Gutters are necessary components of every home's exterior. However, there is a wide range of quality among the many available gutter solutions. When you're in the market for new gutters, there are several factors to consider before you choose a type for your home.
This article goes through the differences between gutter alternatives and how to choose the best one for your house. Water can cause staining and rot to home structures, and concentrated rainwater can degrade paved surfaces. The post offers information about what can happen to a property if it doesn't have a gutter system.
What is a Gutter
Gutters are an essential part of your home's drainage system. They direct water from the house's foundation and carry it away in downspouts, protecting the siding, windows, and foundation from water damage. These downspouts are connected to underground drain pipes that carry water away from the foundation.
Gutters are essential to protecting your home from harsh weather conditions. Properly functioning gutters also protect your home from the harmful effects of mold and mildew. Your gutters also prevent your basement from flooding, helping keep your floors dry and healthy.
Why Gutters are Essential
Your home's gutters play an essential role in keeping your home and yard clean and tidy. Water can pool and rot your landscaping if your gutters aren't properly functioning. The water can also attract insects and create breeding grounds. These insects can be annoying and harmful to you and your family.
Gutters not only keep your home clean, but they also protect your home from future roof problems. They also help prevent damage to the foundation of your house and garden beds. Aside from keeping your home safe, gutters also help protect your investment and make it more attractive to prospective buyers. When your home is built in a sloped area, it's especially important to install gutters.
Without gutters, rainwater could cascade onto your home's foundation, destroying the soil and displacing essential minerals. Gutters are necessary to prevent this damage and make rainwater easier to handle in your garden.
What's The Best for My Home
When choosing gutters, you should consider the style of your home. For example, if you live in an area with a lot of pine trees, you will want to consider gutters that look like crown molding. This will give your house a finished look.
Also, ensure that the color of your gutter matches the siding, trim, and fascia on your home. These are the three primary materials you'll encounter when selecting gutters for your home:
Vinyl: Usually comes equipped with silicone gaskets that help provide a tighter seal and adapt to all weather types. However, vinyl gutters seldom rot or rust but can become brittle and crack under extreme cold.
Aluminum and Steel: These metals, while looking more colorful, have a propensity to rust and need to be soldered well together around the home.
Different Gutter Options
Choosing between different gutter options for your home is important for a number of reasons. Whether you're concerned about falling debris or prefer a sleek and modern aesthetic, there is a gutter type for you.
K-Style Gutters
The most common style of gutter is the K-style gutter, which is also easy to install if you're looking to DIY. Like half-round gutters, they come in five or 6-inch widths but feature rectangular downspouts. Their backs are flat, allowing them to be nailed directly onto your facia boards without brackets--unlike some other types of gutters. Although K-style gutters have many advantages, one downside is that because of their inner angles; they tend to collect more debris than others and require more effort when cleaning.
Half-Round Gutters
These gutters feature a semicircular design and a curved lip with round downspouts. Half-round gutters come in 5-inch and 6-inch widths, which many homes built before 1960 feature. If your home is historic or brick, these gutters are perfect because they follow local ordinances' requirements.
Custom Fascia Gutters
These are seamless, custom-built gutters that provide a contemporary look. A professional will need to install your fascia gutters, working with you to create a system from one long piece of aluminum. This aluminum piece is tailor-made according to your home's measurements and roof's pitch. It's important to note that you'll likely pay twice as much for fascia gutters than half-round or K-style gutters.
Box-Style Gutters
Box gutters are oversized and designed to handle downpours. They are standard commercial and industrial buildings but can also be installed in residential homes. They come in 7-inch, 8-inch, and as large as 10-inch widths. Because of their size, you'll need a bigger roof than average to accommodate them.
Box gutters aren't attached to the edge of your roof, unlike other gutters. Instead, they utilize a high back section that ducks beneath the shingles of your home's roof. As a result, box gutters must be installed during construction.
Absence of a Gutter System in a Home
A gutter system controls the amount of water that flows off the roof. Without one, the soil around the foundation is exposed to excessive water, which can lead to cracks and shifting of the foundation. Excessive water can also lead to mold growth and damage the home's structure.
The absence of gutters on a home can also affect its value. Lenders may be hesitant to provide financing to a home without them, as a home with a gutter system is more appealing to buyers.
In addition, a buyer may have to reduce the price of the house if it lacks gutters. A homeowner may not intend to sell their home but still want to increase the property's value. The absence of gutters can also negatively affect curb appeal.
If the gutters are not installed correctly, you can expect thousands of dollars in damages to your home. This situation is not good, as water will damage your home's foundation and siding.
The Takeaway
A leaking gutter is inconvenient and expensive to repair. Water away from your property is the goal of efficient gutters. Systems that leak will result in your basement being flooded, your roof rusting, and possible foundation issues.
If you have ineffective and leaking current gutters on your house, you'll see discoloration in the paint, rust spots on the fascia boards, and eventually need to replace more than just the underperforming gutters.
Zups Construction provides seamless aluminum gutters and downspouts for your house, with various color options that allow the use of your property to match your own.