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 you answer the subsequent questions you’ll have before purchasing your selection.

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

An Upgrade – Installing new rain gutters can drastically impact the exterior style of your home, improving its look in a subtler way than painting or landscaping.

A New House – Building a new home comes with a constant stream of choices about appearance and functionality. Rain gutters are no exception. Deciding on the gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last approximately 15 years or more.

A Renovation – If your home’s roof is damaged, the gutters might need to be replaced. Or, they could just be deteriorating and need to be replaced.

You 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 too much money.

Your landscaping is being damaged by ineffective gutters.

Determining your “Why” will often provide 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 less expensive product.

Here are the major questions you’ll have when purchasing new gutters.

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The fun part of purchasing new gutters is choosing the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.

These are the options for materials, in order of cost:

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable options that are durable in most scenarios, other than cold climates, where they will deteriorate. 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 mid-priced materials are both stylish and durable. Both of these materials are available in a variety of colors too. They are fairly light and easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to fend off rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the rain gutter materials, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but are the most attractive as well. Homeowners in Royal Oak who choose these options are searching 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 rain gutters come in smaller sections, so they’re easy to install. In fact, homeowners choose 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 sections where leaks can occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters need to be installed by a professional contractor because they need special tools. They are more expensive to buy 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 excellent with virtually any style of home. They’re better for angled roofs, which are more common. This attributes to their popularity. In addition, they are not hard to install. Most 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 recommended for rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they provide homes a regal, classic appearance. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, being lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round gutters are a lot harder to install, but much easier to clean, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of the city you live in may dictate a lot about the gutters you should purchase. Like we already mentioned, certain types of materials will not hold up in cold climates.

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

Professional gutter installers in Royal Oak can take many factors into account to determine the size and the type of gutters that will work best for your house.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional home exterior 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 is available online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also find the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the max amount of rain that can happen within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a basic length times width calculation for residential roofs. But, you will have to factor in 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 rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is going to be factored into precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to consider the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows a lot in your region, you need to seek professional guidance concerning the type of rain gutters that help to prevent ice dams, which could severely damage your 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 try to do the work on your own, or if you want to pay a professional to install your new gutters. Professional installation ensures maximum 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 right. Another bonus of hiring Renew Gutter Cleaning to install the gutters is that we will help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you are able to find the perfect style and type.