Having a gutter system in your home is a tremendous benefit. New gutters will help improve water flow from the roof and protect the foundation of your home from experiencing long-term water damage. Seamless gutters are less visible than regular gutters and prevent sagging or cracks that can lead to foundation damage. Read on to learn whether or not seamless gutters are the best option for your home.
What Are Seamless Gutters?
Seamless gutters are gutters that extend across each section of the home with no seams. Regular gutters are made into small sections to improve the ease of installation and shipping, but they will need to be put together and sealed as they are installed on the home.
With seamless gutters, there are no seams, and the gutters do not have any breaks or gaps that can eventually become weak spots in the gutter. Seamless gutters will allow for the use of gutters guards, and they are considered more of a custom gutter option.
Seamless gutter materials are typically the same as regular gutters, but you will need professional installation on sight to fabricate the gutters to be a specific fit for your home.
There are more pros to seamless gutters than there are cons. Most homeowners find that reduced costs of gutter repairs, a cleaner look across the home, and lower chances of clogging as the most important reasons to consider seamless high-quality gutters.
Seamless Gutters vs. Regular Gutters
The most important feature to look for in gutters is functionality. Do the gutters work to remove water from your home’s roof and channel it to the appropriate areas? The seamless rain gutters and regular gutters both move water from the roof of the home, but there are some key differences to keep in mind.
- Seamless gutters have a more clean and uniform look as they are one long piece installed on the home.
- Regular gutters will need to be glued or epoxied every 1 to 5 years when sections start to fall apart; this process is time-consuming and if not done properly, could cause gutters to sag and fall off the home.
- Seamless gutters come in aluminum and copper gutters, but not in vinyl, as the material is a bit too cheap for the longevity and strength of the seamless gutters.
- A warranty on seamless gutters is typically considerable longer than on regular gutters
- Even if you are a home improvement DIY expert, you won’t be able to install seamless gutters on your own; it takes years of experience and proper equipment to create seamless gutters on-site and have them installed.
- If seamless gutters need to be repaired, you must replace the entire area; there is no option for removing a small section as you have with regular gutters.
- K style and half round gutter designs are available in both seamless and regular gutters.
Seamless Gutter Installation
The seamless gutters need professional installation. A gutter company will give you a free quote that will include their workmanship as these gutters need specific equipment to be able to be put together. Similar to regular gutters, you will be charged per linear foot for your seamless aluminum gutter or copper gutter.
Seamless Gutter Cost
The seamless gutters tend to cost between $5 and $25 a linear foot. The majority of homeowners will pay in the $12 to $16 range for seamless gutters. Upfront costs of seamless gutters are higher, but they will also have a much longer lifespan. Most seamless gutters last for twenty or more years, whereas the regular gutters need to be sealed and repaired anywhere from 1 to 5 years after installation.
Some gutter installers will charge a fee for the gutter material and one for installation. The installation costs are typically between $2.50 and $3.50 per linear foot. When you schedule a free consultation for seamless gutters, ensure you understand exactly what is included in the cost of your seamless gutter installation. All parts of the job, including custom coloration and clean-up, should be part of your quote.
Factors That Affect Seamless Gutter Price
The factors that affect the seamless gutter price include:
- Material: the more expensive the material you use, the more expensive the gutters will be; copper is the most premium gutter material, and the cheapest gutter material in seamless tends to be aluminum.
- Labor Costs: seamless gutters need to be professionally installed, so labor costs are going to be a major component of total costs.
- Gutter Guards: Many homeowners have gutter covers or gutter guards installed at the same time as their gutters to make gutter cleaning easier; this increases the total price of the project.
- Removal and Prep Work: If you currently have gutters on your home that need to be removed, there will be additional costs involved in this process.
Read about our top gutter cleaning companies to maintain your gutters and increase longevity.
Design, Durability, and Materials
The seamless gutters are available in any type or design that a standard gutter is available. This includes K style, which is the most common, as well as half round. With seamless gutters, you typically have the choice between an aluminum or copper material that is built to last for 20 or more years. Seamless gutter installation crews will stay away from the vinyl materials as they tend to break and become brittle.
Professional vs. DIY Gutter Installation
DIY gutter installation is a great way to save money, but it is not an option with seamless gutters. With seamless gutters, special machines have to be on sight to create the custom fit for your home as the gutters are going up.
Homeowners do not have the machinery or experience to install their seamless gutters. When comparing the price difference between seamless and regular gutters, one of the major factors is the gutter installation costs. Traditional gutters are easy to piece together and put up on a home; they just bring issues regarding longevity and durability.
Choosing A Gutter Type and Material
Several factors go into the selection of gutters for your home. If you are replacing gutters or are putting them up for the first time, here are a few things that should be considered.
Total Cost
The total cost of seamless gutters is higher than traditional gutters; if you don’t have the budget, the seamless gutters may not be the best choice. It is crucial to consider the long-term costs of seamless gutters vs. regular gutters. Seamless require less maintenance, and they will not need to be resealed at any time.
Warranty
Most seamless gutters come with a warranty that is more than 20 years. Regular gutters that are professionally installed typically have a 10 or more-year warranty. Regular gutters that are not installed professionally could have just a year or two of a warranty. Try to consider how important the warranty is in this process.
Color Choices
Both seamless gutters and regular gutters come in different colors. The great thing about seamless is that they will be able to customize the color to work exactly for your house. Talk to your installer about the color options you have and what will help improve curb appeal.
Roof Line
If your roof line is complicated, seamless gutters can be a great solution. With the custom design of this gutter, even small sections can be attended to with ease, and the entire roof line looks professional and complete. With sectional gutters, a complicated roofline can have a choppy look to it.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you now see what a seamless gutter is and how it can help you have peace of mind about your home’s gutter systems. Seamless gutters are better as they can improve water flow, give a clean and professional look to the outside of the house, and they will not need to be worked on or repaired nearly as often as regular gutters. You will pay more upfront, but in the end, your gutter system will be considerably higher functioning than regular gutters. If you have the money to spend and want a better long term investment, seamless gutters are the way to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of seamless gutters?
The advantages of seamless gutters include better curb appeal and a more professional look, increased water flow as there are no ridges or weak spots in the gutters, and improved longevity and durability as a seamless gutter can last for 20 or more years.
What kind of ROI do seamless gutters offer?
There are two ways in which seamless gutters can improve the value of your home. Homeowners find that the ROI on investment is high as the gutters help to improve overall functionality and water flow, but they also enhance curb appeal. The seamless gutters have a professional look that can make any home look better.
What type of gutters is the cheapest?
The cheapest types of gutters are vinyl gutters. If you are looking for a seamless gutter, you won’t have the option for vinyl, as this is not an option in this type of gutter.
Does the type of material make a difference?
As we have mentioned, the seamless gutters typically come in aluminum or copper material. The copper materials tend to have a slightly more extended warranty and lifespan but higher upfront costs. Aluminum seamless gutters are still really high quality and will last for many years; they simply have a lower upfront cost for sourcing the material.
How we Ranked, Reviewed, and Tested the Best Gutter Guards
Here, we’ve broken down our rating methodology for gutter guards. You should know that we’ve taken the utmost care to provide the most up-to-date information and to ensure that you make the best choice for your budgetary and home maintenance needs.
Why Trust Today's Homeowner? Our Gutter Ranking Methodology
At Today's Homeowner, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader. We’ve done the homework for you and have researched over 50 gutter guards so you can have the information you need to make the best choice for your home. That’s why we took the time to create an objective rating system and score each gutter guard and gutter guard provider company according to our gutter ranking methodology.
We also dug into the details of each gutter guard to ensure that you could make the best decisions for your home and keep your gutters debris-free for years to come.
To make the most of our research, we developed a formula to objectively determine the best gutter guards based on the following criteria:
- Material: Material durability was the single most important factor that went into our rating methodology for gutter guards. Whether they were stainless steel micro-mesh or plastic screening, we gave an in-depth rating for this criteria.
- Debris Resistance: Our testing served as the primary evaluator for this factor. We curated a rating based on customer testimonials and our own in-house testing here.
- Ease of Installation: Most of the gutter guard options listed have some DIY component involved. For this reason, guards that required the fewest specialty tools got the highest rating here.
- Cost: How reasonable are prices in comparison to the industry average? We compared the costs of each company to competitors.
- Warranty terms: We looked into the warranty of lifetime warranty terms if it is offered by the provider.
- Trust: What do customers rate the company? We looked into what customers are saying about their experience with the company.
- Buying process: if the gutter guard is a DIY installation, how easy is the buying process? We looked for shipping costs and shipping time, as well as where the product can be bought from.
