Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?
The first thing to ask yourself when you are purchasing new gutters is, “Why?” This pivotal question will help you answer most of 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 will be in the market for new gutters:
An Upgrade – Switching out the gutters can drastically impact the exterior style of your house, enhancing its look in a subtler way than painting or new landscaping.
A New Home – Building a new home comes with a lot of of decisions about both appearance and functionality. Rain gutters are one of them. Choosing 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 is damaged, the gutters might have to be replaced, too. Or, they could just be deteriorating and need to be replaced.
You know why you are installing new gutters, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…
You want to sell your house.
You want to renovate without spending a lot of money.
Your landscaping is being ruined by ineffective gutters.
Figuring out your “Why” will help to provide direction while you are shopping. You’ll know what features are must-haves or if you can choose a less expensive product.
Here are the questions you’ll want to consider when purchasing new gutters.
HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?
The best part of purchasing new rain gutters is choosing the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.
These are the choices for materials, in order of cost:
VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS
Vinyl and plastic are affordable choices that are durable 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 are available in a wide variety of colors.
METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS
These mid-priced options are both stylish and durable. Both materials are available in a wide range of colors too. They are fairly lightweight and are easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) are able to fend off rust and corrosion even better.
COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS
Of all the rain gutter materials, copper and stainless steel cost the most, but are the most eye-catching as well. Homeowners in Newark who choose these options are searching for an elegant touch, and that’s just what they’ll get!
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?
Almost all of the gutter materials above offer both of these options below:
SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Sectional gutters – These types of rain gutters come in smaller sections, so they are easy to install. In fact, most homeowners choose to install their own sectional gutters. This type is the more affordable choice, and they have more seams, which means there are more sections where leaks are going to occur.
Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters need to be installed by a contractor because they require special tools. They are more expensive to order 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 almost any style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are far more common. This speaks to their popularity. In addition, they are easy to install. Most homeowners are capable enough to install their own K-Style gutters by themselves.
Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are traditionally made of copper and steel, and they recommended for rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they give homes a luxurious, classic appearance. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, being lightweight and functional. Half-Round gutters are a lot harder to install, but much easier to clean, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.
DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?
The climate of the city you live in may determine a lot about the gutters you should install. Like we mentioned, certain types of materials don’t hold up well in extremely cold climates.
The single most important climate factor is how much work the gutters will need to do. In other words, how much water are your gutters going to have to handle?
Professional gutter contractors in Newark can take several factors into consideration to get a good idea of the size and type of gutters that are going to work best for your house.
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 statistic is available 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 can happen within a 5-minute span.
Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a simple length times width calculation for standard roofs. However, you need 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 will help to estimate how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics.
DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?
Snowfall is going to be included in precipitation calculations, but you also want to be aware of the potential for ice dams. If it snows regularly in your region, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of gutters that help to prevent ice dams, which could severely damage your home’s roof.
Of course, the last question is possibly the most important …
HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?
You also have to ask yourself if you’re willing to try to do the work on your own, or if you are going to pay a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation ensures efficiency, versus doing it yourself.
Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for labor, to ensure that the installation will be done right. Another bonus of hiring Newark Gutter Solutions to install your gutters is that we can help you answer all of your questions about new gutters so that you are able to find the perfect style and type.