to be factored into average precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to consider the potential for ice dams. If it snows a lot in your state, you need to seek professional guidance concerning the type of rain gutters that help to prevent ice dams from forming, which might really damage your home’s roof.

Of course, the final question is possibly the most important …

HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?

You also have to ask yourself if you’re going to do the work yourself, or if you want to hire a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation will ensure efficiency, versus doing it yourself.

Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for labor, knowing that the job will be done right. An added bonus of hiring TLC Gutters to install your gutters is that we are able to help you answer all of your questions about gutters so that you are able to find the best style and type.