Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?
The first thing to consider when you are shopping for new gutters is, “Why?” This pivotal question will help you answer the subsequent questions you’ll have before purchasing your ultimate selection.
In our experience as a local gutter service, here are just three reasons homeowners will be shopping for new rain gutters:
An Upgrade – Installing new gutters can drastically affect the curb appeal of your home, increasing its look in a subtler way than painting or new landscaping.
A New Home – Designing a new home comes with a lot of of decisions about appearance and functionality. Gutters are one of them. Choosing the first gutters that go on your house is important because they should last approximately 15 years or more.
A Renovation – If the roof on your home been damaged, the gutters may need to be replaced. Or, they might just be getting too old and need to be replaced with new ones.
You obviously know why you are replacing the rain gutters, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…
You want to sell your home.
You want to renovate but not spend a lot of money.
Your landscaping is getting ruined by ineffective gutters.
Figuring out your “Why” will provide direction while you are shopping. You’ll know what features are worth spending your money on or if you can go with a less expensive product.
Here are the questions you’ll want to consider when it’s time to install new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The fun part of purchasing new gutters is picking out the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your personal preference.
These are the options for materials, in order of lowest to highest cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are affordable materials that are durable in most cases, other than extremely cold climates, where they can deteriorate. Vinyl and plastic gutters are sufficient in most regions of the country, and they are available in a wide range of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These mid-priced materials are stylish and durable. Both of these materials are available in a wide range of colors as well. They are fairly lightweight and not hard to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to resist rust and corrosion even better.
COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS
Of all the rain gutter materials available, copper and stainless steel cost the most, but the most attractive as well. Homeowners in Salem who choose these options are searching for an elegant touch, and that’s what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Most of the gutter options above will offer these options below:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These types of rain gutters come in smaller sections, so they’re easier 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 areas where leaks are going to occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters need to be installed by a local contractor because they need special equipment. They are more expensive to purchase and to install, but they are less likely to leak than sectional gutters.
K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS
K-Style – K-Style gutters are popular because they look excellent with every style of home. They’re better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This one of the reasons for their popularity. In addition, they are easy to install. Most homeowners are capable enough to install their own K-Style gutters by themselves.
Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are traditionally made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, established appearance. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, because they are both lightweight and functional. Half-Round rain 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 may determine a lot about the gutters you can have. Like we mentioned, some 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 your gutters going to need to handle?
Professional gutter companies in Salem can take several 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 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 look into the maximum rainfall intensity for your area. 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 standard roofs. However, you will want 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. Determining your roof-pitch factor is going to help to estimate how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall will be factored into precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to be aware of the potential for ice dams. If it snows often in your region, you need to seek professional guidance concerning the type of gutters that help to prevent ice dams, which can 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 are going to hire a professional to install your new gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, instead of doing it yourself.
Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for professional labor, to ensure that the installation will be done correctly. An added bonus of hiring Salem Gutter Service to install the gutters is that we can help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you find the best style and type for your home.