What Is the Difference Between Seamless Gutters and Traditional Gutters?

Seamless gutters are growing in popularity among homeowners and businesses alike. But what exactly are they, and how do they differ from traditional gutters? Get your gutter-related questions answered in this article.

Understanding the Difference

Traditional gutters are known by many other names, including regular gutters and sectional gutters. Traditional gutters are made out of pre-cut sections that can be assembled on-site — one section of a traditional gutter typically ranges from 10 to 20 feet in length. Traditional gutters have multiple seams that can be joined together using connectors or couplings. Following that, soldering is performed to ensure that they are secure. When choosing traditional gutters, you can also select from various material options. Gutters were often fashioned of wood in the past. However, thanks to technological advancements, you now have materials such as vinyl, aluminum, copper, and steel to choose from.

Seamless gutters are one-piece gutters with no seams, as the name implies. They can be made of painted steel, copper, or aluminum. However, aluminum is the most popular option due to its lightweight design and incredible durability. You will not have to worry about leaks with seamless gutters since they do not have any seams. It is one of the reasons they are so popular. When you request a commercial and residential seamless gutter installation, the installer will bring a single piece of material — such as aluminum — and cut it on-site to install the gutter. 

Which One is Better?

Traditional gutters are easy to install — if you are a skilled do-it-yourselfer, you can even undertake the project independently. On the other hand, DIY installation of seamless gutters is not possible. This is because you will need to cut the material to create a seamless gutter of the correct dimensions, and an untrained person cannot operate the required cutting machine. This is why hiring an expert to install your seamless gutter is necessary.

Traditional gutters are unquestionably superior in terms of installation. However, they also have a shorter lifespan due to the same reasons. The connectors make them easy to install, but they are also a weakness of traditional gutters as they can rust, become detached, form cracks, or suffer from other issues down the road. The problem of leakage can also emerge. When the gutter begins to leak, the entire purpose of installing one is defeated.

Seamless gutters might be difficult to install. However, since they are in a single piece, there will not be any leakage. The singular structure means that it will not develop rust or cracks or chip away. Moreover, since they consist of sturdy materials like aluminum, you will not have to worry about constant residential or commercial roof repairs — with minimal care, your seamless gutters can last for 15 to 20 years.

It makes sense to invest in a seamless gutter. Although they are more difficult to install than traditional gutters, they are more durable and require fewer maintenance checks and repairs. Because seamless gutters demand less care, they will end up costing you less than traditional gutters — even if they are more expensive initially!