There are different types of gutters with respect to materials, sizes and styles. We listed here the most common to serve as your quick and easy reference.

Box Gutter

This type of gutter is used mostly on commercial and light industrial buildings because it is capable of holding a large volume of water. Unlike most gutters, box gutters do not hang on the edge of the roof.

Half Round Gutter

The shape distinguishes this type of gutter from other gutter types. It may be made of plastic or metal. Seamless half round gutters are available, which can be installed on the site.

Seamless Gutter

Unlike the traditional sectional gutters, seamless gutters are made and installed on site and have no seams, eliminating most of the causes of leaks. However, they cost more than most sectional gutters.

Fascia Gutter

This one is fixed to a fascia board under the roof. Fascia gutter is customized and affixed to the end of rafter, serving another purpose as fascia board.

Integral Gutter

A style that was popular during the 1960s, integral gutters can hold more rainwater than other gutter types. Its main problem is the potential for leaks since it is inserted between the ends of the fascia and rafters on sloped roofs. Inspection every few years is highly recommended with repairs on the lining to be made every 5 to 10 years.

Copper Gutter

This is an elegant type of gutter that is preferred more for its looks. It costs more – up to 3 time – but is durable and lasts a long time. To ensure a long lifespan, the fasteners must also be made of copper.

Steel Gutter

Galvanized steel is the most common material used for steel gutters. Compared to other materials, steel gutters are heavy to work with, which may not go well with people who prefer to install the gutters themselves.

Aluminum Gutter

This is the most common type of gutter used today. It does not rust and is available in different colors. You can even paint over it. Aluminum gutter may be bought in different thicknesses.

Vinyl Gutter

One of the cheapest gutter materials available and preferred by budget-conscious homeowners. Its drawback is its lack of durability and susceptibility to ultraviolet rays. It is also prone to discoloration.

Wood Gutter

This is not a common type of gutter. You will not normally see one unless you pass by a house undergoing restoration work. Wood gutters were sourced from old growth cedar trees that are no longer widely available today.

Rain gutters San Diego collect runoff water from the roof and direct them to the ground through downspouts. They help preserve the foundation and protect the house itself from the unwanted effects of water and moisture.

Do you know that there are other creative uses for rain gutters, old and new alike? These are just some of them:

1. Gutter Shelves and Racks

This one is not only a space saver but a money saver too. You can mount gutters on the wall and they are perfect to hold those books, flowers, decors and even dishes and shoes. Unlike traditional shelves, these gutter shelves cost much less and could even be sourced from discarded gutters.

2. Gutter Chairs and Tables

If you have the skills and inclination to do things yourself, you can fashion chairs and tables from gutter sections by affixing them together to form different shapes of chairs and tables. Of course, you have to buy foam seats and wooden or glass top for the tables.

3. Gutter Picnic Table Trough

With a little carpentry skills and tools, you can install a gutter trough in the middle of your picnic table for a unique outdoor entertainment. You can use the gutter trough as a cooler box by putting ice and drinks together, or a giant holder for ice cream.

4. Gutter Gardens

If you like gardening but do not have the space for a garden, you can use discarded rain gutters San Diego to grow plants, fruits and vegetables. They will not occupy precious real estate on the ground because you can just hang them on the wall, ceiling, balcony and windows.

5. Gutter Cable Holders

We all see this very-familiar sight – arrays of cables lying tangled under our tables from computers, printers, telephone lines, video players and game consoles. Affix a section of gutter on a horizontal line just underneath the table and place all the cables and wires there.

6. Gutter Irrigation

If you have a spacious garden with plants everywhere, you can use gutter sections strategically arranged like steps to direct water from the roof towards where you need them to water your plants.

7. Gutter Race Tracks

Kids will love this. Place gutter sections of appropriate length on a ramp and use them as race tracks where your kids can see which cars travel farthest and the fastest. Cap both ends, put water and place the gutter sections on the table and you can use them for boat races.

The two most common gutter materials today are metal and plastic. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of durability and cost. Metal gutters such as aluminum, stainless steel and copper are known for their durability and long lifespan. However, they cost more compared to other materials.

Copper gutter is touted to be the most prestigious rain gutter system. Its price easily validates this claim as copper gutter is the most expensive type in the market. However, its functionality and great aesthetic appeal more than justify the steep price tag.

So how much do copper gutters cost? Let us make a comparison of prices with the other more common metal gutter, aluminum.

Price Comparison between Copper and Aluminum Gutters

A standard aluminum gutter will cost around $3.50 to $7.00 per linear foot while a copper gutter will run around $18.50 to $26.00 per linear foot.

An average 2-story, 2,000 sq. ft. house requires 200 linear feet of rain gutter to optimally drain out rainwater from the roof. An aluminum gutter will cost the homeowner approximately $700 to $1,400 (the price includes both material and labor) for this house.

For a copper gutter system on the same house, the owner will have to spend around $3,700 to $5,200 (again, the price includes both material and labor).

Based on these figures, the average cost of a copper gutter is 3 to 5 times more than aluminum gutter.

We add a disclaimer here that the prices quoted above are estimates since the rates will vary depending upon the location of the house, prices of materials and contractors’ rate.

Reasons Why Copper Gutters are Expensive

Why does copper gutter cost more than an aluminum gutter? Here are some of the reasons:

• Copper alloy costs more than aluminum.
• Contractors spend more time to install copper gutters and use extra care to prevent premature staining. They use special gloves during installation.
• Additional works are required for copper gutter such as extra soldering on the joints, which means more labor cost.
• You need copper accessories and fasteners to use with the copper gutters. Aluminum hangers will damage copper. You can use other metals though such as stainless steel and brass.

All these being said, the primary consideration of homeowners who are thinking about using copper gutters for their homes should be whether they really love the look of copper on their roofs. The high cost involved should be justified by the owners’ personal satisfaction of seeing copper gutters hanging on their homes.

Gutters, regardless of material or style, serve the same purpose—they drain your roof by collecting rainwater and directing them to the ground through downspouts.

While their function is basically the same, commercial gutters and residential gutters are treated differently and have, in fact, different requirements. These are the similarities and differences between the two gutter types:

Property Type

As their names imply, residential gutters are installed on residential properties while commercial gutters are used in commercial buildings.

Legal Aspect

A basic difference between these gutters lies in the way buildings or properties are classified by their municipalities. Unlike residential houses, commercial buildings are covered by more rules and regulations that affect the installation or function of gutters.

For instance, some local codes may require the gutters to be made from certain materials or of a certain size. Local rules may also specify how rainwater is discharged to avoid creating hygiene or cleanliness issues or prevent overwhelming the sewer and eventually affecting other establishments around the area. The local requirements for your building size should be known by your commercial gutter company, including other regulations applicable in the area.

Styles and Sizes

Gutters come in different sizes and styles. The more popular styles are the K-style and the box gutters. Box gutters, which can hold more water than the K-style of similar size, have wide commercial applications. The shape provides more protection for commercial buildings with larger roof area. A drawback of a box gutter is its tendency to collect debris, although this problem is mitigated because commercial buildings do not usually have tall trees above them.

The most common sizes for gutters are the five-inch width and the six-inch width. Residential houses usually have five-inch size gutters while commercial buildings, with a greater volume of water to handle, require the larger six-inch size gutters.

Materials

Both commercial and residential gutters are made from the same kinds of materials, which are normally galvanized steel or aluminum. Some residential houses use vinyl and copper as materials for their gutters, which is rarer for commercial buildings. Vinyl is reasonably-priced and a first choice among homeowners with tight budget. Copper gutters, on the other hand, are preferred more for their aesthetic value than function.

Functions

Despite being treated differently by local laws, commercial and residential gutters function exactly alike. Both are designed to carry runoff water, melted ice or snow from the roof to the sewage system and away from the building’s foundation to avoid damaging it.

Rainwater is free. Every time it rains you are looking at free water that you could use for a variety of purposes including gardening and cleaning your porch.

Creating a rainwater harvesting and collection system in Miami roofing is easy and cheap. Here’s how you do it:

Collection Area

Your Miami roofing acts as your collection area since that is the place where rain falls without getting absorbed by the ground. Knowing exactly how much rainwater your roof collects requires a complex calculation and is unnecessary for our purpose. Just keep in mind that the average roof of 25 foot by 40 foot collects around 600 gallons of water for an hour of one-inch rainfall.

Transportation System

The transportation system consists of the gutters and downspouts on the edges of the roof. The type of material the gutters and downspouts are made of is not material; what matters is the size. Both parts have to be large enough to hold and transport the water from the roof. In most houses today, gutters come in either 5 or 6 inch-wide size with attached downspouts having a diameter of 3 to 4 inches. The larger the roof, the bigger the gutters and downspouts should be.

Do not forget to install covers at the top of downspouts to keep falling leaves and debris out, which could block the flow of water down to the receptacles below. Put fine mesh screen on the barrels to keep away mosquitos and other insects.

Storage Facility

This is the last part of our harvesting and collection system. Barrels work great in storing the water collected from the roof. You can find specially-designed barrels at local stores or online or you can customize an ordinary barrel yourself.

Place and connect the barrels to the downspouts nearest to the place of your garden where you will be using the water most often. Clear away rocks and dirt from the area that is large enough to accommodate the barrels. Dig a 4 to 5-inch deep rectangle and fill it with around one-half to one-fourth inch of pea gravel. This creates a drainage around the area to keep water away from the foundation of the house.

Place concrete blocks on top of the pea gravel to create a raised platform on which to place the barrels. The higher the barrels are placed, the stronger the water pressure will be. Connect the barrels using hoses attached to each other at the sides. The more barrels you install, the more water you can store.

While gutter installation can be done by homeowners themselves, they must avoid committing mistakes that could endanger the occupants’ safety or damage the house because of improper gutter installation.

These are the five most common mistakes related to gutter installation and ways to avoid them:

1. Wrong Pitch Calculation

Gutters are installed with a slight pitch to allow water to flow down towards the downspouts. The pitch is normally one to two inches of decline for every forty feet of gutter length. This also allows dirt and debris to flow down and keep the gutter clean and clog-free. Amateur roofers and beginners usually forget to give the gutter this slight pitch.

2. Wrong Gutter Type

Buying gutters can sometimes be confusing because they come in different sizes, gauges, materials and shapes. Problems occur when you select the wrong gutter type for your home. Buy the most durable material within your budget. Consult with your roof contractor or supplier on the right size and width of gutter suited for your home. Most houses today use a 26 gauge 5 to 6-inch wide K-style aluminum gutter.

3. Wrong Gutter Location

People assume that since rainwater runs off the edge of the roof then they should place the gutters also on the roof’s edge. This is actually wrong practice because water tends to pull back up on the underside of the roof through capillary action and drips down under the roof. It will slide down the fascia and soffit, damaging boards along the way. Position the gutter a few inches under the roof to prevent this from happening. Another solution is installing drip edge under the first course of shingles.

4. Improper Welding of Seams

Sectional gutters have to be welded together and sealed to prevent water leakage. The seams are the weakest points of gutters and usually the areas where problems occur. Exposure to harsh weather and extreme temperatures could crack the seams and damage the gutter. Be careful when welding together and sealing seams because they present the biggest potential problem. If seamless rain gutters are available in your area, use them instead.

5. Inadequate Hanger Spacing

Gutters are fixed to the roof with the use of hangers that must be carefully spaced together to provide a proper lift and support to the gutter. The spacing between the hangers are around three feet or less. Gutters could sag from improper spacing of the support system and tug at the whole gutter system. Left alone, the gutter could eventually rip off the side of your home. Check the instructions of the manufacturers and place the hanger accordingly.

Gutters help protect your home by collecting rainwater on the roof and routing it to the ground through the downspout. In doing so, gutters prevent water damage to your house.

Rainwater will overflow on a clogged gutter and pour over the side of your house resulting to potential damage to windows, doors, siding and foundations. To prevent water damage from a clogged gutter and avoid expensive repairs that could reach thousands of dollars, regularly clean your gutter to keep them debris-free.

We outlined a simple guide for you to follow in gutter cleaning Seattle:

Things You Will Need For Your Work

• Work or Rubber Gloves
• Sturdy Extension Ladder
• Garden Hose
• Plumber’s Snake
• Trowel or Gutter Scoop
• Bucket or Plastic Tarp

Cleaning the Gutter

1. Wear long-sleeved shirts and heavy work gloves to prevent injury to yourself especially your hands. Sharp objects or metal parts are often lodged inside a clogged gutter.
2. Clean the roof of leaves and other debris before working on the gutter so that next time it rains, these potential clogging materials do not wash into the gutter, effectively doubling your work.
3. Use a handy garden trowel to scoop out debris, dirt and leaves in the gutter. Start working at the drain outlet on the lowest portion of the gutter. The debris is easier to remove when it is damp and not dried or encrusted.
4. Dump the debris on a bucket or plastic tarp to spare your lawn from dirt and avoid cleaning up later.
5. After scooping out the dirt, wash the gutter using a garden hose. Clean the entire length of the gutter, this time working towards the drain outlet. Check the elbow of the gutter or curved portion of the downspout to make sure there are no clogs. For hard-to-remove encrusted dirt, you can use a stiff brush to scrub it off.
6. If water still does not freely flow down the downspout and drain pipe, flush water down using a hose. For persistent dirt, use a plumber’s snake to remove the debris.

How Often Should You Clean Your Gutter?

Clean your gutter at least once a year. A better option is to clean it twice a year preferably in spring and autumn. If you have overhanging trees near your roof, twice a year gutter cleaning is recommended. You should also clean your gutter after the occurrence of big storms. Dirt, leaves and other debris could have been blown into your gutter by the strong winds.

Vinyl gutters in Houston are becoming increasingly popular among homeowners and installed in more homes today. Similar to other roofing materials, they have their good and bad points. Knowing their pros and cons means being able to make an intelligent decision on whether to use vinyl gutters for your homes. We listed the advantages and disadvantages of vinyl gutters below:

Advantages

1. Durable

Vinyl gutters Houston are made from Polyvinyl Chloride, commonly referred to as PVC. PVC plastic has some outstanding qualities that are not found in other materials, including resistance to corrosion. This feature alone makes vinyl gutters a very good option for wet or rainy areas. PVC does not dent when accidentally hit by hard objects such as a ladder.

2. Easy Installation

Vinyl gutters are lightweight compared to other gutter materials. This makes it easy to install vinyl gutters, which drastically cut down installation time on the part of contractors resulting to reduction of overall costs. Because of the ease of its installation, vinyl gutters are preferred by many do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiasts. However, if you are not certain about your roofing skills, we recommend hiring a professional to do the installation because gutters have to be correctly hung in order for it to function properly.

3. Reasonable Price

Compared to other gutter materials, vinyl gutters are cheap. A 10-foot section could be bought for $3 to $5, although there are additional expenses for accessories such as couplings, hangers and downspouts. With these added costs, you could be paying $3 to $5 per linear foot. This is still a bargain compared to other materials.

4. Color Consistency

PVC plastics are dyed and not painted. A vinyl gutter will have the same color all throughout its body. If the gutter is scratched or scraped, the damage will not stand out because the exposed area will have the same color as the rest of the gutter.

Disadvantages

1. Brittle

PVC plastics have the tendency to become brittle when regularly exposed to extreme weather conditions. They could crack or split when left outdoors for an extended period of time, particularly when they are exposed to excessive heat and cold.

2. Inferior Products

Cheaper versions of vinyl gutters are available in the market, which are thinner and more brittle than the more expensive ones. They are more susceptible to damage and failure with age. The thicker and better the plastic, the less likely it will break down with time.

3. Non-Appealing

People consider vinyl gutters as having an inexpensive look, and therefore, visually unappealing. If the physical look of gutters is a primary consideration for a homeowner, then vinyl gutters are at a disadvantage because of their non-elegant appeal.

Gutters were originally available in sections or pieces that are joined together and sealed to prevent leaks. New technology spawned the seamless gutters consisting of a single piece of material and installed as one unit.

Seamless gutters have distinct benefits over sectional gutters. The comparison between the benefits of the mentioned types of gutters are listed below:

Eliminates Leakage

The superiority of seamless gutters over sectional gutters is best exemplified by their ability to prevent leaks. In this, seamless gutters perform much better than sectional ones. Since joints on seamless gutters are found only around corners and downspouts, water leaks are eliminated. Even the best sectional gutters employ seals on joints, which will eventually wear away over time and continuous exposure to heat and cold.

Less Maintenance

The joints or seams at the bottom of sectional gutters create ridges where debris eventually forms. Twigs, leaves and dirt accumulate on this area and may lead to clogging. Other problems arise because of debris in gutters. Critters, birds and pests normally go into gutters while weeds can go up walls and into adjoining houses. To prevent and remedy these issues, you will have to observe a regular maintenance schedule.

This problem is avoided with the use of seamless gutters. Chances for debris and other dirt to accumulate and clog the gutters are greatly minimized. If you have a seamless gutter, you will be performing less work and maintenance on your roof unlike sectional gutters.

Assured Quality

Since your roof has to be accurately measured before installation of seamless gutters, the latter fit perfectly well once made. The quality of workmanship is also assured because it is performed by professionals who knew their jobs, unlike in sectional gutters where homeowners with inadequate knowledge on proper gutter installation could undertake to do the work themselves.

More Appealing

Sectional gutters, with their unsightly joints and fasteners, are behind seamless gutters when it comes to aesthetics.

Diverse Style

A wide variety of materials are available for use in seamless gutters including aluminum, steel and copper. They also come in various colors so that you can choose the best one to complement the color and style of your house. Seamless gutters do not require repainting because they are produced with baked or enamel finish.

More Value for Your Money

While they cost more than sectional gutters, seamless gutters pay for themselves in the long run with low maintenance and repair costs. Not only will you save money but also time and efforts in repairing or replacing damage-prone sectional gutters.

A roofing system does not last forever. Eventually, one or more of its components break down and need to be repaired for minor damage or totally replaced for major one. The degree of deterioration and time it takes before they need maintenance work depend to a large extent on the materials used for the part.

Take for example, the roof gutters Seattle. Gutters play an important function in the roofing system by collecting rainwater from the roof and directing it downward to the ground through a downspout or the more artistic rain chain. Because of its constant exposure to the elements, gutters eventually degrade.

Impeding to a certain degree, the deterioration of gutter is within the means of homeowners by choosing the right material used for making the gutter. Metal and plastic are two of the most common gutter materials today. People who prefer metal gutters do so for its durability and strength. Unfortunately, metals are prone to corrosion or rust. That is the reason why some homeowners choose stainless steel gutters for their homes.

Stainless steel is a term used to refer to the stainless quality of gutters. Stainless steel has anti-corrosive element, making them ideal for use in a variety of corrosive environments. This quality allows the gutter to remain stainless for years if not decades. Without the destructive corrosion to affect it, stainless steel gutters need not be replaced and will last a long time.

Advantages of Stainless Steel Gutters Seattle

Strong

They are practically indestructible. Stainless steel gutters are strong, durable and can take punishment from even the harshest elements. These two qualities – strength and durability – make stainless steel gutters an attractive option to most homeowners.

Durable

Since stainless steel can handle both hot and cold temperatures, it is the ideal gutter material for houses located in harsh climates and storm-prone areas.

Shiny

They are shiny and look pleasing to the eyes. The shine coming from the stainless steel makes your gutter look always new despite having been installed for some time. Because of this quality, stainless steel gutters can add luster to and improve the aesthetic appeal of your homes.

Rust-Free

They do not rust. This factor is perhaps the single most attractive quality of stainless steel gutters that cause people to select them for their homes. A distinguishing characteristic of stainless steel from other metals is its anti-corrosive property. One of the strongest reasons people choose stainless steel gutters over other metal gutters is its ability to resist rust or corrosion.