Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?

The first thing to consider when you are purchasing new gutters is, “Why?” This question will help to answer the subsequent questions you’ll have before purchasing your final selection.

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

An Upgrade – Switching out the gutters can drastically affect the appearance of your home, increasing its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.

A New Home – Building a home comes with a lot of of choices about both appearance and functionality. Rain gutters included. Deciding on the gutters that go on your home is important because they will need to last approximately 15-20 years or more.

A Renovation – If the roof on your home is damaged, the gutters might need to be replaced, too. Or, they could just be deteriorating and need to be replaced with new ones.

You know why you are installing new rain gutters on your home, but the reason often has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your home.

You want to renovate but not spend too much money.

Your landscaping is getting damaged by ineffective gutters.

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

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

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The best part about installing new gutters is picking out the materials. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.

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

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are economical options that hold up well in most cases, besides extremely cold climates, where they can become brittle. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in nearly every region of the country, and they are available in a wide variety of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These reasonably priced materials are both stylish and durable. Both materials are available in a variety of colors as well. They are fairly light and easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) will withstand rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the rain gutter materials available, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but are the most eye-catching as well. Homeowners in Amherst who choose 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 options above offer these options below:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

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

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters need to be installed by a local contractor because they require specialized 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 great with every style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This attributes to their popularity. And, they are easy 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 are best for rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they give homes a luxurious, classic appearance. However, more modern styles made from vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round gutters are a lot harder to install, but much easier to clean, when the time comes for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of your region will determine a lot about which gutters you can have. Like we already mentioned, certain types of materials don’t hold up well in extremely cold climates.

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

Professional gutter contractors in Amherst will take a lot of factors into account to determine the size and type of rain gutters that will work best for your home.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional roofing 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 find 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 residential roofs. But, you have 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. Knowing your roof-pitch factor will help you estimate how much rainfall will actually be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall will be included in precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to consider the potential for ice dams. If it snows a lot in your region, you need to seek professional guidance about 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 willing to do the work yourself, or if you want to hire a professional to install your new gutters. Professional installation will ensure maximum efficiency, versus doing it yourself.

Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for professional labor, to ensure that the job will be done right. Another bonus of hiring Amherst Gutters, Inc. to install your new gutters is that we are able to help you answer all of your questions about gutters so that you are able to find the perfect style and type.