Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?

The number one thing to ask yourself when you are purchasing new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help to answer the following questions you’ll have before making your selection.

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

An Upgrade – Installing new gutters can drastically affect the exterior style of your house, enhancing its look in a more subtle way than painting or landscaping.

A New House – Building a home comes with a constant stream of choices about both appearance and functionality. Gutters included. Choosing the first gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last approximately 15 years.

A Renovation – If your roof has suffered damage, the gutters might have to be replaced, too. Or, they could just be aging and need to be replaced with new ones.

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

You want to sell your house.

You want to renovate without spending a lot of money.

Your landscaping is getting damaged by ineffective gutters.

Determining your “Why” will help to give you direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know what features are important or if you can go with 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 choosing new rain gutters is choosing the materials. Gutters can blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.

These are the choices you will have, in order of cost:

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable options that hold up well in most cases, except in extremely cold climates, where they can wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are acceptable in almost every region 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 come in a variety of colors as well. They are fairly lightweight and not difficult to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) resist rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the rain gutter materials available, copper and stainless steel are the most expensive, but are the most attractive as well. Homeowners in Newton who choose these materials are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s just what they’ll get!

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

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

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These 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 are going to occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters will need to be installed by a local contractor because they need special tools. They’re more expensive to order and install, but 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 virtually any style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This one of the reasons for their popularity. Plus, they are not hard to install. Most 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 recommended for rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they give homes a luxurious, classic curb appeal. However, modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, because they are lightweight and functional. Half-Round rain gutters are a lot 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 will determine a lot about what gutters you should install. 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 have to do. Basically, how much rain or water are your gutters going to need to withstand?

Professional gutter contractors in Newton can take a lot of factors into account to get a good idea of the size and type of gutters that will work best for your home.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional roofing 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 is available 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 can happen within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a basic length times width calculation for standard roofs. However, you have to figure all the surfaces of multi-faceted roofs.

Roof-Pitch Factor – A steep roof will collect more wind-blown rain than a less sloped roof. Knowing your roof-pitch factor is going to help you calculate 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 consider the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows regularly in your city, you need to seek professional guidance about the type of rain gutters that help to prevent ice dams, which might severely damage your home’s roof.

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

HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?

You also have to ask yourself if you’re going to try to do the work on your own, or if you are going to pay a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation will ensure maximum efficiency, versus doing it yourself.

Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for labor, to ensure that the job will be done correctly. An added bonus of hiring Nifty Newton Gutters to install your gutters is that we can help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you find the perfect style and type for your home.