Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?
The very first thing to consider when you are purchasing new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help to answer the following questions you’ll have before making your final selection.
In our experience as a local gutter service, here are only three reasons homeowners might be shopping for new rain gutters:
An Upgrade – Installing new rain gutters can significantly affect the appearance of your house, increasing its look in a subtler way than painting or new landscaping.
A New Home – Building a new home comes with a lot of of choices about both appearance and functionality. Gutters included. Deciding on the first gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last at least 20 years.
A Renovation – If the roof on your home has suffered damage, the gutters may have to be replaced. Or, they may simply be deteriorating and need to be replaced with new ones.
You obviously know why you are replacing the rain gutters on your home, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…
You want to sell your house.
You want to renovate but not spend a lot of money.
Your landscaping is being ruined by ineffective gutters.
Figuring out your “Why” will give you direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know which features are must-haves or if you can go with a more affordable product.
Here are the questions you’ll have when it’s time to purchase new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The best part about purchasing new rain gutters is choosing the style. Gutters can blend in or stand out against your home exterior, depending on your personal preference.
These are the options you will have, in order of cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are affordable choices that hold up well in most cases, besides extremely 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 stylish and durable. Both of these materials come in a variety of colors as well. They are fairly lightweight and are not hard to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) will withstand rust and corrosion even better.
COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS
Of all the gutter materials available, copper and stainless steel cost the most, but are the most eye-catching as well. Homeowners in Novi who purchase these options are searching for an elegant touch, and that’s what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Almost all of the gutter materials above offer these options below:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These rain gutters are made in smaller sections, so they are easier 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 are going to occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters will need to be installed by a local contractor because they require special tools. They are more expensive to buy and to 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 every style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are 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.
Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are traditionally made of copper and steel, and they are best for rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, classic curb appeal. However, modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, because they are lightweight and highly 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 region you live in will determine a lot about what gutters you can have. Like we mentioned, some materials don’t hold up in extremely cold climates.
The single most important climate factor is how much work the gutters will have to do. In other words, how much rain or water are the gutters going to need to withstand?
Professional gutter contractors in Novi can take many factors into account to get a good idea of the size and the type of rain gutters that are going to work best for your roof.
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 weather statistic can be found online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You should also find the maximum rainfall intensity for your area. This is the max amount of rain that will occur within a 5-minute span.
Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a standard length times width calculation for standard roofs. However, you will have 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. Knowing your roof-pitch factor is going to help to estimate how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall is going to be 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 concerning the type of rain gutters that best prevent ice dams from forming, which can severely damage your home’s roof.
Of course, the final 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 yourself, or if you are going to enlist the services of a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, instead of doing it yourself.
Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for labor, to ensure that the installation will be done right. An added bonus of hiring Novi Gutter Cleaning to install your new gutters is that we are able to help you answer all of your questions about new gutters so that you are able to find the best style and type.