As a homeowner, you’ve probably noticed some of your neighbors modernizing their gutter systems with a newer gutter design – seamless gutters. At the same time, you’ve realized your home’s gutter system isn’t directing excessive rainwater away from your house as efficiently as it should. So it has you considering upgrading your gutters, prompting the question, “What is a seamless gutter, and how is it better than the regular gutter I currently have on my house?”
We’ll get to these questions in a minute. But first, it pays to understand that gutters must fit perfectly within a fraction of an inch to work at maximum efficiency. The standard gutters that have been on homes for decades rarely accomplished that.
But seamless gutters perform exceedingly well at doing what they are supposed to do.
We’ll provide an in-depth look at both regular and seamless gutters and show why seamless gutters are now the gold standard for most homes.
Seamless Gutters vs. Regular Gutters
Functional Considerations
Unfortunately, many homes today still have regular gutters, even though seamless designs have existed since the 1960s.
Before seamless gutters, manufacturers made pre-cut sections and attached them using connectors and pop rivets, resulting in regular gutters. Inevitably, the rubber seal in the connectors failed first, allowing the rain gutters to leak.
Leaky gutters are inefficient, don’t adequately control water flow, and don’t fulfill their purpose. Gutters were designed to direct water flow from a roof down through the gutter system and downspouts, then away from the house. This can prevent water damage, mold, and mildew from forming outside the home on the roof, siding, and inside your house due to standing water on the rooftop.
Another disadvantage of regular gutters is their tendency to fill up with debris. The National Weather Service recommends keeping your gutters clean and free of debris to help mitigate wind damage to your roof. One way to help keep your gutters working to their full potential is to install gutter guards that prevent debris from entering the water channel.
When gutters are allowed to become clogged and overflow, the water will fall hard to the ground. This can cause landscaping damage and lead to erosion, so early detection and repair of faulty gutter systems is your best defense against water damage.
Aesthetic Considerations
There are also aesthetic differences to consider when deciding between regular gutters or seamless ones.
Regular gutters are limited in the designs and colors available. Most standard gutters are white, which some homeowners might consider uninteresting and not likely to contribute to their home’s curb appeal. These gutters are also formed in the “K” style, just like other homes on the block, so it also lacks a distinguishing feature.
Seamless gutters can be formed into any number of shapes, like the “K” style, half-round style, and box style. In contrast to regular gutters, seamless gutters can be formed using any color of coil stock available, providing more control over the curb appeal and appearance.
Let’s take a closer look at each type of gutter and better understand their construction and how they compare in terms of performance and aesthetics. We’ll show the benefits and disadvantages of each so you can make the best choice for your home.
What Are Seamless Gutters?
Seamless gutters are custom-made onsite by experienced and trained gutter installers who use a specially-designed machine mounted to a box truck that operates as a mobile gutter factory. Think of it as a factory on wheels right outside your home.
These installers create long sections without any joints or seams in the horizontal length of the gutter itself. The result is a smoother, polished look that enhances a structure’s curb appeal.
More importantly, seamless gutters won’t leak when designed correctly. This makes them perfect for controlling and collecting rainwater.
How Are Seamless Gutters Made?
The machine used to make seamless gutters is a sheet metal brake that bends, forms, and cuts varying thicknesses, shapes, and sizes of sheet metal.
The gutter installer takes accurate measurements to determine the length of each gutter and then applies it to the sheet metal used to form the gutters, known as coil stock. The coil stock is fed into the gutter machine, which expels the completely formed gutter from the other end. Coil stock is eco-friendly because it is made from recyclable aluminum.
Most seamless gutters are installed using a device known as a hidden hanger, which includes a long lag screw and metal bracket. Hidden hangers are great because they are fast, tighten without effort, and are not easily seen from the ground.
Seamless gutter sections can range in size up to 100’ long or more, depending on the design of the building. Installers of these gutters are accustomed to safely handling oversized materials while ascending ladders and walk boards.
The City Of San Diego points out that for every 1,000 square feet of roofing surface, 625 gallons of rainwater is captured for each inch of rain that occurs. The municipality is encouraging its residents by offering a rebate to divert the rainwater from gutters toward their landscapes or for collection in rain barrels.
It goes without saying this is likely to be a more successful undertaking with the use of seamless gutters rather than regular, conventional ones.
What Is a Regular Gutter?
Regular gutter sections are premade in a factory and shipped to local home improvement retailers, including big box stores.
The installer typically uses premade joints, corners, and splash guards to assemble the system. The shape, function, and material of regular gutters are often similar to seamless gutters. So what’s the difference?
Although seamless gutters are usually formed from thicker coil stock than regular gutters, the most significant difference is the length. Standard gutters are generally between 10’ and 16’ long, and most installations require joints to some extent.
As we’ve mentioned, seams are the first place a gutter is prone to failure. As bigger homes become more common, the use of regular gutters is more problematic as the larger a home is, the more joints are required, which results in more seams. These joints will often fail before the rest of the drainage channel because the rubber seal in the joint will degrade in sunlight.
Why Choose Seamless Gutters?
Many gutter professionals and homeowners consider seamless gutters several cuts above the regular kind.
Maybe that’s partly because seamless gutters eliminate almost all of the typical joints and seams that regular gutters have, reducing the likelihood of a leak. They only have seams at angles, turns, and downspouts.
The longer runs against the length of the house have no seams on a seamless gutter. Here are some other benefits seamless gutters provide:
- Less Maintenance
Seamless gutters allow the owner to avoid much of the maintenance required with regular gutters. The older style must also be re-sealed periodically at the seams to extend the gutter system’s lifespan. Seamless gutters require only a periodic inspection and regular cleaning.
- Prevents Clogs, Leaks, and Corrosion
Seamless gutters can help prevent clogs, leaks, and corrosion by eliminating the joints between two straight sections of gutter. The joints, commonly found in regular gutters, create a hump in the bottom of the drain, which can trap roof debris and lead to a significant clog.
- No Gutter Spikes
Before seamless gutters, installers used gutter spikes, which are very long aluminum nails. The tip is driven through the gutter directly into the fascia board at consistent intervals.
However, gutter spikes do not have the threads or rings that often provide the holding power of a nail. Eventually, these gutter spikes will loosen and allow the gutter to sag.
The typical solution is to pound the spike back in, which means it will be driven back into the same hole it just detached from. Since the nail has already loosened once, it will loosen again.
Another standard regular gutter fastener is called a gutter screw. Gutter screws perform the same function as gutter nails, except that gutter screws can be retightened. Neither gutter nails nor gutter screws have the holding power or hidden design of hidden gutter hangers.
- Curb Appeal and Value
Seamless gutters improve curb appeal significantly. Regular gutters look shoddy and in disrepair and lack the sleek, refined look that seamless gutters offer, especially from the street. The joints also tend to grab debris and dirt instead of allowing them to flow safely to the ground.
Seamless gutters do not have the bulky joints that regular drainage channels require, so seamless gutters add to the home’s appearance, not detract. Seamless gutters improve the smooth straight lines needed for a uniform look.
Many home shoppers appreciate the low maintenance and look of seamless gutters and are willing to consider their value in an offer when purchasing a home.
What Are the Challenges of Seamless Gutters?
Seamless gutters have a couple of downsides, but not in terms of performance. Seamless gutters are a significant improvement in performance over regular gutters, but they still require a few seams, are not DIY-friendly, and can be expensive.
Here are some other things to consider about seamless gutters:
More Expensive Than Regular Gutters
Because seamless gutters are custom-made for your home, they are often more expensive to purchase and install than regular gutters.
Require Professional Installation
Operating a gutter machine requires training and experience, so making seamless gutters and installing them is difficult for a DIYer. Seamless gutters are only installed by professionals with the tools, safety gear, and workers to perform a quality job safely.
Not Needed For Complex Roof Types and Designs
The main benefit of seamless gutters is the long, straight sections required between corners. If the roof design is complex, with short areas between the corners, using regular gutters instead may offer significant cost savings.
Seamless Gutters Reduce the Number Of Joints But Do Not Eliminate Them
Seamless gutters technically have seams, but only at turns, corners, and downspout connections. Installers use preformed corner sections, which are permanently sealed and pop riveted to the seamless gutter, forming a permanent joint.
The installer can also create joints with end caps and downspout connections. The result is a reduced number of joints, thus a lower chance of failure. But it’s not foolproof.
Any sealing material, like rubber and joint sealing compound, will fail before the aluminum does. This is why seamless gutters are described as reducing the number of joints but not eliminating them.
Seamless Gutters Are the Modern Construction Industry Standard
Seamless gutters are custom-made for your home, so the fit and function are perfect. They also don’t receive the same complaints from homeowners as regular gutters, such as leaks, poor appearance, and high maintenance.
However, seamless gutters still require some maintenance, like occasional cleaning and inspection. Seamless gutter systems can also be expensive compared to regular gutters due to the custom nature and professional installation required.
Contact our gutter installers for a free estimate if you’re ready to see what new seamless gutters can do for your home. We service homeowners from coast-to-coast in nearly every state of the U.S. Our pros can help you decide which seamless gutter design will look, perform, and last to your expectations.
