Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?
The very first thing to ask yourself when you are shopping for new gutters is, “Why?” This question will help to answer the subsequent questions you’ll have before making your selection.
In our experience as a local gutter service, here are only three reasons homeowners might be in the market for new rain gutters:
An Upgrade – Switching out the gutters can significantly impact the curb appeal of your home, improving its look in a subtler way than painting or new landscaping.
A New House – Designing a home comes with a constant stream of decisions about appearance and functionality. Gutters included. Choosing the gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last approximately 15 years.
A Renovation – If your roof been damaged, the gutters might have to be replaced, too. Or, they might simply be wearing down and need to be replaced.
You know why you are installing new rain gutters on your home, but the reason often has underlying motivations…
You want to sell your house.
You want to renovate but not spend a lot of money.
Your landscaping is getting ruined by ineffective gutters.
Determining your “Why” will provide direction while you are shopping. You’ll know which features are worth spending your money on or if you can go with a less expensive product.
Here are the major questions you’ll have when it’s time to install new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The best part of installing new gutters is picking out the style. Gutters can blend in or stand out against your home exterior, depending on your preference.
These are the choices you will have, in order of cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are affordable materials that hold up well in most scenarios, except in cold climates, where they can wear down. Vinyl and plastic gutters are sufficient in nearly every region of the country, and they come in a wide range of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These mid-priced options are attractive and durable. Both of these materials are available in a variety of colors too. They are fairly light and are 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 Tacoma who decide on these materials are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s just what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Most of the gutter materials above offer both of these options below:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These types of gutters come in smaller sections, so they are easy to install. In fact, many homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters. 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 contractor because they need special equipment. They’re more expensive to purchase and install, but less likely to leak or wear down 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 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. Many homeowners are capable enough to install their own K-Style gutters.
Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are traditionally made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, classic curb appeal. However, modern styles made from vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round gutters are harder to install, but they are easier to clean out, 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. Like we mentioned, certain materials don’t hold up well in extremely cold climates.
The most important climate factor to consider is how much work the gutters will have to do. In other words, how much water are the gutters going to need to withstand?
Professional gutter installers in Tacoma can take several factors into consideration to get a good idea of the size and the type of rain gutters that are going to work the best for your house.
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 can be found on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also check 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 basic length times width calculation for residential 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. Knowing your roof-pitch factor is going to help to estimate how much rainfall will actually be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall is included in average precipitation calculations, but you also want to consider the potential for ice dams. If it snows a lot in your state, you need to seek professional guidance about the type of gutters that best prevent ice dams from forming, which can severely damage your home’s roof.
Of course, the final question is arguably 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 gutters. Professional installation will ensure maximum efficiency, compared to doing it yourself.
Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for professional labor, to ensure that the job will be done correctly. An added bonus of hiring TruClean Tacoma Gutters to install the new gutters is that we can help you answer all of your questions about new gutters so that you find the best style and type.