Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?
The first thing to consider when you are planning to install new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help to answer most of the following questions you’ll have before purchasing your ultimate 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 significantly affect the exterior style of your house, improving its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.
A New House – Building a home comes with a constant stream of choices about both appearance and functionality. Rain gutters are one of them. Deciding on the first gutters that go on your house is important because they should last at least 15 years or more.
A Renovation – If your home’s roof has experienced damage, the gutters might have to be replaced. Or, they might simply be getting too old and need to be replaced.
You will know why you are installing new 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 getting ruined by ineffective gutters.
Determining your “Why” will often give you direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know which features are important or if you can choose a less expensive product.
Here are the major questions you’ll have when it’s time to purchase new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The best part of choosing new rain gutters is choosing the materials. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your home, depending on your personal preference.
These are the choices you will have, in order of cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are affordable options that hold up well in most scenarios, except in extremely cold climates, where they will wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in nearly every region of the country, and they come in a wide variety of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These mid-priced materials are both attractive and durable. Both of these materials come in a variety of colors as well. They are fairly lightweight and not hard 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 cost the most, but are the most eye-catching as well. Homeowners in East Lansing who choose these materials 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 will offer both of these options below:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These rain gutters are made in smaller sections, so they’re easy to install. In fact, most homeowners choose 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 are going to occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a professional contractor because they need special equipment. They’re more expensive to buy 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 virtually any style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are more common. This speaks to their popularity. Plus, they are not hard to install. Most homeowners are proficient enough to install their own K-Style gutters by themselves.
Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are usually made of copper and steel, and they recommended for rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they give homes a luxurious, classic curb appeal. However, modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, because they are both lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round gutters are harder to install, but easier to clean out, when the time comes for gutter cleaning.
DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?
The climate of your region may determine a lot about which gutters you should install. Like we mentioned, certain materials will not hold up well in extremely cold climates.
The most important climate factor to consider is how much work the gutters will need to do. In other words, how much rain or water are the gutters going to have to withstand?
Professional gutter contractors in East Lansing will take several factors into consideration to determine the size and type of gutters that are going to work best for your roof.
WHAT IS THE FORMULA?
Luckily, the formula professional gutter 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 online 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 maximum amount of rain that occurs within a 5-minute span.
Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a standard length times width calculation for standard roofs. But, you want to factor in all the surfaces of multi-faceted roofs.
Roof-Pitch Factor – A steep roof will collect more wind-blown rain than a less sloped roof. Figuring out your roof-pitch factor is going to help you determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the rainfall statistics.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall is factored into average precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to consider the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows often in your state, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of rain gutters that best prevent ice dams, which could severely damage your home’s roof.
Of course, the final question is arguably the most important …
HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?
You also need to ask yourself if you’re going to try to do the work on your own, or if you are going to pay 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 labor, knowing that the installation will be done right. Another bonus of hiring East Lansing Gutter Experts to install your gutters is that we are able to help you answer all of your questions about new gutters so that you find the best style and type for your home.