New gutters may not be high on your list of roofing priorities. If you have to replace your roof, you’re probably more concerned about cost, style, and installation time than you are about your gutters, and why wouldn’t you be? Gutters tend to be forgotten because they aren’t as essential as roofing, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t an important element of your home. In fact, This Old House estimates that a whopping 1,900 gallons of water fall on your roof during an average rainstorm. During a higher-than-average rainfall—such as a hurricane—the amount of water may be even greater.
Without a strong gutter, you may be opening yourself up to property damage. If you’re planning to upgrade or improve your roof, you may want to consider getting new gutters as well.
Choosing the Right Gutters
As with choosing a new roof, choosing new gutters may be a bit overwhelming at first because of the sheer number of different choices. There are several different components of a basic gutter, and beyond that there are colors, materials, styles, and shapes to choose from. We’ve compiled the most essential information here so you can make an informed decision possible. You can find out more on our Gutters page.
The most common materials that new gutters will be made of are aluminum, steel, vinyl, zinc, or copper. Just as Asphalt Shingle Roofs are the most widely-used type of residential roofing, aluminum is the most common type of gutter. It’s also the most user-friendly material, which makes it easy to install! Another inexpensive option is a vinyl gutter, which has more limited options for color and style but has a low price point to compensate. Copper is a bit more expensive, but more than makes up for it with its gorgeous appearance. Because of its natural beauty, there’s no need to spend money painting a copper gutter. Zinc is also on the pricier side, but like copper, it doesn’t require a paint job and is quite long-lasting. Naturally, the strongest type of gutter material is steel, which is pricey but easy to customize with colors and styles.
There are a few different styles to choose from when picking new gutters, but these fall into two basic categories. Just like with the different materials, there are tradeoffs with each style. K-style gutters are the larger variety, with a flat surface, but are more expensive because of their size. Half-round gutters have rounded surfaces and are a more classic style, but they can’t hold as much runoff because of their curved shape. If you’re interested in more information about the different styles, materials, and colors available for new gutters, check out House Logic’s informative article on gutters.
How Barfield Contracting Can Help
If you decide to install new gutters yourself, you have to go through the process of picking your own materials, determining the right style, and—most importantly—making a series of mathematical calculations to come up with the proper size. If you’re not in the mood to calculate things like roof pitch, average rainfall intensity, extra capacity, and gutter size, give Barfield Contracting a call! We’ll assist you every step of the process, helping you pick out the right material for your style of property, dealing with the mathematical equations, and helping you find the best possible new gutters for your roof.
New gutters can make a world of difference come rainy season, but it’s often neglected when a homeowner is picking out a new roof. If you’re looking to improve, upgrade, or replace your current roof, consider calling Barfield Contracting to install new gutters as well!