Gutters are a critical part of every home, ensuring that water is properly drained from the roof to the ground. When searching for new units, it can be difficult to select the correct model that fits your requirements and budget. There are two types of gutters available today: square and round. Surprisingly, all gutters are not built alike and have many different characteristics.
Why Choose Half-Round Gutters for Your Home?
Gutters come in many different profiles and materials, each with their own distinct advantages. It’s important to do your homework before jumping into a gutter replacement project, so you can ensure you choose the best product for your needs and preferences.
Square gutters: Advantages & disadvantages
As suggested by their name, square gutters have a square shape that provides a modern profile suitable for all building types and architecture. Square gutter units are available in two different models: lo-square and hi-square. Lo-square gutters are 110 mm in height, and hi-square gutters are 130 mm in height. Hi-square versions typically cover the edges of most roof sheets and tiles in order to improve their appearance. Lo-square units are neater in appearance than hi-square gutters, and they’re more economical.
Both versions of square gutters offer high water capacities that can easily manage large volumes of water. If you live in a particularly wet and rainy area, then this is a good option for you. Unfortunately, in lighter rainfall areas, square gutters easily clog over time. However, these clogs can be mitigated by adding a gutter guard to break up the fine debris.
Square gutters can be purchased in a variety of colors to match the exterior décor of your residence. Square gutters are extremely durable and will last many years with proper maintenance. There are many accessories that can be added to square gutters, including: gutter mitres, fixing brackets, stop ends, and gutter guards.
K-style gutters are the most popular gutter profile among homeowners today. They resemble interior molding, giving homes a sophisticated aesthetic. They are flat on the side that attaches to the home, allowing them to be installed directly onto the fascia. K-style gutters require fewer brackets and accessories than other types of gutters, which makes them quicker and easier to install. They provide a lovely complement to the angular roof designs that have become more common over the last century.
Historic homes that were built before the 1950s often have more rounded features. When remodeling, owners of historic homes usually want to revive the original look of their homes while taking advantage of modern features to enhance the energy efficiency and weather protection of the home. K-style gutters are typically not the best choice for these kinds of homes; half-round gutters tend to be the better option.
Round gutters: Advantages & disadvantages
Commonly referred to as “half-round gutters,” when viewed from an angle, these units have the appearance of a circle that’s been split in half. Half-round gutters can be built to have a straight back, or created in a semi-circle. This type is excellent for Spanish, Tuscan, and modern homes due to their clean look and smooth geometry that matches the architecture.
In addition to being aesthetically-pleasing, half round gutters deliver superior water carrying abilities as a result of their larger diameter. Also, they require less maintenance due to their smooth, rounded shape. Therefore, there is fewer chance that debris will block the flow of water. Additionally, these units are much better at naturally flushing out debris during light rain than square gutters.
Half round gutters are available in many different colors. They are extremely durable and offer a large number of accessories, including: stop ends, internal and external gutter brackets, and external corners.
About Half-Round Gutters
Half-round gutters resemble a tube that has been cut in half. These gutters have a symmetrical U-shape that complements older, historic homes. However, the rounded shape can also be a good match for modern homes that are designed to be less angular than the norm. Half-round gutters don’t have a flat side, which makes the installation a little trickier than K-style gutters.
Benefits of Half-Round Gutters
The inside of a half-round gutter is smoother than the inside of a K-style gutter. This improves the gutters’ durability and prevents the metal from corroding over time. The smooth surface doesn’t have as many creases for water to collect in. The smooth insides of half-round gutters are also more effective at washing debris out of the gutters. As the top installer of seamless gutters and heated gutter systems, we find that half-round gutters are easier to keep clean.
