Some things are OK to “Do it yourself.”
For example painting a wall, building a flower bed, or power washing your deck – though time consuming – can be done by yourself.
However, the temptation to “DIY Gutters” should be avoided.
As a consumer, you have a lot of options in regard to the certain gutters that you can go out and purchase from and the different stores that can provide you the gutters.
In most instances, the first few hardware stores most will default to when they begin their research is either Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Be it for landscaping supplies, lumber or even for their gutter needs and maintenance, Lowes and Home Depot are recognizable brands!
However, while it is tempting to shop at the big-box discounted hardware stores. It’s always best to seek businesses that simply focus on just gutters and gutter maintenance. Usually, they can also provide you with a contractor that can help with any repairs, installation, and so forth.
Whereas the big-box hardware stores refer to someone you could have contacted them directly in the first place. Furthermore, the quality of the gutters found in big-box hardware stores isn’t quite the best.
Home Depot Gutters vs. Lowes Gutters (The Case For Neither)
Both Lowe’s and Home depot sell sectional gutters. All in different finishes, lengths, and materials. However, the downside is that when these gutters are manufactured and placed on display for you to come and purchase, the gutters tend to weigh less in comparison to gutters from a contractor or professional, mainly to make it easier for everyday people to lift, manage, and install the gutter with ease.
While the convenience is good, it may not be too durable to withstand heavy rainfall if you live in an area where it rains frequently and hard. It may also not be durable to withstand small debris falling on it. On top of other consequences for having a thin or bad quality gutter.
Home Depot Gutters
Home Depot, as we mentioned earlier, does not install gutters on your behalf, but rather refers a contractor for you through their portal on their website. When you could have easily contacted the contractor directly from the start without having Home Depot of being the middle man. Furthermore, this same contractor could have potentially installed seamless gutters on your behalf.
Lastly, Home Depot mainly sells Aluminum gutters, while they are more bang for your buck, this sort of material is a lot lighter in comparison to the other materials that are used for a gutter. Over time, it may dent or be damaged, requiring your attention and maintenance.
Lowes Gutters
The main issue a lot of customers from Lowes come across is that not a single rainguard properly fits any of the gutters they have to offer. Nor can they find the proper rainguard that fits the gutter. The gutters are usually dented or bent in awkward ways, even if its the higher quality material used on the gutter. This is mainly due to the fact that the gutter is thinner than usual.
The biggest pro from Lowes is that they can have their own contractor install your gutters, the issue is, they utilize their own gutters. Inevitably, you end up getting the gutters you found at the store, in bad condition, except its professionally installed.
Why Seamless Gutters Are Your Best Bet:
Seamless gutters, while a bit more expensive than their sectional gutters counterpart, usually have a better quality of material, are thicker and can withstand small debris falling on it, and over the long run require very minimal maintenance and leak a lot less than sectional gutters.
Seamless gutters are custom-made on-site. Meaning that a contractor comes down to your home, measures out the side length of the home, and the same contractor uses machinery to cut the exact measurement for that side.
Leaving no sections that need to be connected, not unless its a corner or it leads to a downspout. Shortly after the gutters are accurately cut to fit the size, they are then installed by the contractor.
Learn about custom seamless aluminum gutters here and why they’re the best!
Avoid Sectional Gutters at all costs
Sectional gutters, while they might be cheaper by a $1 or $2, come with a few shortcomings. Sectional gutters tend to clog and leak a lot more in comparison to seamless gutters.
Mainly due to the fact each gutter is pre-cut and connected at the seam with a connector. Even if it’s connected by a contractor/professional. Usually, its the main weak area/point where the gutter fails to contain rainfall water and fail to have it flow properly towards the downspouts.
Furthermore, if that section is damaged, both ends of that gutter won’t function properly. In some worse cases, it may damage the gutter adjacent to it.
Avoid DIY Gutters
Like we mentioned earlier, even having a professional come in and install the sectional gutters, it still comes with the downside of not having that long-term lifespan that a seamless gutter has.
If we take the DIY approach with the gutters, you also run the same amount of risk, if not, more since we do not have the proper experience when it comes to installing gutters, of the gutters to end up leaking.
What’s more, you may injure yourself while doing the task, may not have the proper tools to operate, and may lack the education or information needed to properly install gutters.
Final Word
It is advisable that you try to avoid going into the big-box hardware stores when it comes to purchasing gutters.
Due to the fact that they offer mediocre gutters with mediocre quality. It is also advisable to not take matters into your own hands and install sectional gutters, even if they come from other than a hardware store.
Always try to opt for getting the seamless gutters installed for the longevity of the gutter and for easier maintenance.