Good rain gutters are crucial when it comes to protecting your home and landscaping from water infiltration and damage. If your gutter and drainage system isn’t performing well or is just old and needs to be replaced, you’ll need to decide between two options for the best rain gutter system: sectional and seamless gutters.
Sectional vs. Seamless Gutters
Sectional gutters are made up of short sections of guttering that are connected and fastened at the seams. They can typically be purchased at big-box home improvement stores in 10-foot sections. Sectional gutters are attractive to many homeowners because they’re slightly less expensive and are simple to install, which means even a novice homeowner can easily DIY a gutter installation project.
Seamless gutters, on the other hand, are constructed using specialized equipment and are often formed on-site. The sections are much bigger because they’re all in one piece, and when attached only have seams at jointed points (usually at the corners). This means installation is more difficult and often requires more than one person, as the sections are generally too long for one person to handle alone.
The Benefits of Seamless Gutters
While seamless gutters do cost more upfront for materials and installation, they also provide many benefits over traditional sectional gutters, mainly due to the fact that there are far fewer seams and joints. Here we delve into some of these benefits:
- Fewer leaks, clogs and backups. The more joints and seams your gutters have, the greater the likelihood that leaks will occur at these junctures. In addition, the need for fasteners and caulk/sealant at each joint can slow the flow of water and even lead to blockages as leaves and other debris get snagged by the fasteners. One way to reduce such occurrences and keep your gutters and downspouts clear is to install Gutter Helmet® gutter guards on the gutters.
- Less maintenance. Fewer seams and joints equal less maintenance. This is because seamless gutters accumulate less debris, which means less gutter cleaning is required. Meanwhile, more seams equals more sealant. Even high-quality sealant will break down over time and have to be replaced, which means sectional gutters will require a lot more maintenance than seamless gutters.
- Custom fit. As mentioned previously, seamless gutters are shaped, usually on-site, using specialized equipment, which means each seamless gutter system is fashioned for that particular home. As such, each homeowner is guaranteed a perfect, custom fit, which is essential because gutters that fit well will also function well.
- Greater strength. On average, seamless gutters are much stronger than sectional gutters. This is because seamless gutters, which are formed using a gutter machine, are usually contractor grade and available in .027-inch and .032-inch thicknesses. In contrast, the cheaper sectional gutters you can get from home improvement stores are typically thinner, with a thickness of .024 inches. In fact, these gutters can be more than 20% thinner than contractor-grade gutters, so it’s no surprise that they don’t hold up to the elements nearly as well.
Enhance Your Gutters With Gutter Helmet® Gutter Covers
To find out how Gutter Helmet’s exceptional gutter protection system can make your seamless gutters even better, give us a call today at (800) 824-3772 or submit our online contact form.
