Gutters protect your home from moisture damage by guiding water away from your foundation and basement. Both seamless gutters and traditional sectional gutters are designed to reach the same goal; they simply have different means of getting there.
Traditional gutters (also called sectional or regular gutters) come in precut 10-12 foot sections and are assembled on-site. They are often installed by DIY homeowners, and while they may look fabulous and function as they should at the beginning, over time their multiple seams tend to cause leaks and require repair.
In a traditional non-seamless gutter system, each section is held together with a connector, clamp or screw, and sections are sealed at the joint, making them vulnerable to trouble. Sectional gutters tend to sag and cause water to pool around your home’s perimeter. When water seeps into the ground around your house, costly foundation damage can result.
The installation of sectional gutters may look like a simple, cost-effective DIY project, but it can end in major foundation trouble over time if your gutters aren’t installed properly and don’t hold up over the years.
Seamless Gutters 101
Seamless gutters are different from traditional gutters because they don’t have any seams or breaks between sections. The lack of seams greatly decreases the possibility of leaking. They are a lot easier to clean than traditional gutter systems because they’re more efficient at keeping leaves and other debris from obstructing water flow.
They are continuous gutters commonly made from aluminum, copper, painted steel, or zinc. They only have joints or miters at their corners where they wrap around your roof, and at your downspouts.
Seamless gutters need to be installed by professionals. They are uniquely made to the exact measurements of your home and installed in single pieces cut on-site with a special roll forming machine.
Why Are Gutters Seamless?
Seamless gutters are the most popular type of gutter on today’s market. They were created to decrease the chance of leaking.
For more information on gutter basics, check out this blog post.
Are Seamless Gutters Worth It?
While sectional gutters are welded together, and your initial investment in them as a DIY project will be less than seamless gutters, the problems they can create over time make it clear they aren’t the best long-term investment. The bottom line is that you’ll either invest a little more upfront for seamless gutters, or you’ll endure the problems that come with sectional gutters.
The statistics speak for themselves: although seamless gutters are a bigger initial investment, they are the most popular gutter type. Homeowners feel they are worth it for a variety of reasons: they’re easy to maintain, and protect your foundation from damage.
Learn more about the gutter and gutter guard options for your home LeafCo’s “Gutters & Gutter Guards: A Complete Guide.”
The Benefits of Seamless Gutters
1. Limit leaks
Seamless gutters only have seams at the downspout and corner, which greatly decreases the possibility of leaks.
2. Protect your roof, soffits and fascia
Gutters give your roof the ventilation it needs to protect it from rot or shingle damage.
3. Prevent icy sidewalks from gutter overflow
Severe storms can cause rain to fall so quickly that your gutters can’t keep up with it. During the winter, sidewalks become icy due to overflowing gutters and create the risk of accidents on your property.
4. Keep your beautiful landscaping intact
When gutters leak, they can have a negative impact on your landscaping. Seamless gutters contribute to preserving your yard’s beauty.
5. Decrease the need for repairs
The breaks between traditional gutter sections make them vulnerable to problems and increase the need for repairs. You need to regularly check their joints and seals, adding to your home maintenance responsibilities. Seamless gutters are so streamlined, they don’t sag or leak like other gutter systems, and they don’t need a constant close eye on them because they aren’t vulnerable between sections.
6. Clean with Ease
Traditional gutters gather debris in them at their seams. Since seamless gutters don’t have that problem, they’re simpler to tend, and save you time throughout their lifespan. The convenience of low-maintenance cleaning makes them worth the investment!
7. Decrease the risk of basement flooding
Because seamless gutters guide water away from your home, they reduce the possibility of basement flooding and other serious damage to your home.
8. Professional installation
Gutter contractors create, design, and install seamless rain gutters. Obtaining the services of a reliable team with a track record of customer satisfaction will give you confidence in your gutter system. Be sure to ask for references as you get quotes from three different contractors before deciding on the best fit for your needs. With your home’s size, your roof’s pitch, and external factors all contributing to your gutter installation, the contractor you choose should assess your needs on-site for the most accurate quote.
Simplify Life with Seamless Gutter Installation by the Pros
You don’t have to endure the grueling foundation trouble sectional gutters can result in. Get superior seamless gutter installation by the experienced team of professionals at LeafCo.
Since 2000, we have installed gutters with precision so homeowners get the best long-term performance from their new gutters. We go through a completion checklist to verify your installation was properly executed before we finish your project.
Our installers have an average of over 10 years of experience. We treat your home like it is our own by leaving your yard clean and free from debris, so there’s no need to worry about the safety of your children or pets once we install your gutters.
Choose from 5-inch or 6-inch wide Mastic seamless aluminum gutters which come with a 20-year warranty from the manufacturer and a 5-year labor warranty from us.
Avoid the trouble sectional gutters cause and simplify your life with durable gutter replacement. Learn more about our high quality seamless gutters.
