Seamless Gutters Vs Traditional: The Biggest Decision You’ll Make

The decision between seamless gutters vs traditional is a constant thought that troubles many homeowners while they are looking for a new gutter system. Gutters play an important role in protecting your home and foundation from water damage.

However, if you choose the wrong gutter system, you may end up spending more money than you should. So how do you make the right decision?

To choose the right type of gutters, it is essential that you learn all about seamless gutters vs traditional gutters. To help, the expert team of Epic Exteriors Roofing has put together this detailed article on the major differences between the two popular types of gutters.

Before we begin, it will be helpful for you to go through the benefits of having a sturdy gutter system in your home. This will help you understand the difference between traditional and seamless gutters, without any confusion.

What Is A Gutter System?

Gutters and downspouts work together to direct water away from your roof, porch, deck, foundation, and basement. They are one of the main parts of your roof’s drainage system.

Rain gutters run along the upper borders of your roof, collecting water, hail, leaves, and other debris. Downspouts are pipes attached to these gutters, carrying everything that is collected in your gutters to the ground and away from your home.

What’s The Importance Of Gutters?

Seamless gutters vs traditional is a trending topic among homeowners in New Jersey. In seashore towns like Toms River, it rains a lot, and the chances of seasonal storms and floods are high every year.

It is essential that all homeowners in areas like these have a well-kept gutter system to direct rainwater away from their homes and foundation.

• Gutters are an effective way to safeguard your home from water damage caused by runoff. Water that runs off a roof can cause quick wear and tear to the exterior of a house. Even if you have waterproof vinyl siding, moisture can still get trapped behind it. If you don’t have an effective gutter system, mold can develop on your roof and inside your house. This can lead to a musty smell and additional water leaks throughout your home.

• Without gutters and downspouts, rainwater will pummel the ground around your foundation. Moist soil around it will soak up the water, which can cause your structure to become unstable, and increase the risk of basement leaks.

• You can manage runoff water with a fully functioning gutter system. Installing gutters and downspouts so that water and debris do not create ditches or pools in your yards and lawns can also help prevent erosion.

Seamless Gutters Vs Traditional Gutters

Both seamless and traditional gutters fit almost any type of roof, but they each have their own pros and cons. Your choice of gutters will depend on your area’s climate, your budget, and the type of roof you have.

Composition

Traditional gutters are sectional gutters. It means they are made with smaller sections that are joined together, and it’s necessary to seal the joints carefully. Roofing professionals use caulks and other adhesives to seal every inch of traditional gutters. This carries a lot of weight because most leaks are created at the joints.

On the other hand, seamless gutters are made from one continuous piece of metal. They have no joints in the middle, which can significantly reduce the chances of leaks. Seamless gutters offer great protection for your soffit, fascia, and siding.

Durability

The sections or joints in traditional gutters are basically their weak points. With time, traditional gutters tend to sag down or hang away from the fittings. Loose fittings can cause your gutter system to break down entirely. It becomes easy for water to leak through faulty gutters, and this can lead to damage to your roof, foundation, and more.

Seamless gutters eliminate the risk of gutters becoming damaged at the joints. The best thing about seamless gutters is that they are made from one piece of metal. This reduces the risk that they will be damaged, and is why seamless gutters typically have a longer lifespan. When you are trying to decide between seamless gutters vs traditional, durability is the strongest point of difference.

With no joints, seamless gutters don’t have any weak points. Expert gutter companies will customize your seamless gutters according to your roofline. They use all the right tools on the spot to measure, build and install seamless gutters that will stand the test of time.

They will study the details of your home to make one continuous gutter board. After that, they cut a single piece of gutter for a particular area and place it according to the other components and construction of your roof.

Maintenance

Over time and with regular use, debris can build up in traditional gutters’ joints, blocking them and causing them to fail prematurely. Regular cleaning and maintenance are required to keep these types of gutters working properly.

Seamless gutters are easier to maintain, more durable, and will typically last longer than traditional gutters. They are also more resistant to cracking and leaks. You can clean them when necessary without having to worry about making repairs every season.

Appearance

While discussing seamless vs traditional gutters, most homeowners love to talk about the aesthetics. Since gutters and downspouts aren’t that pretty, it affects your home’s curb appeal.

However, seamless gutters come in the form of sleek boards, with fewer nails and screws than traditional sectional gutters. This allows you to choose from a wide range of options that complement your home’s look and feel. Also, making and installing a k-style or fascia gutter with no joints becomes very easy.

Cost

This is one of the most important points you will learn about seamless gutters vs traditional. Most homeowners miscalculate the cost of gutter installation. It happens because the purchasing price of traditional gutters is less than that of seamless gutters. However, seamless gutters may need frequent repairs, adding to costs over the years.

Seamless gutters are more efficient, and their cost is high when we calculate the purchasing price and installation fees. But the fact is, the endless benefits of seamless gutters make up for all the initial charges.

They are low-maintenance and very durable. Moreover, they go easy on the eyes, toning your home’s overall curb appeal.

Are Seamless Gutters Really Seamless?

That’s a good question. The answer is that seamless gutters are made from a single piece of material, so there are no joints or seams. They only have a joint at the end of the board- at the roof’s curve.

What Are The Different Types Of Seamless Gutters?

There are different materials and design options for seamless gutters. Your choice plays a vital role in deciding the effectiveness of your gutter system.

Materials

Usually, people use Aluminum, Steel, Zinc, Copper, and vinyl for their gutters. While vinyl is the cheapest and lightest, it doesn’t last long and starts leaking sooner than any other material. The strongest and most durable of them all is Copper metal.

Design

You’ll be surprised to know that seamless gutters can come in more than 20 shapes. The most popular styles are half-round, K-style, and fascia gutters.

Half-round gutters give the old-school feeling. However, they are not so good during heavy rains and storms. The most popular style is the K-style because it’s good to handle harsh weather. But if you have a large roof or live in storm-prone areas like Toms River, go for fascia gutters. They go right onto your fascia boards, offering maximum protection.

Can You Install Gutters By Yourself?

When people research seamless gutters vs traditional, they often try to figure out if they can do it on their own. But the fact is, if you are not an expert, you can make multiple installation faults.

At Epic Exteriors Roofing, we will never suggest you do it on your own. Other than the possibility of a faulty installation, there are safety issues too.

If you’re thinking of saving a few dollars, think twice. It can cost you more in the long run and, most importantly, the stress of repairing your gutters frequently.

Does Code In New Jersey require Gutters?

This won’t be a tough guess for you. In New Jersey, it is required by the Code that you have a primary roof drainage system- gutters and downspouts.

You are required to set the location and size of your roof drainage system according to the rainfall rates of your area. The rainfall rate in Toms River and other parts of Ocean county is 6 inches per hour.

You can read more about residential building codes for gutters on UpCodes.

Expert Thoughts

Epic Exteriors Roofing is a family-owned company that’s committed to helping all homeowners make the best choice for their homes. We care for your budget and the safety of your family.

So, if you ask our opinion on seamless gutters vs traditional, we would always tell you to go for seamless gutters. That’s because we’ve seen these gutters protect hundreds of roofs for a long period of time. We have also been using seamless gutters in our homes, so we know how much better they are!

We hope that this article was helpful to you.

If you have any more questions, contact us at (609) 342-9829. We are always excited to help our community!