Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?

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

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

An Upgrade – Switching out the rain gutters can really affect the curb appeal of your house, increasing its look in a more subtle way than painting or new landscaping.

A New Home – 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 will need to last at least 20 years or more.

A Renovation – If your roof has experienced damage, the gutters may have to be replaced. Or, they may simply be aging and need to be replaced.

You will know why you are installing new gutters on your home, but the reason often has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your house.

You want to renovate but not spend too much money.

Your landscaping is being ruined by ineffective gutters.

Figuring out your “Why” will often give you 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 major questions you’ll need to ask when it’s time to install new gutters.

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The fun part of installing new gutters is choosing the materials. Gutters can blend in or stand out against your home exterior, depending on your preference.

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

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable choices that are durable in most cases, other than cold climates, where they will wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in most regions 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 materials come in a wide range 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 the most attractive as well. Homeowners in Toledo who decide on 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 options above offer both of these options:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These types of 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 more areas where leaks are going to occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a local contractor because they need specialized equipment. They’re 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 great with virtually any style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This one of the reasons for 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 traditionally made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they provide homes a regal, established curb appeal. However, 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 harder to install, but much easier to clean out, when the time comes for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of your region will dictate a lot about which gutters you should purchase. As we already mentioned, certain types of materials don’t hold up well in cold climates.

The single most important climate factor to consider is how much work the gutters will need to do. Essentially, how much water are the gutters going to need to withstand?

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

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 statistic is available online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also look into 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 basic roofs. But, you have to factor in 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. Figuring out your roof-pitch factor is going to help you determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is factored into 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 about the type of rain gutters that best prevent ice dams, which could really damage your roof.

Of course, the last question is possibly 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 new gutters. Professional installation will ensure maximum efficiency, compared to doing it yourself.

Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for professional labor, to ensure that the job will be done right. An added bonus of hiring TruClean Toledo Gutters to install your gutters is that we will help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you find the perfect style and type for your home.