Which Gutters Are Right For Your Home?

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

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

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

A New Home – Building a home comes with a lot of of decisions about both appearance and functionality. Gutters are no exception. Choosing the first gutters that go on your home is important because they will need to last approximately 20 years.

A Renovation – If the roof on your home has suffered damage, the gutters might have to be replaced. Or, they might just be deteriorating and need to be replaced.

You know why you are replacing the rain gutters, but the reason usually has underlying motivations…

You want to sell your house.

You want to renovate but not spend too much money.

Your landscaping is getting damaged by ineffective gutters.

Figuring out your “Why” will provide direction while you are shopping. You’ll know if certain 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 fun part about installing new rain gutters is picking out the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your house, depending on your preference.

These are the options for materials, in order of cost:

VINYL & PLASTIC GUTTERS

Vinyl and plastic are affordable choices that hold up well in most scenarios, except in cold climates, where they can wear down. 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 materials are attractive and durable. Both materials are available in a variety of colors as well. They are fairly light and not hard to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) resist rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

Of all the gutter materials available, copper and stainless steel cost the most, but are the most attractive as well. Homeowners in Indianapolis who purchase these options are looking for an elegant touch, and that’s what they’ll get!

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

Almost all of the gutter materials above offer these options below:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These rain gutters are made in smaller sections, so they are easy to install. In fact, homeowners choose to install their own sectional gutters on their own. This type is the less expensive choice, and they have more seams, which means there are more areas where leaks are going to occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters should be installed by a contractor because they need special equipment. They are more expensive to buy and to install, but less likely to leak or wear down than sectional gutters.

K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS

K-Style – K-Style gutters are popular because they look great 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 easy to install. Many homeowners are proficient enough to install their own K-Style gutters by themselves.

Half-Round – Half-Round gutters are traditionally made of copper and steel, and they complement rounded roofs, popular prior to 1950, so they give homes a regal, established curb appeal. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, because they are both lightweight and functional. Half-Round gutters are harder to install, but easier to clean out, when it’s time for gutter cleaning.

DOES CLIMATE AFFECT GUTTERS?

The climate of the region you live in will dictate a lot about what gutters you can have. As we mentioned, some types of materials will not hold up in cold climates.

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

Professional gutter installers in Indianapoliswill take a lot of factors into consideration to determine the size and type of rain gutters that are going to work the best for your roof.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA?

Luckily, the formula professional gutter 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 is available on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You can also look into the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the max amount of rain that can happen within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a basic length times width calculation for basic roofs. However, you will want to factor in 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 to estimate how much rainfall will actually be collected, regardless of the rainfall statistics.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall is going to be factored into precipitation calculations, but you also want to consider the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows a lot in your region, you should seek professional guidance concerning the type of rain gutters that help to prevent ice dams, which could severely damage your home’s roof.

Of course, the final question is arguably 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 enlist the services of a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation will ensure maximum efficiency, instead of doing it yourself.

Most homeowners are better off paying a little extra for labor, to ensure that the job will be done correctly. Another bonus of hiring Indy Gutters, Inc. to install your gutters is that we will help you answer all of your questions about gutters so that you find the perfect style and type for your home.