How Are Gutters Manufactured?

March 27, 2022

Rain gutters can protect your home for decades and the right Gutter Installation methods have a lot to do with it. You start by choosing the right material to manufacture your gutters, followed by their installation on your roof, but there are many important steps in between. Both sectioned and seamless gutters involve a specific installation process, and missing one single step is enough to cause errors in your gutter's alignment and stability. Needless to say, gutter installation is not something you take lightly unless you're prepared to spend a lot of money on repairs later on. Let's get into the basics of the process.

Things To Consider Before Installing Rain Gutters

There are many small decisions that go into building the perfect rain gutters. First, you could go for either sectioned or seamless gutters, each of which follows a particular installation method. When it comes to gutter profiles, k-style gutters, box gutters, and half-round gutters are the three standard choices to choose from and, depending on your home's measures, each of them can carry large amounts of water without letting any of it to drip down your foundations.

Rain gutters are installed a few inches below your roof's edge, usually running through one side of your home; they could also run along two parallel sides if you have an open-gable roof with a deep slope on either side. Your roof's design will determine the best gutter profile, since some gutter sizes are wide enough to hold copious amounts water comfortably but too large to fit into the space below the roof.

Materials are another area where there are multiple options to choose from. Rain gutters are usually made of aluminum and galvanized steel. Copper is also a popular choice for those who favor sturdiness. Vinyl and plastic are also viable, affordable options, but they are more common for sectioned gutters because of how lightweight they are, making things easier for homeowners who attempt to assemble their gutters on their own.

Building and Installing Sectioned Gutters

Sectioned gutters are often a homeowner's choice when they want a DIY approach.

You can find gutter sections of 5 and 6 inches of width and your local hardware store. These sections are also cut to fit a particular gutter profile in case you have a preference toward k-style or half-round gutters. Downspouts, elbows, outlets, and other gutter parts are also sold separately.

The sections of the gutters are assembled to build the gutter run, marking the point where the gutter pieces will overlap, and snipping around that mark to create a 20-degree angle between the two pieces. Then, you can slide one piece of the gutter into the other until all sides and angles fit together tightly enough to prevent leaks. If the two pieces of gutter aren't completely stuck together at a particular side, you can use a rivet to pinch them together and make the whole gutter resemble a seamless guttering system.

After buying the pieces, the rest of the manufacturing is all about mitering and sealing each section together. There's no high-end equipment involved, but this is what makes the process more time consuming. It also provides less accuracy since you'd be working with standard-size pieces that can't be fully adjusted to the space below your roof.

Manufacturing Seamless Gutters

Unlike sectioned gutters, seamless gutters are manufactured from a sheet of metal, and the contractor uses a professional-grade forming machine to shape the materials, producing the gutters on-site. These machines are portable and save homeowners a lot of time to build the whole guttering system. They also allow more precision, which is an essential asset when it comes to manufacturing custom gutters.

Seamless gutters should always be built by an installation company. As such, the installer will bring all the equipment needed for the job to the client's property, including the materials in the client's color of choice. The homeowner/business owner is still heavily involved in the process, making the final decisions for size and profiles. After the contractors have taken all the measurements needed around the property (roof's area and pitch), the machine folds the materials according to the owner's specifications, customizing the gutter to fit perfectly under the roof.

Which Option Is Better for My Home?

There's a reason custom gutters usually stand out from traditional gutters. When we talk about custom gutters, we mean a perfect fit for your home's layout, without leaks or any other weaknesses carried by sectioned gutters.

This also means that seamless gutters are more expensive, but they still keep a reasonable price range befitting a process that's more advanced when compared to the installation of sectioned gutters. When built by a professional, seamless gutters guarantee high-quality materials to match their design, and the installation process is a lot quicker overall.

More importantly, seamless gutters set a new standard for what to expect. They provide enhanced water-holding capacities because there's noting in their structure that could possibly hinder the flow of water to the downspouts. This structure is also what makes them more versatile in a way that ensures easy maintenance and results in fewer repairs through the gutter's lifespan.

Rain Gutters Solution has everything you need to make your gutter installation flow smoothly. We provide the best equipment and materials, and more importantly, our specialists have the skills to ensure your custom gutters fill all the requirements when it comes to durability, visual appeal, and water-holding capacity. You can schedule an appointment with us by calling (305) 270-7779 or filling out the contact form on this website. No matter what you need for your dream gutter, Rain Gutters Solution will get it for you.

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