Best Types of Gutters for Your Home – Family Roofing

Posted on by David Reid

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Best Types of Gutters for Your Home

The gutters on our home do a thankless job.  They do the important job of protecting our home from water damage from rain and snow, but because they do it so seamlessly we often forget they are there.  It is usually not until our gutters start not working properly that we remember that they are even there.  If you are starting to notice water damage when it rains or that your gutters are starting to look worn and tired, it might be time to replace them.

When replacing your gutter system, one of the biggest decisions you will have to make is which type of gutter material to use.  Below are several types of gutters for your home.

Vinyl Gutters

Vinyl gutters are considered by gutter experts to be the best choice.  They have many benefits including how easy they are to install and how they will never rust.  They are so easy to install in fact that homeowners can easily do it themselves because these gutters are lightweight and are easily put together.  They are also one of the more inexpensive choices.

Aluminum Gutters

Aluminum gutters are also a popular choice.  Like vinyl gutters they don’t rust and are easy to install.  If you live in colder climes though, aluminum gutters are a superior choice because they won’t crack or degrade in the colder temperatures as easily.  With aluminum gutters, you can also paint them to match the color of the outside of your house.  The one drawback is that aluminum can be easily dented or bent out of shape.  You can combat this though by only choosing high quality aluminum for your gutters.

Stainless Steel Gutters

Stainless steel gutters are also a great option, but they are more expensive than vinyl or aluminum gutters.  On the positive side though, they are stronger and sturdier than the other two types of gutters and they don’t rust.

Copper Gutters

Copper gutters are beautiful to look at and are often used by homeowners who are trying to keep the original look to their older homes.  They tend to be more expensive though.

There are other decision you need to make besides the type of gutter for your new system like whether to go with sectional versus seamless and K-Shape or Half-Round shape. Aluminum gutters are the only type that offers a seamless option like seamless half-round gutters.  Keep in mind also that K-shape gutters are able to carry more water than the half-round ones and are overall sturdier.

This is a lot to take in, but don’t worry. Even if you are trying to do all this yourself, there is only one thing you really need to focus on.  Can your new gutters do their job correctly and is it an expense that you can afford?   If you decide to install them on your own, there are certain things to keep in mind.  Most important is ladder safety.  If you are nervous about being up on a ladder or are unsteady on your feet for any reasons, you should not get up on a ladder.

If you have no worries on that front then keep these other points in mind:

  • Choose your size.  If you go too small, the gutters will only get overloaded in heavy downfalls leading to a lot of water damage to your home.  The wrong size can also lead to gutter damage and structural damage to your home.  To calculate the right size, you need to figure out the size of your roof and pitch as well as how much rainfall you tend to get in your area.

  • Don’t hang your gutters too far apart.  You should hang the gutter hangers about every three feet or so.

  • Pay attention to the angle of your gutters. Too large of an angle or one not large enough can affect the gutter’s performance.  The general rule of thumb is to allow for a ¼ inch slope towards the downspouts for every 10 feet of gutter.

  • Be careful while installing that you don’t by accident damage the gutters.  You will only be making more work for yourself and adding to your expenses.

Now of course you don’t have to do all the installation yourself.  Call a professional!

Vinyl and aluminum gutters are considered two of the best types of gutters because they are cost efficient, meaning that for what they cost, they do their job well.  They also are not over the top expensive either.  Stainless steel gutters are another great option, but they come with a heftier price tag.  These gutters are the sturdiest of the bunch and they won’t rust at all so if you have the extra money to spend it is a good investment.

Copper and wood gutters are two other options out there, but typically they are only popular with architectural purists who have the money to preserve a certain look to their wood.  For example, if you own a historic home, to stay true to the original home you will want to choose wood gutters.  These will be a big financial investment though.

Besides the material of the gutters, you need to decide between sectional versus seamless and K-Shape or Half-Round shape.  If you prefer the seamless model, you are going to have to go with an aluminum gutter system because that is the only type that currently offers a seamless option.  In addition, when choosing the shape of the gutters, keep in mind that K-shape gutters carry more water and are more structurally sound than the half-round shape.

With all these options, it can be a bit overwhelming.  Remember though that the most important thing is that it does its job moving rainwater quickly and efficiently away from your home.  The rest just comes down to the look you prefer and how much you can afford to spend.

One of the last things you will need to consider is whether you are going to have them professionally installed or do it yourself.  If money is a worry, you can definitely save by installing the system yourself, but you need to make sure you know exactly what you are doing and that you are following safety protocols.

Here are some things to avoid if you are going to install the gutter system yourself:

  • Avoid choosing the wrong size gutter.  Because your gutters need to be able to be large enough to drain away all the rain from your home, finding the right size is crucial. If you go too small, the gutters will only get overloaded in heavy downfalls leading to a lot of water damage to your home.

  • Avoid hanging the gutter hangers too far apart.  The gutter hangers are the way you mount the gutter system to your home so they need to be spaced properly.  If you leave too much space between the hangers, the rain gutters will actually start to sag causing the water to pool instead of flowing through.  If this keeps happening and you have a lot of water pooling in different sections of the gutter system, the extra pressure is going to make the system separate from your home.  The rule of thumb is to place the gutter hangers about every three feet or so, unless where you live there is a lot of snow and ice, then every 2 feet is better.

  • Don’t ignore the pitch of the rain gutters.  The angle at which your rain gutters are hung is an important detail when it comes to a successful installation.  Both too much of an angle and not enough of an angle can affect the speed at which the water flows through the system.  In this case, moderation is best.  Experts recommend that you allow for a ¼ inch slope towards the downspouts for every 10 feet of gutter. The most important thing to remember is that the gutters should never be level.

  • Avoid having too many seams.  The seams in your gutter system is a weak point in the system where leakage can happen so you don’t want to have too many of them in your gutter system.  When shopping for your gutter system, look for one that doesn’t have a lot of seams or better yet one that is seamless.

  • Don’t forget the downspouts.  How you place the downspouts and how many of them you install is also important.  Not having enough downspouts will lead to standing water and overloading of the system during heavy rains.  When they are not placed properly you open yourself to erosion around the area, structural damage and even insect infestation, all of which can end up being pricey to fix.

  • Don’t damage the gutters during installation. The installation process needs to be precise and you need to carefully avoid damaging any of the gutters during installation. If you are installing aluminum gutters they are especially at risk of getting easily bent or dented so be careful that you don’t let one fall to the ground or hit it with the ladder by mistake.  If it gets damaged, you are going to have to replace the whole section and you want to avoid that as much as possible.

Besides the gutter system itself, you should also consider purchasing and installing gutter guard, leaf catchers or other products that help you maintain your gutter system with as little hassle as possible. For example,

Ultimately, you will need to select a style between seamed or seamless.  Choose a shape from half-round, K-style, custom fascia, and box-style.  Then finally decide on a material, including vinyl, aluminum, galvanized steel, zinc, and copper. Factor in the cost, ease of installation, and average lifespan of each product before making a conclusive decision.