Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?

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

In our experience as a local gutter service, here are three reasons homeowners might be shopping for new rain gutters:

An Upgrade – Installing new gutters can significantly affect the appearance of your home, 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. Gutters are one of them. Choosing the first gutters that go on your house is important because they should last at least 15 years.

A Renovation – If your home’s roof been damaged, the gutters might have to be replaced. Or, they may simply be deteriorating and need to be replaced.

You will know why you are replacing the rain gutters on your home, but the reason often has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your home.

You want to renovate without spending a lot of money.

Your landscaping is getting damaged by ineffective gutters.

Figuring out your “Why” will help to provide direction while you are shopping. You’ll know which features are must-haves or if you can go with a more affordable product.

Here are the questions you’ll need to ask when it’s time to install new gutters.

HOW TO CHOOSE GUTTER MATERIALS?

The best part about installing new rain gutters is choosing the materials. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.

These are the choices you will have, in order of cost:

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable choices that hold up well in most scenarios, besides extremely cold climates, where they can deteriorate. Vinyl and plastic gutters are sufficient in almost every region of the country, and they come in a wide variety of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These mid-priced materials are attractive and durable. Both materials come in a variety of colors too. They are fairly lightweight and easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) will withstand rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the gutter materials, copper and stainless steel cost the most, but are the most eye-catching as well. Homeowners inPalatine who purchase these materials are looking 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 rain gutters are made in smaller sections, so they’re easier 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 more areas where leaks are going to occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a local contractor because they need specialized tools. They’re more expensive to order and to install, but they are 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 every style of home. They’re better for angled roofs, which are more common. This one of the reasons for their popularity. And, they are not hard to install. Many homeowners are capable enough to install their own K-Style gutters.

Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are traditionally made of copper and steel, and they recommended for rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they provide homes a regal, established curb appeal. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic provide the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and highly functional. Half-Round rain gutters are much 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 will determine a lot about what gutters you should purchase. Like we mentioned, some types of materials don’t hold up in cold climates.

The single most important climate factor to think about is how much work the gutters will have to do. In other words, how much water are the gutters going to have to withstand?

Professional gutter contractors in Palatine can take several factors into account to get a good idea of the size and type of rain gutters that are going to work best for your home.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional 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 can be found on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also check the maximum rainfall intensity for your area. This is the maximum amount of rain that will occur within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a basic length times width calculation for basic roofs. But, 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. Figuring out your roof-pitch factor will help you determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the rainfall statistics.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is included in average precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to be aware of the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows regularly in your region, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of rain gutters that best prevent ice dams from forming, which could really damage your 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 will ensure maximum efficiency, compared to doing it yourself.

Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for labor, knowing that the job will be done correctly. An added bonus of hiring Palatine Gutter Cleaning to install the gutters is that we will help you answer all your questions about gutters so that you find the perfect style and type.