Which one is better, seamless gutters or regular gutters?
We actually get this question quite often and we quickly let homeowners know that seamless gutters are regular gutters, they’re just custom fit for your home!
Now, that said we know that gutters are not every person’s forte. Without much thought about the gutter itself, we clean our gutters and forget about them after.
But what if I told you if you stopped to consider the type of gutter you have, you would be in a better position to know how you can best take care of them and/or replace your gutters for a better value one that’ll save you time, money, and peace of mind.
When it comes to the overall make-up of gutters, there are two different varieties most people think of:
- Seamless and
- Regular gutters
Today, we are going to clear up the confusion and give you more insight as to what these two types of gutters actually are and what is best for you!
Regular Gutters
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Traditional-style gutters, distinguished by their use of multiple seams, comprise of 10-20 feet in length sections that wrap around the roof of the house that are linked together by couplings and sealed shut at the joints.
“Regular gutters” can come in a variety of materials including the following:
1. Aluminum Gutters
The most common gutter material is aluminum gutters, followed by copper.
Aluminum gutters are strong, durable, resistant to rust, and therefore, a durable long-lasting option for many homeowners.
Some may entertain the possibility to paint their gutters to match the color scheme of their house, but if not, you usually don’t have to paint them, because manufacturers offer aluminum that can be found in different colors.
2. Steel & Copper
Steel is one of the most desirable types of material for traditional gutters for its strength and resistant to the powerful strain of the elements like heavy rain, snow, and so forth. However, Steel and moisture are not exactly compatible, which makes it prone to rust and installing it on your house can be hard work, because of its heavy weight.
3. Vinyl
Vinyl is one of the easiest materials to install for gutters and have some great perks in their resistance to rust, cost-effectiveness, simplicity in installation, and lack of any fine-tuning of the aesthetic appeal since it can be offered in a multitude of colors.
However, unlike aluminum gutters, they aren’t as durable and can be vulnerable to the elements. Heavy rain and snow can crack, dislodge, and damage vinyl gutters.
This is why in most cases, vinyl gutters are almost always a NO-GO and we do not recommend using them. Read in full detail about aluminum vs vinyl gutters here!
Seamless Gutters
Seamless gutters are often made up of the same material that regular gutters are made up of such as steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, and so on. However, they are not broken up in sections like the traditional ones, instead they are merely joined and sealed together by joints/miters at vertices around the roof.
This lack of seam in how they are designed makes it more apt to reduce the possibility of leakage as opposed to the traditional gutters, which is why they have been gaining more popularity these days.
Now knowing some background on the two, here’s a side by side comparison!
Comparison Between Seamless and Regular Gutters
1. Installation
The major difference between the Seamless and Regular gutters is that the former needs to be installed by a professional and the latter can be converted into a DIY project.
Seamless gutters are cut and measured with precision to meet the exact length for your house onsite, so doing it yourself is a tall task to do.
On the other hand, regular gutters, which are divided by sections can easily be joined together without any sophisticated measurement, which keeps cost lower than if done by a professional. The cost overall depends on confounding variables such as durability of material, cosmetic shape-ups, etc.
2. Maintenance & Durability
Traditional gutters are far easier to install because they are divided into separate sections which allow you to compartmentalize the installation, one section at a time, however, it is important to consider that maintenance will need to be consistent since repairs of the joints will need to occur over time. Regular, sectional gutters are typically only used by DIY people!
Seamless gutters require more effort to install, not a DIY project like mentioned previously, but maintenance is simple as the joints in the vertices around the roof of the house are the only areas to check in on.
3. Preventing Leaks
Since regular gutters do in fact have seams, their likelihood for leakages increases often due to the material and style of installation. Faulty joints are often a reason why leakages occur.
However, seamless gutters, contrary to regular gutters, are designed in a specific way to reduce the likelihood of leakages, albeit not 100% leak proof. Less to repair holistically.
Who Wins? You Decide!
The most important variable to consider is need, each household has a variety of needs that differ from one household to the next. However, the constant, thematic element of deciding between seamless and regular gutters is best explained by contrasting the question of short term vs. long term?
As for the facts, seamless gutters are more apt to prevent leakages, are low maintenance, and are more durable, but take a little more effort to install than its counterpart, but overall almost 99% of homeowners and gutter installers prefer seamless gutters!
Also, you can see below that seamless aluminum gutters are reasonably priced in between $5.50 to $6.50 per linear foot!
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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
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Red
Cream
Clay
Brown
Bronze
Black
Estimate Footage for 5" Gutters
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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.
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