While your roof, siding, and windows are all important—when it comes to curb appeal, gutters add the finishing touch and can enhance your home’s looks significantly when you choose the right style.
Gutters may be small, but they have a big job: to channel water away from your home and safeguard it from moisture intrusion, flooding, and structural damage. But don’t forget the visual appeal they can add! Read on to discover the variety of styles you have to choose from, so you can select the ideal look for your new gutters.
Install the Perfect Gutter Style for Your Home
K-Style Aluminum Seamless Gutters
Mastic Seamless Aluminum Gutters are durable, and designed to safeguard your property from water damage. They last up to 25 years when they are installed properly by a team of experts (like us!) and maintained well. The seamless aspect of these gutters means you won’t have to deal with leaks that can sometimes occur on gutters with seams. Seamless aluminum gutters won’t rust, which also contributes to their durability and longevity. When you choose 5-inch K-style aluminum gutters, you will have dozens of color options to choose from, so you can easily complement your home with the perfect hue.
K-style aluminum gutters are the most popular gutter type used on homes built since the 1970s, yet older homes install them today too. The flat back of the K-style gutter means it can be nailed directly to your fascia board (no brackets needed). What makes these beauties so popular is their decorative front, which resembles crown molding. Their flat bottoms and straight, outwardly angled sides mean K-style gutters may carry more water than half round gutters, so they work wonderfully in locations with a lot of precipitation year-round, and places where downpours are not uncommon.
Aluminum is the most popular material used for gutters. It comes in three different thicknesses. It is a cost-effective choice upfront, but the thinnest versions (.025-inch aluminum gutters) are more likely to dent or bend than thicker metal gutters (.027-inch and .032-inch). In areas where snow is common—like Chicago—homeowners find the initial investment for thicker metal gutters is well worth it.
Copper Gutters
Luxurious copper specialty gutters add a distinct style to your home. These elegant gutters increase your house’s curb appeal without sacrificing functionality. Copper’s extreme shine when it is installed is gorgeous. Its look changes over time to a greenish patina that creates a stunning old world appearance homeowners love.
Typically installed on high-end homes, copper gutters last up to 100 years when they are fitted properly and cared for over their lifetime. Copper is a long-lasting metal that doesn’t rust. These gutter systems may be the priciest gutter option, but they offer outstanding protection from water damage and exquisite beauty that lasts a lifetime. There is no need to ever paint copper gutters, making them low maintenance. And they won’t ever warp, so you can count on their durability for decades.
Steel Gutters
Specialty steel gutters offer a powerful, low-cost gutter system for you to enjoy. They have the durability to withstand water, cold, heat, weather, and physical damage from impacts or debris. They are more durable than aluminum gutters, especially in climates with harsh weather. Gutter guards are particularly important to install with steel gutters to keep the leaves and debris off the steel. What makes them so popular is their extreme strength—regardless of the weather they are exposed to over the years. Also, they can be painted to customize their look and complement your home perfectly.
Nordic Steel Gutters
This eco-friendly, affordable specialty gutter option (which we highly recommend!) is ideal for homeowners who want the strongest gutter system available. Thanks to this extremely well engineered product, and ingenious and unique design solutions, Nordic Steel Gutters is a world leader in half round gutters. With a 23-gauge steel core (the same as a Chevy truck body!), Nordic Steel Gutters are the worldwide market leader for over 70 years. These durable gutters never leak, never corrode, and never require caulking. And their external hanger allows for expansion and contraction of your gutters so your fascia can dry out after a storm, lengthening its lifespan. They consist of a steel gutter, zinc coating, another layer, primer, and a topcoat of paint. The paint is so thick that it delivers extreme durability.
Made of 30% recycled steel, Nordic Steel Gutters are extremely eco-friendly. Their paint system (Greencoat™) is the most environmentally friendly painting system manufactured due to its low impact on the earth.
Half Round Gutters
Half round specialty gutters are shaped like a tube that has been cut in half. They are an excellent option if you’re looking to boost your curb appeal. Available in aluminum or copper, half round gutters deliver all the benefits of other drainage systems while adding unique style to your house.
Half rounds are the traditional style of gutters found on houses built before 1960, and are enjoyed by today’s homeowners. Historic houses may require this gutter style to maintain the authenticity of their property. Their curved sides mean brackets are needed to keep them in place because they don’t sit flush against your fascia boards like other gutters do. Adding gutter guards to half round gutters will keep them from getting leaf and debris clogs.
Gorgeous Gutters Installed to Precision to Set Your Home Apart
Don’t wait until your gutters damage your home before you replace them. Beautiful new gutters protect your house from moisture damage and add a stunning finishing touch to your Chicago property. Our experienced team at LeafCo Gutters installs beautiful K-style seamless gutters and exquisite specialty gutters including copper and steel, as well as Klean Gutter Guards (to simplify upkeep!). Discover how our gutter services can enhance your home’s curb appeal and safeguard it from damaging moisture infiltration.
