Which Gutters are Right for Your Home?

The first thing to ask yourself when you are planning to install new gutters is, “Why?” This pivotal question will help to answer many of the following questions you’ll have before making your ultimate selection.

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

An Upgrade – Installing new rain gutters can significantly affect the curb appeal of your house, enhancing its look in a more subtle way than painting or landscaping.

A New Home – Designing a new home comes with a lot of of decisions about appearance and functionality. Rain gutters are one of them. Choosing the first gutters that go on your house is important because they will need to last approximately 20 years or more.

A Renovation – If your roof been damaged, the gutters might have to be replaced, too. Or, they may simply be aging and need to be replaced with new ones.

You 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 but not spend a lot of money.

Your landscaping is getting damaged by ineffective gutters.

Determining your “Why” will often give you direction while you are shopping for new gutters. You’ll know if certain features are worth spending money on or if you can choose 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 of purchasing new gutters is choosing the style. Gutters will blend in or stand out against your home, depending on your personal 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 cases, other than cold climates, where they can become brittle. Vinyl and plastic gutters are sufficient in nearly every region of the country, and they are available in a wide range of colors.

METAL & ALUMINUM GUTTERS

These mid-priced options are stylish and durable. Both of these materials are available in a wide range of colors too. They are fairly lightweight and are easy to install. Galvanized metals (coated with zinc to protect them) withstand rust and corrosion even better.

COPPER & STAINLESS STEEL GUTTERS

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

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT GUTTER FEATURES?

Most of the gutter materials above offer these options below:

SECTIONAL OR SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Sectional gutters – These rain gutters come in smaller sections, so they are easier to install. In fact, homeowners decide to install their own sectional gutters. This type is the more affordable choice, and they have more seams, which means there are more areas where leaks are going to occur.

Seamless gutters – Seamless gutters will need to be installed by a professional contractor because they need specialized equipment. They are more expensive to order and install, but less likely to leak than sectional gutters.

K-STYLE OR HALF-ROUND GUTTERS

K-Style – K-Style gutters are popular because they look great with virtually any style of home. They’re better for angled roofs, which are more common. This one of the reasons for their popularity. In addition, 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 are best for rounded roofs, popular before 1950, so they provide homes a luxurious, classic appearance. However, more modern styles made out of vinyl and plastic offer the best of both worlds, being both lightweight and functional. Half-Round 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 may dictate a lot about what gutters you should purchase. As we mentioned, some types of materials don’t hold up well in cold climates.

The most important climate factor is how much work the gutters will need to do. Basically, how much water are your gutters going to have to withstand?

Professional gutter contractors in Bayonne can take a lot of factors into account to determine the size and type of rain gutters that are going to work the best for your house.

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 online on the National Weather Service or the U.S. Weather Bureau website. You should also look into the maximum rainfall intensity for the city you live in. This is the maximum amount of rain that will occur within a 5-minute span.

Roof Square Footage – Square footage is a standard length times width calculation for standard roofs. However, you will want to factor in all the surfaces of multi-faceted roofs.

Roof-Pitch Factor – A roof that is steep will collect more wind-blown rain than a less sloped roof. Determining your roof-pitch factor is going to help you determine how much rainfall will be collected, regardless of the average rainfall statistics found online.

DOES IT SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Snowfall will be factored into average precipitation calculations, but you definitely want to consider the potential for ice dams forming on your roof. If it snows often in your city, you should seek professional guidance about the type of rain gutters that help to prevent ice dams from forming, which can really damage your home’s 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 do the work yourself, or if you are going to enlist the services of a professional to install your gutters. Professional installation ensures maximum efficiency, versus doing it yourself.

Most homeowners should consider paying a little extra for professional labor, knowing that the job will be done right. An added bonus of hiring Bayonne Gutters & More! to install the new gutters is that we are able to help you answer all of your questions about new gutters so that you find the best style and type for your home.