If your gutters are peeling, rusting, sagging or overflowing, it’s time to replace them to avoid future damage to your home. You’ll be faced with two options: seamless gutters or regular gutters. Both are designed to move water away from your home’s foundation and basement, but is one option better than the other? It’s important to understand each to make the best decision for you home.
Seamless gutters, also known as continuous gutters, are manufactured from a single piece of material. Because they have not been partitioned into sections, they do not require any sealing at the joints or seams. This makes them leak-resistant, low maintenance and long-lasting when compared to regular gutters. Seamless gutters are available in a variety of materials, including aluminum, steel and copper.
Regular gutters, or sectional gutters, are manufactured in short, pre-cut sections that are then assembled together to form one long gutter. The joints between each section must be sealed with roof and gutter sealant to prevent leaking or dripping. Sealant typically lasts between one and five years, which means regular gutters must be frequently re-patched or re-sealed. All regular gutters can be also made from standard gutter materials.
Seamless gutters do offer some immediate benefits, but there are some other factors to consider too.
Less Prone to Leaks and Damage: Without any joints in your seamless gutters, you’ll have fewer opportunities for leaks! Since joints are the “weak points” of a gutter system, seamless gutters will also rarely sag or pull away from your house.
Low Maintenance: Without any joints or seams to trap debris, seamless gutters are less likely to experience backups or clogs and also do not need regular cleaning. This means less professional maintenance overall.
Longer Lifespan: When properly maintained, seamless gutters can easily last over 20 years! A regular gutter must be re-sealed every one to five years to improve longevity.
Better Curb Appeal: With no joints, the smooth, finished appearance of a seamless gutter that has been perfectly customized for your home brings a sophisticated touch to your home. You also won’t have to worry about ugly sagging, leaking or overflowing gutters.
More Expensive Up Front: Because a seamless gutter needs to be cut to fit your custom needs, they will cost more than regular gutters. It will be between $1-$4 more expensive per foot for an aluminum seamless gutter. But remember, seamless gutters last longer and require lower maintenance, so it’s likely you’ll pay less in the long run.
Require Professional Assistance: Seamless gutters require a professional-grade machine, which only a contractor will have easy access to. Regular gutters can be bought at a home improvement store and installed DIY if you follow proper safety precautions, though there are still numerous risk factors (falling, etc.) associated with that.
Repairs and Replacements Are More Complicated: With a seamless gutter, you cannot isolate a single section for repairs or a replacement like you can on a regular gutter. Instead, you must address the entire length of the gutter at once, which can be a costly hassle.
If you’re still deciding which option should win in the seamless gutters vs. regular gutters battle, Besroi Roofing is here to help! We offer seamless gutters that are created and cut on-site – you can have new seamless gutters in a few hours! We offer three generations of experience for installing roofs, siding, decks, gutters, windows and doors! Our expert team can help with the planning, material choices, and professional installation. Let’s get your home improvement project started with a free estimate.