Choosing the Right Gutters for Your Home
Gutters are essential to any home. They protect the structural integrity of the building by minimising water damage; they look good too €" a house without gutters is like a Geisha without her makeup, it looks odd.
Buying new gutters for your home can be a costly affair, and so you will want to ensure that you make the best choices in terms of material, colour and strength. Although the initial layout may be expensive, in the long term, you will save money. This is because poor guttering, or no guttering at all, will lead to water damage to the outside of the property, and in severe circumstances can penetrate into the house, causing damp or worse, water logging. You need new gutters if your existing gutters are damaged, or if they are older than 30 years.
There are several different options available to you as a property owner or developer. Depending on your main concerns €" be that money, aesthetics, or environmental considerations €" you may wish to opt for vinyl gutters, cast iron gutters, steel gutters, or aluminium gutters.
The cheapest options, although one we personally believe will add very little aesthetic value, are the plastic or vinyl gutters. These make a good choice if you have little cash in the short term, however, it is important to bear in mind with such an option that these gutters tend to have a relatively short shelf-life, lasting between 5 and 10 years. If you are a property developer and are simply constructing properties to sell on in the near future, then they make a great choice. Likewise, if you are a homeowner, and have very little capital, then they are good. However, if you are searching for a long-term guttering system, you may need to pay a little extra to get something of quality.
To the end of purchasing cheap, and yet long-lasting gutters, then the aluminium gutters are the ideal choice for you. They are only slightly more expensive than the plastic varieties, but they last between two and three times as long; it is common for aluminium gutters to last up to thirty years. Aluminium looks fantastic untreated; however, they are easy to paint, too, keeping their colour a long time. The heavier metals tend to take to the darker paints only, so the range of colour is much smaller. If you are searching for gutters in an unusual colour, then aluminium are certainly best. Clearly, you will need to pay a little more for the additional treatment, but the price will still remain relatively low.
The heavier metals, the coppers, steels and cast irons, are the most expensive. They are also the longest lasting. They do give good value for money, and they look good too, although, as we said, they come in a relatively small range of colours. The problem with these gutters is that they need to be fitted by a professional. They are heavy and require specialist tools to fit. On the other hand, the plastic and aluminium gutters can be fitted by DIY enthusiasts. If you do use a professional service, though, the work will be insured and you should have recourse should anything go wrong.
Buying new gutters for your home can be a costly affair, and so you will want to ensure that you make the best choices in terms of material, colour and strength. Although the initial layout may be expensive, in the long term, you will save money. This is because poor guttering, or no guttering at all, will lead to water damage to the outside of the property, and in severe circumstances can penetrate into the house, causing damp or worse, water logging. You need new gutters if your existing gutters are damaged, or if they are older than 30 years.
There are several different options available to you as a property owner or developer. Depending on your main concerns €" be that money, aesthetics, or environmental considerations €" you may wish to opt for vinyl gutters, cast iron gutters, steel gutters, or aluminium gutters.
The cheapest options, although one we personally believe will add very little aesthetic value, are the plastic or vinyl gutters. These make a good choice if you have little cash in the short term, however, it is important to bear in mind with such an option that these gutters tend to have a relatively short shelf-life, lasting between 5 and 10 years. If you are a property developer and are simply constructing properties to sell on in the near future, then they make a great choice. Likewise, if you are a homeowner, and have very little capital, then they are good. However, if you are searching for a long-term guttering system, you may need to pay a little extra to get something of quality.
To the end of purchasing cheap, and yet long-lasting gutters, then the aluminium gutters are the ideal choice for you. They are only slightly more expensive than the plastic varieties, but they last between two and three times as long; it is common for aluminium gutters to last up to thirty years. Aluminium looks fantastic untreated; however, they are easy to paint, too, keeping their colour a long time. The heavier metals tend to take to the darker paints only, so the range of colour is much smaller. If you are searching for gutters in an unusual colour, then aluminium are certainly best. Clearly, you will need to pay a little more for the additional treatment, but the price will still remain relatively low.
The heavier metals, the coppers, steels and cast irons, are the most expensive. They are also the longest lasting. They do give good value for money, and they look good too, although, as we said, they come in a relatively small range of colours. The problem with these gutters is that they need to be fitted by a professional. They are heavy and require specialist tools to fit. On the other hand, the plastic and aluminium gutters can be fitted by DIY enthusiasts. If you do use a professional service, though, the work will be insured and you should have recourse should anything go wrong.