Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?
The number one thing to ask yourself when you are purchasing new gutters is, “Why?” This question will help you answer most of the subsequent questions you’ll have before making your final selection.
In our experience as a local gutter service, here are three reasons homeowners might be in the market for new gutters:
An Upgrade – Installing new rain gutters can really affect the appearance of your home, enhancing its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.
A New House – Designing a home comes with a constant stream of choices about both appearance and functionality. Gutters are one of them. Choosing the first gutters that go on your home is important because they should last at least 15 years or more.
A Renovation – If the roof on your home been damaged, the gutters may have to be replaced. Or, they may just 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 without spending a lot of money.
Your landscaping is being ruined by ineffective gutters.
Determining your “Why” will help to give you direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know if certain features are worth spending money on or if you can choose a more affordable product.
Here are the major questions you’ll have when purchasing new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The best part of purchasing new gutters is picking out the materials. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your home exterior, depending on your preference.
These are the options for materials, in order of lowest to highest cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are economical choices that are durable in most scenarios, other than extremely cold climates, where they will deteriorate. Vinyl and plastic gutters are acceptable in nearly every region of the country, and they are available in a wide variety of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These mid-priced materials are attractive and durable. Both materials come in a variety of colors as well. They are fairly light and are not hard to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to 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 the most stylish as well. Homeowners in Everett who decide on these materials are searching for an elegant touch, and that’s just what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Almost all of the gutter types above offer these options:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These rain gutters are made in smaller sections, so they are easier to install. In fact, most 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 sections where leaks can occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a professional contractor because they require special equipment. They’re more expensive to order and to install, but less likely to leak 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 speaks to their popularity. And, they are not hard to install. Many homeowners are proficient enough to install their own K-Style gutters.
Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are traditionally made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they give homes a luxurious, established appearance. However, more modern styles made from vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, because they are lightweight and functional. Half-Round gutters are a lot harder to install, but 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 the gutters you should install. Like we already mentioned, certain types of materials will not hold up well in extremely cold climates.
The single most important climate factor to think about is how much work the gutters will have to do. Essentially, how much rain or water are your gutters going to need to handle?
Professional gutter contractors in Everett can take many factors into consideration to determine the size and the type of rain gutters that are going to work 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 can be found on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also find the maximum rainfall intensity for your area. This is the max amount of rain that occurs within a 5-minute span.
Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a simple length times width calculation for standard roofs. However, you will have 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 estimate how much rainfall will actually be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall is factored into precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to consider the potential for ice dams. If it snows regularly in your region, you should seek professional guidance about the type of gutters that help to prevent ice dams from forming, which might really damage your roof.
Of course, the last question is probably the most important …
HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?
You also need to ask yourself if you’re willing to do the work on your own, or if you want to enlist the services of a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, instead of doing it yourself.
Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for professional labor, to ensure that the job will be done correctly. An added bonus of hiring Everett Gutter Experts to install the new gutters is that we are able to help you answer all of your questions about new gutters so that you are able to find the perfect style and type for your home.