BEST TYPE OF GUTTERS FOR YOUR HOME

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Are Gutters Necessary?

Although gutters are not the most exciting feature of your home, they are typically necessary.  Functioning gutters help prevent damage to your home and yard, including the following:

• Soil erosion around the foundation
• Shifts and cracks in the foundation
• Basement leaks or flooding
• Roof leaks and water damage
• Ditches and trenches through your yard
• Flooded garden beds
• Pools of standing water
• Ice dams along the edge of the roof
• Mold and mildew growth
• Stains or rot on the siding

Gutters are particularly important if your home sits at the bottom of a slope, has a short roof overhang, or is surrounded by clay-rich soil.  Any of these conditions will cause water to naturally drain toward your home’s foundation rather than away from it.  Not only are gutters necessary, but so is gutter maintenance.  Many of the issues listed above can be caused or made worse by clogged gutters.

When you are a homeowner, there is always something that needs fixing it seems.  If your gutters are looking worse for the wear and you are starting to notice water damage every time there is a heavy rainfall, then it is probably time to replace your rain gutter system.

How Do Gutters Work?

Gutters line the lower edges of your roof to collect rainwater.  As rain falls, gravity ensures that it flows down your roof and into the gutters.  From there, it will drain into a downspout that empties at a safe distance away from your home’s foundation.

A gutter system has six main parts:

• Gutters: These are the long, horizontal pieces that follow the roofline.  Rainwater and debris flow off the roof and into the gutters.
• Downspouts: These are the vertical pieces of the gutter system that run from the gutters to the ground.  Rainwater drains from the gutters into the downspouts.
• Elbows: These are the L-shaped pieces that are part of the downspout.  Each downspout has at least one, often at the bottom.  Water flows through the downspout and elbows to the ground.
• End caps: These are the flat pieces that cap the gutters at each end.  They form barriers that keep rainwater from exiting on either end rather than through a downspout.
• Hangers and brackets: These are the pieces that support the gutter system.  They may attach to the fascia or siding of the home, depending on whether they are securing a gutter or downspout.
• Splash blocks: These are the optional pieces located on the ground beneath a downspout.  As rainwater empties from the downspout, the splash block helps direct it away from the house.  They are often made of concrete.

In addition to the parts listed above, you may choose to add gutter guards to your system to keep most debris from entering your gutters.  Downspout extensions can replace splash blocks, or you might funnel the water into a rain barrel, a French drain, or another underground drainage or irrigation system.

Because rain gutters can come in different materials and different configurations, it can be a bit confusing to figure out which gutter system is the best for your home.  Your best bet is to talk to other homeowners who have recently gotten new gutters installed to see what their experiences were, and to seek out the advice of a professional.  Below are the best types of gutters for your home.

Vinyl Gutters

Vinyl gutters have become one of the most popular choices for gutter systems.  Their benefits include the ease of installation and the fact that you never have to worry about them rusting.  They are also a more economical choice.  Because the pieces are lightweight and easily snap together, installation is also a lot less complicated making it easier for those homeowners who want to do the installation themselves.  The only caveat is that if you live in colder climates, there is the chance that the vinyl can crack over time, and if you don’t install these properly, you may have water pooling in certain sections.

Aluminum Gutters

Another popular type of gutter is one made of aluminum.  These like the vinyl ones are lightweight and rust-proof.  Other pluses with this type of gutter is that it, unlike vinyl, can withstand cold climates and can be painted whatever color will look best with the outside of your house.  They also come in seamless models.

One of the concerns, with choosing aluminum gutters, however, is that it can be easily dented or bent from a whack from the ladder or being stepped on by accident.  If you are going to go with aluminum gutters make sure they are made of primary aluminum which is of a higher quality and sturdier than if you choose a system made of recycled aluminum.

Aluminum gutters are most suitable for homes with asphalt shingle roofs, which are the most common type of roofing material in the United States. They are also suitable for homes with metal roofs, but may not be the best choice for homes with tile or slate roofs.

Vinyl and aluminum gutters are considered two of the best types of gutters because they are cost efficient, meaning that for what they cost, they do their job well. And they are not over the top expensive either.  Stainless steel gutters are another great option, but they come with a heftier price tag. These gutters are the sturdiest of the bunch and they won’t rust at all so if you have the extra money to spend it is a good investment.

Copper and wood gutters are two other options out there, but typically they are only popular with architectural purists who have the money to preserve a certain look to their wood.  For example, if you own a historic home, to stay true to the original home you will want to choose wood gutters.  These will be a big financial investment though.

Besides the material of the gutters, you need to decide between sectional versus seamless and K-Shape or Half-Round shape.  If you prefer the seamless model, you are going to have to go with an aluminum gutter system because that is the only type that currently offers a seamless option.  In addition, when choosing the shape of the gutters, keep in mind that K-shape gutters carry more water and are more structurally sound than the half-round shape.

With all these options, it can be a bit overwhelming.  Remember though that the most important thing is that it does its job moving rainwater quickly and efficiently away from your home.  The rest just comes down to the look you prefer and how much you can afford to spend.

Besides the gutter system itself, you should also consider purchasing and installing gutter guard, leaf catchers or other products that help you maintain your gutter system with as little hassle as possible.