Let us guess, you have a question about your gutters?
One of the things we recongize here at Gutter Gurus of Virginia is that not all homeowners are not experts when it comes to exterior remodeling. Just like most people who are not mechanics are not experts, the fact of life is that we only have so much time and we can’t be a “Know it all” with regards to all aspects of life.
But, that being said, when it comes to the exterior of your home, you do want to be well informed about when it comes to things like roofs, windows, doors, siding, and gutters… especially if you’re considering replacing something like your gutters.
That is why today we put together this complete list of the most frequently asked gutter questions! Call it, a Gutter FAQ list!
Gutter FAQ – The Common Gutter Questions Answered
Table of Contents
1. What are rain gutters?
Let us first start by asking the most basic question, what are rain gutters?
Rain gutters at troughs that are mounted on the fascia boards of your home where your roof meets. They are installed flush against your home to collect and distribute rainwater from your roof during storms.
Gutters are essential for rainwater management during storms and they are commonly made out of aluminum, which is hardy and inexpensive overall. Most gutters are “Seamless” meaning they are custom fit for your home and this prevents leaking!
Learn More Here: Seamless Gutters 101
2. Why do I need gutters?
Gutters serve one primary purpose: Protect your home from rainwater.
Rain gutters protect your home by preventing rainwater from draining down the side of your home and causing leaks, erosion, and flooding. Your gutters work with your roof system to be sure that your home stays dry.
Common gutter problems like clogged or missing gutters lead to more issues than you might imagine.
3. How do I know if my gutters need to be cleaned?
Gutters in need of cleaning – sometimes it is easy to spot, other times not so much. Cleaning your gutters is not always simple but as a general rule of thumb, if you see the following, they need to be cleaned:
- Leaves sticking out of gutters
- Rainwater flying off the roof
- Sticks in gutters
- Plants growing in gutters
As a general rule of thumb, you will want to have your gutters cleaned at least 1x per year, usually in the fall. A better option though is to simply get rain gutter guards installed that protect.
4. How much do new gutters cost?
Gutters are really not that expensive to replace when you consider all that they provide. On average a seamless aluminum gutter will run the average homeowner anywhere between $5 to $10 per linear foot depending on size, and sometimes color.
Here at Gutter Gurus of Northern, Virginia, we offer custom aluminum gutters in the 5” and 6” variety, running homeowners $5.50 per foot and $6.50 per foot. That means if you needed 150’ of gutters your costs would be:
| 5 Inch | $5.50 x 150 Feet | $825 |
| 6 Inch | $6.50 x 150 Feet | $975 |
You can use our gutter calculator tool for free and keep in mind these prices are gutters installed!
DIY Gutter Calculator
Figure out how much to pay for new aluminum gutters & gutter guards for your home!
Thanks, we will contact you soon
Select a Size
5" gutters come with 2"x3" downspouts, 6" gutters come with 3"x4" downspouts and drain 400% faster than 5" gutters
Choose Your Color
Please select a color that best works for your home.
Wicker
Dark Green
Dark Grey
Eggshell
White
Ivory
Light Grey
Musket Brown
Red
Cream
Clay
Brown
Bronze
Black
Estimate Footage for 5" Gutters
Please provide the estimated total footage needed for gutters on your home.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for gutters.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for downspouts
Lifetime No Clog Warranty
Raindrop Gutter Guards are an absolutely fantastic way to save time and extend the life of your gutters, roof, and home. By adding Raindrop Gutter Protection System to your order, we guarantee a lifetime of free flowing gutters.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for gutter guards on your home.
Choose Your Color
Please select a color that best works for your home.
Wicker
Dark Green
Dark Grey
Eggshell
White
Ivory
Light Grey
Musket Brown
Red
Cream
Clay
Brown
Bronze
Black
Estimate Footage for 6" Gutters
Please provide the estimated total footage needed for gutters on your home.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for gutters.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for downspouts
Lifetime No Clog Warranty
Raindrop Gutter Guards are an absolutely fantastic way to save time and extend the life of your gutters, roof, and home. By adding Raindrop Gutter Protection System to your order, we guarantee a lifetime of free flowing gutters.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for gutter guards on your home.
Final cost
Here is your final cost, please fill out the form below to get started!
Summary
| Description | Information | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discount : | |||
| Total : | |||
5. Where can I go to buy seamless gutters near me?
Sometimes homeowners ask where they can go to buy seamless gutters “Near Me” and what we often let them know is they can’t.
You can buy sectional gutters at stores like Home Depot or Lowes, but sectional gutters are just as they sound – sections of gutters – that you have to install and mount. These are usually made of vinyl and are very, very cheap in price… and quality.
So to answer the question, to buy gutters you can visit a hardware store. To buy seamless gutters, you need to talk to a gutter company since they custom machine and form gutters on-site!
6. How do I find gutter installers near me?
The steps to finding a gutter contractor near you are simple.
- Click here and contact us if you’re in the Northern Virginia region
- If you’re not, go to a search engine and type in “Gutter Company near me”
- Go to Facebook and “Ask for a recommendation”
You can also use this article which ranks gutter companies in the Northern, VA area!
7. Can I install gutters myself?
Yes, you can do anything you want, this includes installing gutters yourself, but we highly recommend against it!
Our team here at Gutter Gurus wrote this great article on why installing gutters yourself is highly frowned upon because of safety reasons. However, you also have to know what you’re doing, how to slope the gutters and you want to make sure your gutters are seamless.
So unless you have a seamless gutter making machine and a few friends who know what they’re doing to lend a hand, we advise not installing gutters yourself.
8. What are the cheapest gutters?
The cheapest gutters in price and quality are typically vinyl gutters. The most expensive gutters are copper or steel gutters.
Over three in four homes have aluminum gutters and those are the preferred gutters by many because they are:
- Customizable to fit
- Durable
- Inexpensive
- Long lasting
9. Do gutters come with a warranty?
Gutter warranties are determined by the company that installs them. This means it is up to the installer. However, most companies do offer a gutter warranty, it is just up to you to make sure you get the full picture ahead of time.
We have a lifetime warranty for gutters we install and a no-clog warranty when we also install gutter guards. That said, warranties have stipulations and terms detailed here under our warranty info.
10. What color gutters are there to choose from?
Depending on what type of gutters you select, gutters can come in a variety of colors. Aluminum gutters offer the most variety and with over 16 colors to offer from black to red, you have your pick of colors.
Just be sure to always check with HOA stipulations as color changes have to be cleared according to most HOA by-laws.
>> See Here: Gutter Color Guide
11. What sizes do gutters come in?
Aluminum “K” Style gutters that are installed with screw-in hangers come in 5-inch and 6-inch sizes. The bigger 6-inch gutters are preferred because they offer more space to collect water and can manage storms better.
They also have a 3×4” downspout, unlike the 2×3” downspout that comes with 5-inch gutters. This means your downspouts can displace water faster during those heavy summer storms!
12. Do I need gutter guards or leaf protection?
The short answer to whether you need gutter guards or not is this: Yes, or you will have to clean them.
That being said, not all gutter guards are created equally. Some leaf protection is less than stellar to say the least. You can learn all about gutter guards and leaf protection here.
Also, you can price out new Raindrop gutter guards right here for free:
DIY Gutter Calculator
Figure out how much to pay for new aluminum gutters & gutter guards for your home!
Thanks, we will contact you soon
Select a Size
5" gutters come with 2"x3" downspouts, 6" gutters come with 3"x4" downspouts and drain 400% faster than 5" gutters
Choose Your Color
Please select a color that best works for your home.
Wicker
Dark Green
Dark Grey
Eggshell
White
Ivory
Light Grey
Musket Brown
Red
Cream
Clay
Brown
Bronze
Black
Estimate Footage for 5" Gutters
Please provide the estimated total footage needed for gutters on your home.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for gutters.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for downspouts
Lifetime No Clog Warranty
Raindrop Gutter Guards are an absolutely fantastic way to save time and extend the life of your gutters, roof, and home. By adding Raindrop Gutter Protection System to your order, we guarantee a lifetime of free flowing gutters.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for gutter guards on your home.
Choose Your Color
Please select a color that best works for your home.
Wicker
Dark Green
Dark Grey
Eggshell
White
Ivory
Light Grey
Musket Brown
Red
Cream
Clay
Brown
Bronze
Black
Estimate Footage for 6" Gutters
Please provide the estimated total footage needed for gutters on your home.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for gutters.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for downspouts
Lifetime No Clog Warranty
Raindrop Gutter Guards are an absolutely fantastic way to save time and extend the life of your gutters, roof, and home. By adding Raindrop Gutter Protection System to your order, we guarantee a lifetime of free flowing gutters.
Please slide to equal total footage needed for gutter guards on your home.
Final cost
Here is your final cost, please fill out the form below to get started!
Summary
| Description | Information | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discount : | |||
| Total : | |||
The final word on gutter FAQs:
Just looking at this screenshot below from Google, you will see what people commonly search for as it pertains to the most frequently asked gutter questions:
At the end of the day what you will realize is that an informed homeowner is a confident homeowner. That is why we hope this Gutter FAQ guide helped you!
Lastly, if you have any other questions, simply reach out here and let us know right here using our contact form!