What is the Difference Between Seamless Gutters and Regular Gutters?

Oct 18, 2022 | Seamless Gutters

seamless gutters vs regular gutters

If you’ve noticed that your gutters are constantly overflowing, sagging, or requiring repeated maintenance, you probably have regular, sectional gutters.

Regular gutters are installed in sections along your roof. Each piece is held together with brackets and joints that are fastened directly to the roof. This leaves seams exposed along your gutters, exposing them to a higher risk of leaks, damage, and clogs.

Seamless gutters, on the other hand, are custom-made to suit your home’s exterior.

They are made from a continuous piece of material which eliminates many of the common headaches that go hand in hand with regular gutters. Seamless gutters stand out as being resistant to leaks, damage, and clogs. On average, they can protect your home from water damage for 20 years or more.

Seamless Gutter Pros

There are plenty of benefits associated with seamless gutters.

Seamless gutters are cut from a continuous piece of single-coil metal. The most popular material for seamless gutters is aluminum. Copper is popular as well but not nearly as popular given the high cost of copper.

Because they do not have to be assembled in sections, seamless gutters can provide your home with reliable protection against nature’s elements. This reduces the potential for leaks and ensures that your gutters will not suffer any rust damage.

Aside from being strong, durable, and long-lasting, seamless gutters are also incredibly stylish. This allows you to customize the look of your home to suit your preferences. Some people opt for a color that stands out against their home’s exterior, while others prefer their gutters to blend in with the color of the exterior of their home. The options are endless!

When it comes to practicality, seamless gutters are the obvious choice. They require little to no maintenance and can last up to 20 years, saving you money in the long run.

Seamless Gutter Cons
There are minimal disadvantages to seamless gutters. With that said, even the best gutter solutions have their shortcomings.

Since seamless gutters are custom-made to fit your home, you will need to hire someone to install them on your home or find a seamless gutter company that will cut seamless gutters for you to install yourself. Because they are custom-made, the upfront cost for seamless gutters is more than regular, or sectional gutters.

With that said, once your gutters are installed, they will last for decades and require little to no maintenance. This makes them a great investment for your home’s drainage system.

Regular Gutter Pros
Regular, sectional gutters have been in use for centuries. In fact, the earliest models date back to 2500 B.C.

Traditionally, they were constructed from wood and carved into a rounded, trough-like shape. Since then, they have been modified to the K-style gutter that is most common shape today. They are now made from aluminum, steel, vinyl, or copper, which is a lot more resilient than the original wooden gutters they used.

You can purchase sectional gutters in 10 to 20-foot sections, making them versatile enough to use on homes of all shapes and sizes. The sections are connected with brackets to form a comprehensive roof drainage system.

One of the most advantageous benefits of regular, sectional gutters is that they are mass-manufactured so they can be installed at an affordable price.

Regular Gutter Cons
Because regular gutters are adjoined by smaller brackets, they are prone to weaknesses at the points of connection. The joints of sectional gutters can contribute to leaks and clogs, leaving your home at risk of water damage.

Another disadvantage of regular gutters is that they are prone to rust and deterioration. After prolonged exposure to the elements, rust begins to take its toll on sectional gutters, contributing to damage and holes.

Leaks, holes, and rust damage can contribute to a collection of rainwater around your home’s foundation. If left unattended, the water can seep into your foundation and cause water damage to your home’s exterior.

Unlike seamless gutters, sectional gutters must be assembled on-site. This can take a lot of time and can contribute to labor costs associated with installing regular gutters.

Seamless Gutters or Regular Gutters – Which Are Best?
As a seamless gutter company, we’re obviously biased about which option is best. Yes it’s true that you can probably buy regular sectional gutters for less at your local big box store, but do you have the time and experience to install them yourself? And what about the inevitable ongoing maintenance issues you’ll have with sectional gutters?

To make seamless gutters within reach for most people, we have strived to keep our prices as low as possible. We also provide a DYI option to make them even more affordable. If you’d like to know what seamless gutters might cost, get an instant quote using our seamless gutter calculator!

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