Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?
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The very first thing to consider when you are planning to install new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help to answer the subsequent questions you’ll have before making your selection.
In our experience as a local gutter service, here are only three reasons homeowners might be shopping for new rain gutters:
An Upgrade – Switching out the gutters can drastically affect the exterior style of your house, enhancing its look in a subtler way than painting or new landscaping.
A New Home – Building a home comes with a lot of of decisions about both appearance and functionality. Gutters included. Deciding on the gutters that go on your house is important because they should last at least 15 years.
A Renovation – If your home’s roof has had damage, the gutters may have to be replaced. Or, they might just be deteriorating and need to be replaced with new ones.
You know why you are installing new gutters on your home, but the reason typically has underlying motivations…
You want to sell your house.
You want to renovate but not spend too much money.
Your landscaping is getting ruined by ineffective gutters.
Determining your “Why” will often provide direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know what features are important or if you can go with a less expensive product.
Here are the questions you’ll need to ask when it’s time to purchase new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The fun part about choosing new rain gutters is choosing the materials. Gutters can blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.
These are the choices for materials, in order of cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are affordable choices that are durable in most cases, except in cold climates, where they will deteriorate. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in almost every region of the country, and they come in a wide variety of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These reasonably priced materials are both stylish and durable. Both materials come in a wide range of colors too. They are fairly light and are 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, copper and stainless steel cost the most, but the most stylish as well. Homeowners in Lawrence who decide on these materials are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s exactly what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Most of the gutter types above will offer these options below:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These 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 there are more sections where leaks are going to occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a professional contractor because they require specialized equipment. 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 far more popular because they look great 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 capable 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 appearance. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and functional. Half-Round rain gutters are much 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 which gutters you should purchase. Like we mentioned, some types of materials will not hold up in extremely cold climates.
The most important climate factor is how much work the gutters will have to do. Essentially, how much water are the gutters going to need to handle?
Professional gutter companies in Lawrence can take a lot of factors into account to get a good idea of the size and type of gutters that will 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 weather statistic can be found online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also check the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the maximum amount of rain that will occur within a 5-minute span.
Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a basic length times width calculation for standard roofs. However, you will need to figure 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. Figuring out your roof-pitch factor will help you determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the rainfall statistics found online.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall is factored into average precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to be aware of the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows regularly in your state, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of gutters that help to prevent ice dams from forming, which could severely damage your home’s roof.
Of course, the final question is probably the most important …
HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?
You also need to ask yourself if you’re going to do the work yourself, or if you want to enlist the services of a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, versus 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 Lawrence Gutter Service to install the gutters is that we are able to help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you find the best style and type.