One of the joys of springtime is tackling all those projects you’ve been unable to do all winter – starting with good old-fashioned spring cleaning. Normally, you might not be so excited about picking up the yard, purging the basement and attic, and cleaning those clogged gutters. But this time of year, any excuse to get outside is a good one.
Speaking of gutters, you might notice some imperfections as you climb up the ladder to clean them. Some of the hangers or attachments might be loose. There might be sections of the gutters that sag profusely. You might notice leaks, or even parts of the gutter that have broken off completely.
And as your survey the situation, you might remember hearing about seamless gutters. Could this be a solution to your springtime gutter problems? Could it solve all those structural problems you’re noticing, and provide you with gutters that function like they’re supposed to, year in and year out?
To answer that question, we first need to clarify what seamless gutters actually are, and how they differ from conventional gutters. As the name suggests, seamless gutters are free from “seams” or sections. How is this possible? Ordinarily, a seamless gutter installation professional will not pre-fabricate and transport the long, seamless gutters to your property. Instead, they’ll literally build the gutters on-site. This is a much more effective way to go about this kind of installation, and we’ll get into the details of how the gutters are made and assembled in another blog post.
But we can say that because seamless gutters are in fact “seamless,” they drastically reduce (even completely eliminate) the leaks, breaks, and structural problems that typically arise with conventional gutters. Seamless gutters are also beneficial in that they result in fewer blockages, protect the roof and fascia of the home, and help prevent flooding.
So let’s talk about the other important factor: cost. After all, seamless gutters aren’t going to be a very realistic or attractive prospect if the benefits aren’t cost-effective. Fortunately, seamless gutters are generally very affordable when you factor in the longevity and advantages they offer.
When national averages are taken into account, the average homeowner is likely to pay around $5.50 per foot for seamless gutters to be produced and installed. For a house with 150 feet of gutters, the final cost works out to $825. This may be quite a bit more than conventional gutters – but again, the benefits pay for themselves in short order.
Here’s another important question in terms of seamless gutters: How do you find a good specialist in your area? Anytime you’re dealing with a product that’s produced and installed on site, the spectrum of quality can be very wide. If you want all the benefits of seamless gutters, and a good overall value on the installation, it’s really important to find an experienced and qualified specialist. Seamless gutters require special skills and special equipment to install, and if they aren’t done right, you might end up with gutters that are more trouble than they’re worth!