What To Know About Gutter Installation
New gutter installation. Not a very exciting subject, is it? But it is an essential one for homeowners. Without well-working gutters you invite damp, moldy basements and crawl spaces, topsoil erosion, stained and rotting house siding and warped window framing. Well-functioning gutters are what direct storm runoff away from the sides and foundation of your home. Poorly functioning gutters not only risk damage to your house and landscaping they can do harm to your roof, causing expensive roof replacement.
So, when it’s time to replace your aging system with a new gutter installation, how do you know what to go with? There are many systems on the market today, including seamless aluminum and copper. Stay Dry has four easy things for you to keep in mind.
Four Things To Know About Gutter Installation.
1. Two Gutter Materials, from Practical to Fashion Statement
Aluminum. Gutters made of steel are very popular. An aluminum gutter installation never rusts or corrodes. They come a wide variety of colors to compliment your home, and with a price tag coming in at approximately $5.00 to $9.00 per linear foot it’s no surprise why this durable and economical material is so well-liked. Seamless aluminum gutters in particular have become the gold standard in aluminum gutter installation.
Copper. As with aluminum, copper never rusts or corrodes. You may have seen copper gutters that have taken on a bright bluish-green patina, known as verdigris. This is a natural affect that doesn’t harm copper gutters at all and is actually a preference of most homeowners who opt for copper gutter installation. But if the homeowner prefers, a copper gutter can be painted just as aluminum ones can.
Cost will be a consideration when thinking about gutter installation. It generally runs approximately $15.00 per linear foot. But copper gutters on a home is clearly a fashion statement as well as a durable and long-lasting choice, making it well worth the price to many homeowners. It’s one of the main reasons copper is usually reserved for historical restorations as well as new houses.
2. Sizing Up Your Options in Gutter Installation
Choosing new gutters also brings several other decisions that involve balancing convenience, esthetics and long life.
Seamless Gutter Installation Vs Sectional Gutters. Seamless gutters are made of one continuous length of material. Seamless guttering can be custom made to the length needed for the job. Sectional gutters are precisely that: gutters manufactured as sections that are joined to create the length necessary.
Today, sectional guttering is largely done as DIY projects by homeowners with the time and relative know-how to install them. But it is a labor intensive project, even for the most gutter-savvy homeowner. And not matter how well the homemade installation may be done, sectional gutter installation will ultimately result in leakage as the joints along the gutter degrade from time, wear and tear.
Seamless gutters, by their very nature, have no seams to invite leaking. A seamless gutter installation only needs joining at each corner of the roof’s edge and at the downspout modules. This gives them a specific advantage over sectional gutters when it comes to longevity and maintenance. Plus the seamless profile is a plus in most homeowners’ eyes. All in all, seamless gutters have become the overwhelming choice for homeowners.
Seamless gutters require a professional installer but since most homeowners hire out gutter installation anyway, the only real concern is to make sure the contractor is experienced and dependable. Seamless gutter installation can be done with most all typical gutter material. The gutters are created right onsite by a portable extrusion machine.
3. Determining the Size & Shape of Your Gutters
Gutter installation offers several shapes (commonly referred to as profiles) and sizes. Your gutter professional will help you determine which works best for your house. Generally, either a U-shaped or K-shaped profile is the most common. The gutter size itself is determined by its channel size, usually four, five or six inches in diameter.
Downspouts can be rectangular and sized two-by-three inches or three-by-four inches, or they can be three or four inch rounds.
Your personal preferences along with the unique circumstances of your home and its surroundings will have a primary role in determining the size and shape of your gutter installation. For example, it you have trees near your house, larger downspouts may be the better choice in order to reduce clogging.
4. Deciding on a Color
Today’s gutter installation offers a wide variety of color to accent, compliment or contrast the design and color scheme of your home. There are at least twenty-five different colors to date. Aluminum gutter colors are baked directly onto the material while still at the factory. Copper only comes in its natural state but can be painted after installation. However, most homeowners who choose copper prize it for its natural beauty.
Getting Gutters Installed
Selecting an experienced, dependable gutter installation company is critical. A quality installer like Stay Dry Roofing will offer free estimates and will thoroughly go over your gutter installation options. They will also offer warranties on their work and have complete insurance.
But you can help ensure that your gutter installation is the best it can be, too. Be there when the pros arrive for the estimate and walk the exterior of the house with them. Tell them your preferences for where the guttering should go, as well as the downspouts. But also listen to the advice of the gutter installation pros. They have done this job many times and may have ways to improve your new gutter installation you haven’t thought of.
Don’t be surprised if some trim and fascia repair is needed before gutter installation. And be sure to carefully read the warranties for you gutter and its installation.
Questions? Stay Dry Roofing Has Answers
As a family owned, locally operated Indianapolis business Stay Dry Roofing is a trusted name in seamless gutter installation. We are experts in every aspect of gutters and roofing, roof repair, roof replacement and roof maintenance. We serve Indianapolis and the surrounding communities, including Brownsburg, Franklin, Greenfield, Martinsville, Noblesville and more.
For a FREE ESTIMATE, call us at (317) 603-5550 or use our Contact Information Page.