Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?

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

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

An Upgrade – Installing new gutters can significantly affect the appearance of your house, enhancing its look in a subtler way than painting or new landscaping.

A New House – Designing a home comes with a lot of choices about appearance and functionality. Rain gutters included. Choosing the first gutters that go on your home is important because they will need to last at least 15 years.

A Renovation – If the roof on your home has suffered damage, the gutters may need to be replaced, too. Or, they may simply be aging and need to be replaced with new ones.

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

You want to sell your home.

You want to renovate but not spend too much money.

Your landscaping is being ruined by ineffective gutters.

Figuring out your “Why” will help to provide direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know what features are important or if you can choose a less expensive product.

Here are the questions you’ll want to consider when it’s time to purchase new gutters.

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The best part of choosing new gutters is choosing the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your home, depending on your personal preference.

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

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable materials that hold up well in most scenarios, besides extremely cold climates, where they can wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are sufficient in nearly every region of the country, and they are available in a wide range of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These mid-priced options are both attractive and durable. Both of these materials are available in a wide range of colors as well. They are fairly light and not difficult to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) will resist rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

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

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

Most of the gutter types above offer both of these options:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These gutters come in smaller sections, so they’re easy to install. In fact, many 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 there are more sections where leaks can occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a local contractor because they need specialized tools. They’re more expensive to order and 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 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 not hard to install. Many homeowners are proficient enough to install their own K-Style gutters.

Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are usually made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, established curb appeal. However, modern styles made from vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and functional. Half-Round gutters are much harder to install, but they are easier to clean, when the time comes 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. As we already mentioned, some materials don’t hold up well in cold climates.

The most important climate factor is how much work the gutters will have to do. In other words, how much water are your gutters going to have to handle?

Professional gutter contractors in Evansville are going to take a lot of factors into consideration to determine the size and the type of gutters that will work the best for your roof.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional home exterior 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 weather statistic can be found on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also look into 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 simple length times width calculation for standard roofs. However, you want 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. Figuring out your roof-pitch factor is going to help you estimate how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is factored into average precipitation calculations, but you also want to be aware of the potential for ice dams. If it snows often in your state, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of gutters that help to prevent ice dams, which can really damage your home’s roof.

Of course, the last question is arguably the most important …

HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?

You also need to ask yourself if you’re willing to try 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 are better off paying a little extra for professional labor, knowing that the installation will be done correctly. Another bonus of hiring Express Evansville Gutters to install the new gutters is that we can help you answer all of your questions about gutters so that you find the perfect style and type for your home.