Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?

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

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

An Upgrade – Switching out the rain gutters can really impact the curb appeal of your home, enhancing its look in a more subtle way than painting or landscaping.

A New House – Building a new home comes with a constant stream of decisions about appearance and functionality. Rain gutters included. Choosing the first gutters that go on your house is important because they should last approximately 15-20 years.

A Renovation – If the roof on your home has had damage, the gutters might have to be replaced. Or, they could simply be wearing down and need to be replaced.

You know why you are replacing the gutters, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your home.

You want to renovate without spending too much money.

Your landscaping is getting damaged by ineffective gutters.

Determining your “Why” will provide direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know which features are important 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 fun part of installing new rain gutters is picking out the materials. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your personal preference.

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

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable options that hold up well in most scenarios, other than extremely cold climates, where they will wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are acceptable in most regions of the country, and they come in a wide range of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These reasonably priced options are both attractive and durable. Both materials are available in a wide range of colors too. They are fairly lightweight and are not hard to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to withstand rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the gutter materials, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but are the most eye-catching as well. Homeowners in Euclid who choose these materials are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s exactly what they’ll get!

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

Almost all of the gutter materials above will offer these options:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These types of gutters come in smaller sections, so they’re easy to install. In fact, most homeowners choose to install their own sectional gutters on their own. This type is the less expensive choice, and they have more seams, which means there are more areas where leaks can occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a contractor because they require special tools. They’re more expensive to purchase and install, but they are 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’re better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This speaks to their popularity. In addition, they are easy to install. Many 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 are best for rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, established appearance. However, modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, being lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round rain gutters are a lot harder to install, but easier to clean, when the time comes for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of the city you live in may determine a lot about which gutters you should install. As we already mentioned, some types of materials don’t hold up in extremely cold climates.

The most important climate factor to think about is how much work the gutters will need to do. Basically, how much water are your gutters going to have to handle?

Professional gutter contractors in Euclid are going to take many factors into account to get a good idea of the size and the type of gutters that are going to work the best for your house.

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 is available online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You should also check the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the max amount of rain that occurs within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a basic length times width calculation for residential roofs. However, you have 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 roof that is less sloped. Knowing your roof-pitch factor is going to help to calculate how much rainfall will actually be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is included in precipitation calculations, but you also want to consider the potential for ice dams. If it snows regularly in your state, you need to seek professional guidance about the type of rain gutters that best prevent ice dams from forming, which might really damage your 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 do the work on your own, or if you want to enlist the services of a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation will ensure maximum efficiency, instead of doing it yourself.

Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for labor, to ensure that the job will be done right. An added bonus of hiring Euclid Gutters & Exteriors to install your gutters is that we will 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.