Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?

The number one thing to ask yourself when you are shopping for new gutters is, “Why?” This important question will help you answer the questions you’ll have before making your ultimate selection.

In our experience as a local gutter service, here are three reasons homeowners will be in the market for new rain gutters:

An Upgrade – Switching out the rain gutters can significantly impact the appearance of your house, enhancing its look in a subtler way than painting or new landscaping.

A New House – Building a new home comes with a lot of of choices about appearance and functionality. Gutters are no exception. Deciding on the gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last approximately 15-20 years.

A Renovation – If the roof on your home is damaged, the gutters might need to be replaced. Or, they may just be wearing down and need to be replaced with new ones.

You know why you are installing new gutters on your home, but the reason often has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your house.

You want to renovate without spending too much money.

Your landscaping is getting damaged by ineffective gutters.

Determining your “Why” will often provide direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know if certain features are must-haves or if you can choose a less expensive product.

Here are the major 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 materials. Gutters can 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 economical options that hold up well in most scenarios, other than extremely cold climates, where they will become brittle. Vinyl and plastic gutters are efficient in almost every region of the country, and they come in a wide variety of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These mid-priced options are attractive and durable. Both materials are available in a variety of colors too. They are fairly light and easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) 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 the most eye-catching as well. Homeowners in Castle Rock who choose these options are searching for an elegant touch, and that’s exactly what they’ll get!

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

Almost all of the gutter types above offer both of these options below:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These types of gutters come in smaller sections, so they’re easy to install. In fact, homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters on their own. This type is the more affordable choice, and they are made with 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 specialized tools. They’re more expensive to buy and to install, but less likely to leak than sectional gutters.

K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS

K-Style – K-Style gutters are far more popular because they look excellent with every style of home. They are better for angled roofs, which are more common. This speaks to their popularity. And, they are easy to install. Many homeowners are capable enough to install their own K-Style gutters.

Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are usually made of copper and steel, and they recommended for rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, established appearance. However, more modern styles made from vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, because they are both lightweight and functional. Half-Round rain gutters are a lot harder to install, but much easier to clean out, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of the city you live in may dictate a lot about the gutters you should purchase. Like we mentioned, certain materials will not hold up in 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 the gutters going to need to withstand?

Professional gutter installers in Castle Rock can take a lot of factors into consideration to determine the size and the type of rain gutters that will work the best for your roof.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional roofing contractors use is no secret. Here are the pieces of specific information you will need to decide how large your gutters should be:

Average Rainfall – This weather statistic is available on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also find the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the maximum amount of rain that occurs within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a standard length times width calculation for residential roofs. However, you want 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. Determining your roof-pitch factor will help to determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is included in precipitation calculations, but you also want to consider the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows often in your region, you need to seek professional guidance concerning the type of gutters that best prevent ice dams from forming, which might really damage your roof.

Of course, the final question is possibly the most important …

HOW TO INSTALL GUTTERS?

You also need to ask yourself if you’re willing to try to do the work yourself, or if you want to hire a professional to install your new gutters. Professional installation will ensure maximum efficiency, versus doing it yourself.

Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for professional labor, knowing that the installation will be done right. An added bonus of hiring Castle Rock Gutters to install the gutters is that we can help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you are able to find the best style and type for your home.