Seamless Rain Gutters Explained, Everything You Need to Know.

Seamless Gutters are a type of rainwater system that mounts to the eaves (horizontal sections) of your roof line.

The term “seamless” is a relative term and often misunderstood. The term comes from the invention of the Roller Forming Machine which takes a long roll of coil and continuously ‘roll-forms’ a single piece. Before this machine, gutters were made in short, usually 10-foot sections and had to be seamed together at each joint. Contrary to how it may sound, Seamless Gutters still have seams at corners and bends, but do not in most cases have joints at regular intervals.

Seamless Gutters are made on site, no matter the length of the roof line each piece is made to length.

In East Texas temperature varies wildly, and because of that material lengths are generally kept below 100ft and specific ‘expansion’ joints are added to longer sections so that the material can experience it’s natural expansion and contraction without damaging the gutter system. See the drop down for “heat buckle” for more information.

The main horizontal portion of a gutter system what mounts to your fascia is called the Gutter.

The vertical sections that mount to walls and posts are called Downspouts.

When the Gutter turns around the roof line, we call that either an Inside Corner or an Outside Corner.

The connection between the Gutter and the Downspout is called an Outlet.

The bracket that supports the gutter is called a Hanger.

The bracket that holds a Downspout to the wall is a Strap.

The flat piece of metal often seen sticking up in an Inside Corner is called a Valley Shield.

Seamless Gutters are typically made of Aluminum, though Steel, Galvalume, Copper, and Lead are common alternatives. These metals come in coil form, generally weighing about 350lbs per coil.

The Aluminum used on gutter is generally .027 thick and painted on 1 side, though at THE GUTTER GUY™ we use a 20% thicker .032 Aluminum coil on our most common 4 colors.

Downspouts are generally thinner than their corresponding gutter size, with a standard 3x4 Downspout being .019 thickness (though this varies by manufacturer) The thinner downspout material is not a quality concern because unlike the gutter, there is no structural nature to the downspout, and it doesn’t carry anywhere close to the same weight as the gutter.

Steel and Galvalume™ coils are typically 26 gauge.

Most styles, like K, Box, and Straight Face mount to the fascia board of a house with a 1.5” Coated hex-drive screw through a Hanger bracket spaced every 24”.

If your house has a 1×2 or ‘Drip Mold’ (a small piece of wood between your Fascia and Roof, Then the screws switch to a 2” or longer screw to reach through to a stronger substrate.

In the case of installation over a 1×2, there’s an added part called a Bumper behind each bracket that prevents the gutter from sagging or tipping forward.

Whenever there is drip edge flashing on a house, the gutter is slid up behind the drip edge to make sure water doesn’t go behind the gutter.

A functional, but very slight slope is added to the gutter in the direction of the nearest downspout to make sure water goes the proper direction.

The correct amount of slope on a gutter is determined by the specific application, however in general terms, only about 1/4” per 25 feet is necessary most of the time.

If you can visibly see the slope, it’s probably too much and is causing more negative aesthetic than it is helping flow.

Much more important than heavy slope is Downspout location. A good estimator and installer should be able to see any natural lean, or settling in your house and design a gutter system that gets water where you need it to be without visually fighting with the look of your house.

A good rule for Downspout placement is that there should be no more than 25 feet (for 5” gutter) or 35 feet (for 6” gutter) of gutter per downspout.

There are MANY different styles, Shapes and Sizes of Seamless Gutter. The most common style that you are probably familiar with is called K Style. This style has a straight back and bottom, with a pronounced Ogee Shape to the front that was designed to look like a Cornice board from colonial architecture. This is a very strong, durable and versatile shape that is pleasing to the eye and fits most architectural styles perfectly.

This K Style also comes in many sizes. The most common sizes are 5” and 6” (4”, 7” and 8” are also available but less common) In addition to K style, there are Box Style, Straight Face Style, Half Round Style and Commercial Styles that all come in varied sizes.

Box Style has Squared off straight lines with no curves, typically installed with squared off downspout. Sizes range from 5” to 8” with the most common size being 6”. At THE GUTTER GUY™ we install quite a lot of Box style gutters on contemporary and modern architecture. Often with Round downspouts, a combination that works particularly well on mid-century modern homes.

Straight Face, or Angled Face gutter is another style that exists purely for the aesthetic value. It keeps the same dimensions and internal components of K style but removes the curves, making it a great option for ‘Barndominiums’ and metal buildings. It generally is installed with standard, or square downspouts and is offered in 5” and 6” sizes.

Half Round Gutter is a very classic style that is most often found on Spanish or French style architecture. It has an iconic old-world look that has stood the test of time. While most seamless gutter styles use internal hidden hangers for a smooth, sleek appearance, half round usually uses decorative external ‘cradle’ type brackets that are themselves decorative. Half round gutter is installed with round downspouts and often with large decorative ‘conductor’ heads. This style is sure to turn heads and is often used on high-end homes as a statement piece.

Commercial Style Gutters are large gutters, usually NOT seamless, and made with a front that is taller than the back so that they hide the edge of an R-panel Roof. At THE GUTTER GUY™ we often remove Commercial Style gutters and replace them with appropriately sized Seamless gutters so that the property owners can use some sort of leaf protection which isn’t available on Commercial style Gutters.

Gutter styles are designed with architecture in mind, here’s a simple chart that shows where we would generally recommend specific styles of gutter.

Leaf Protection systems come in countless forms and brands but generally fall into just a few categories. These types are NOT created equal, and all have pros and cons.

Mesh Type Guards are the most common types of leaf protection available. They also exist in MANY forms:

Large Hole Expanded Mesh guards are usually the cheapest type of leaf protection, and very popular for DIYers, but their large hole design makes them not a good choice for anything besides large stiff leaves and debris. Typically found on the DIY market for $1-3 per foot, or $3-5 per foot professionally installed.

Stainless Steel Mesh guards are our professional favorite generally found with between 14 and 30 stainless wires per square inch. These guards are ideal for keeping a maximum amount of debris, including shingle grit out of your gutters. This type of mesh guard is marketed under many names and comes in many forms. At THE GUTTER GUY™ we prefer a 14-mesh Leaf Blaster Pro® guard as it works fantastic in East Texas with our pine and oak trees. The 14-mesh works better than all the rest when used with a metal roof.

When choosing stainless steel mesh guards, you pay close attention to the construction quality. A very popular brand of stainless mesh guard is LeafFilter®, but they consist of a light gauge mesh supported by a vinyl frame which is notorious for sagging and deforming.

When comparing mesh type guards, consider the material strength because durability is paramount. The downside to Stainless Steel mesh types is usually cost with TV advertised brands coming in over $25 per foot and Leaf Blaster® (what we use) Generally at $10 per foot Installed.

Punched Type Guards

Punched type guards are the most common type you will see from professional installers. These guards consist of a panel of aluminum with a hole pattern punched into it. These guards work extremely well in many scenarios and are generally very cost effective. Punch type guards are usually not visible from the ground and have a dark painted finish allowing them to disappear into the roof. The downside to this style is that because of their surface area being equal to or greater than the amount of holes they splash and overshoot water when used on metal roofs or with steep pitched roofs. These types are almost always identified with a brand name that uses the word Flo; Sure-Flo, Smart-flo, EvenFlo Etc. Professional Installation will run $4-6 per foot on this type of guard.

Helmet Type Guard

Helmet or Adhesion Type guards consist of a solid curved sheet of painted aluminum that starts under your roof and curls down into your gutter.

These styles are typically found under the names Gutter Helmet® or LeafGuard® Gutter though many generic brands are available. We have had negative professional experience with these types of guards since their invention. The concept of water adhesion, though technically sound, breaks down when dirt and leaves are introduced. We have found extensive evidence of wet leaves and debris following the hood down into the gutter and clogging the system up with cleaning being a very in-depth process.

These guards generally cost $12-20 per foot installed and are not available on the DIY market.

Filter Type Guard

Filter Type guards are a DIY only style that consist of a very porous foam strip that fills the entire inside of the gutter. For obvious reasons, that foam quickly becomes a site of composting, making the filter a giant clog. We consider these DIY options, along with downspout strainers, something to avoid entirely.

Which is best?

All situations vary, but if you’re in East Texas the Stainless-Steel Mesh, and the Punch Type guards will most likely be your best bet with the stainless-steel mesh being the top.

1. Runoff control

Nobody wants to walk through a waterfall to get into your warm dry house. A seamless gutter system allows you to manage the water coming off your roof and control where it comes down. A 6” Gutter can generally move water about 35 feet to a downspout, allowing you to get that water down in a more convenient location.

2. Foundation protection

A gutter system can protect against foundation damage. The water falling from your roof line often causes erosion that takes dirt away from the edge of your foundation leading to settling and cracking.  If you walk around your house without gutters, you will likely notice a stain or discoloration on your siding or brick that starts at the ground and tapers up about 16 Inches. That is your ground being eroded and splashed onto your wall. You might also notice a ‘cut line’ around the perimeter of your house, that is the same thing. Preventing that erosion often saves you from costly foundation repairs.

3. Window and Door Protection

Gutters can protect your doors and windows from that roof line splash. If you see damage at the bottoms of your doors, or water coming in at your windows it’s highly likely that a gutter system can reduce that unnecessary wear and water intrusion.

4. Landscaping

Landscaping is expensive, it’s never fun to look out the window and see your new mulch floating down the driveway. A properly installed gutter system can get that water down to the ground and avoid wishing out your landscaping. We offer several options for getting water across your flowerbeds.

5. Air Conditioners and Generators

Your Air Conditioner condenser, Pool Equipment and Generators are made to be outside, but excessive water falling on them causes damage. A gutter system can save a lot of hassle and prolong the life of your outdoor equipment.

6. Rainwater Collection

Whether you’re an Off-The-Grid prepper or a weekend gardener, rainwater storage can be beneficial. THE GUTTER GUY™ offers a wide range of water collection systems from 40-gallon decorative barrels to 1400-gallon cisterns.

Maintenance on your gutter system can GREATLY increase the lifespan. A typical seamless gutter system has a lifespan of about 15 years, which mainly hinges on the sealant used in the corners.

Proper maintenance includes making sure your gutters stay clean of debris and not growing plants. Once or twice a year hosing down the outside of the gutters with a light detergent like DAWN® dish soap can keep the paint looking clean.

The most common forms of damage to gutter systems are generally Falling Limbs, Ice, Tall vehicles and trailers. Keeping your trees trimmed back is a very effective way of extending the life of your gutter system.

1. Curb Appeal

A Seamless Gutter System can really make your house stand out. While color choices are completely up to you, we prefer to use gutters that are an accent color. The gutter system is primarily for function but that doesn’t mean it can’t look good. Scroll through a page of real estate listing and notice that your eyes will pick up the houses that have accent color gutters.

2. Rain Chains

Rain Chains are a decorative alternative to Downspouts. If you have an outdoor living space or a decorated porch, using rain chains can add a lot of decoration with visible water moving and wind-chime like sound profile.

3. Architectural Trends

Home and Garden Trends exist, and most people want to stay up to date… that’s why you probably don’t have mauve or teal toilets in your house. In our experience trends tend to last about a decade, and that corresponds well to the lifespan of your gutters, so we encourage you to stay trendy. At THE GUTTER GUY™ we track the colors we use on a chart so you can see exactly what’s popular and how that changes from year to year.

4. Straightening out older roof lines

Putting a new gutter system from THE GUTTER GUY™ on an old house can be a quick way to straighten out sagging rooflines. When seamless gutter is installed correctly, we can straighten out all the uneven lines and make a house look square and straight again.

Costs change over time, and sometimes rather quickly. Currently, a new 6” Seamless Gutter System on an average house runs about $10 per foot. A whole house will typically cost $2000-$3000 and leaf guards add about $1000-$2000 extra.

Standard Systems consisting of 5” or 6” gutters. $8-$10 per foot

Premium Systems consisting of 6” gutter with a Stainless-Steel Leaf guard. $15-25 per foot.

Copper Gutters start at $50 per foot.

Rain Collection

Variations are endless but 40gal Rain Barrels start at $100 and 1400-gal above-ground cisterns start around $2200.

Experience

Seth Forrestier, the Owner has been installing gutter since 1996 and opened THE GUTTER GUY™ in 2009. Seth teaches professional gutter installation on a national level through Gutter School in the form of online instruction, and in-person training events. What we sell is unique in that we do not use a single supplier, but have literally traveled the country to get our specific parts and materials based on our testing and preference. The ordering is much more complicated, but we know what we want, why it’s better and how to use it properly.

The owner’s experience isn’t the only thing that matters though. We have a great install team with 5-18 Years of experience each.

Quality Specs

We go above and beyond industry standards with thicker coil, heavier brackets, form fitting outlets, and the largest selection of styles finishes.

Customer Service/Installer Salesmen

We don’t believe in sending salesmen who are trained in sales only... Our 4 salesmen are also regular installers. We want to make sure what we offer you is what we do and no middlemen to muddy up details. When you ask our salesmen a question you get THE answer.

Accolades

We have been around for a long time and worked a lot of places. If you want references, you can find them from East Texas Builders Association, Longview Historical Society, Marshall Historical Society and many of the premier home builders in East Texas. You can also view our reviews on our google places page.

In-person and Text-Based Communication.

It’s important to us that we have clear lines of communication, so when you contact us for a quote either by phone, or the contact form here on the website, we send you a text to arrange a time for a quote (typically the same or next day).  We prefer to meet you in person at your location so we can make sure we’re quoting exactly what you want. Once we get that drawn up on our detailed quote sheets, we scan that and text that to you with any pertinent details so that you have a detailed quote in writing. Scheduling is texted so that we can both refer to the conversation later.

Billing invoices are sent via email or text. Balances can be paid by cash, check or card with no extra fees for card processing.

Review system

After the completion of the project we’ll send you a link for a google review and we GREATLY appreciate it when you leave is a review and rating.

We have a 10-year warranty, it covers the basics of slope, mounting bracket failures, etc. Unless noted in specific scenarios, the warranty doesn’t cover wind, ice or tree damage, though we are known for being liberal with our warranty coverage, and good-faith requests can almost always be accommodated.

Heat Buckle is a type of damage that occurs to Seamless Gutters when the material expands more than it’s shape allows. It’s easily identified by the sharp and localized warping, tearing and breaking when no external damage has occurred.

Heat Buckle is a geographic problem more than anything, and East Texas is one of the most common areas to see it. Our hot summers and relatively cold winters give us 100 degree temperature swings annually.

At THE GUTTER GUY™, we try to make sure our installations only happen when the coil is above 50 degrees, this means that we are never mounting the gutter in it’s most contracted form.

We also use 20% thicker .032 thickness coil on our 4 most popular dark colors. This thicker coil can withstand a lot more temperature variation than the standard .027.

In addition to the thicker coil we limit run lengths to about 60 feet before they get an expansion joint.

More information is available on our Coil Thickness Standards in Residential Installation paper.

We don’t use just one supplier, we have working relationships with over a dozen manufacturers to get the best-of-the-best from each one.

Hangers - We special order a niche bracket from GPI called the G2 Boss. It’s an .064 Aluminum bracket that has an extra-wide profile. It’s almost 2x bigger than the industry standard Alcoa style Raytec Hangtite and far less susceptible to front-lip failure.

.032 Coil - The industry standard thickness is .027, but we much prefer the strength and reliability of the thicker coil. We stock this coil in Black, Dark / Light Bronze, Musket Brown. Most other colors are available in .032 as well, with a short wait time for custom orders.

Outlets - It’s quite common to find small and large gutter installation companies alike using an ‘x-method’ instead of an outlet. The x-method is when the installer cuts an X where the downspout goes and simply folds those 4 tabs down to attach the downspout. This practice leads to torn connections and leaky spouts. THEGUTTERGUY™ uses form-fitted outlets that ‘click’ down into place and then seal, providing a strong, leak free connection that doesn’t go bad.

14-Mesh Guard - We think that Stainless-Steel mesh type leaf guards are the best fit for East Texas trees, but we also have notoriously heavy rains. We special order a 14-mesh LeafBlasterPro® guard (14 wires per inch) instead of the standard 30-mesh. This allows our leaf guard to work exceptionally well in heavy rains, even on metal roofs with increased water speed.

Multiple Color Decks - Because of our extensive list of suppliers, we have nearly every gutter material color available on the market. (including European markets)

Tooling - You might not think of it, but the extent, quality and experience of tooling a company has makes a HUGE impact on the quality of work done. We have one of the largest collections of trade-specific machinery in the country and the expertise to use it. Our installation rigs are built out with all the tools necessary so that the installation goes without a hitch.

1. Gutter - A horizontal trough designed to catch water and direct it to a downspout, the main part of a gutter system.

2. Downspout - A vertical section of a gutter system, a conduit for getting water from the gutter to the ground.

3. Gutter System - An integrated assembly of gutters and downspouts that catches water from the roof and transfers it to the ground in a controlled manner.

4. Coil - a roll of flat metal fed through a roll forming machine to produce sections of seamless gutter.

5. Gutter Machine - A roll forming machine designed to make a specific shape of gutter.

6. Gutter Profile - The shape of a gutter, common profiles include K-style, Box, Straight-Face, Half Round and Fascia style.

7. K-Style - A gutter profile identified by its flat back, flat bottom and ogee face.

8. Box Style - A gutter profile identified by it’s 90° angles and lack of curves.

9. Straight-Face Style - a gutter profile that shares all of it’s dimensions with K-style except for a flat plane for a face in place of the ogee.

10. Half Round - A gutter profile identified by it’s 180° curve and round front lip.

11. Standard Downspout - a shape of downspout that is rectangle with rounded edges and flutes on all the flat planes for rigidity.

12. Box Downspout - A square or rectangular downspout with (4) 90° edges.

13. Round Downspout - A downspout that is a round tube with no edges.

14. End Cap - A formed piece of material that functions as the end of a length of gutter.

15. Corner or Miter - The point at which a gutter turns; often seamed with a narrow form-fitted piece called a strip miter.

16. Outlet - the point at which a gutter connects to a downspout; also a flanged ring of material that fits into a hole in the gutter and seals, to which a downspout can mechanically attach.

17. Hanger - A bracket, typically inside a gutter that spans from front to back and holds the mounting screw which hold the gutter to the substrate.

18. Mounting Screw - most often a 1.5” or 2” hex drive #10 screw either made of stainless-steel or more often a coated zinc-steel.

19. Valley Shield - A flat piece of material standing upright in a gutter corner that stops fast moving water in a valley from overshooting a gutter.

20. Rain Chain - A collection of links or decorative cups hanging from an outlet that serve as a whimsical or decorative way to get water from the gutter to the ground; an alternative to a downspout.

21. Rain Barrel - A storage container, often decorative that stores rain water for later use; filled by water from a downspout.

22. Leaf Guard - A device or product designed to keep leaves and debris out of a gutter system.

23. 5”, 6”, 7” sizes - Gutter sizes are measure from front to back across the top edge, that measurement is the size of the gutter; consequently the length of the hanger as well.

24. Yankee Box - A historic type of gutter that is behind the fascia and inset into the roof as apposed to modern gutters that attach to the fascia.

25. Fascia - The outmost vertical edge board of a roof, where gutter is typically mounted.

26. Drip Edge - An L or T-shaped piece of material that starts under the roof surface and bends down over the fascia stopping water from going behind the fascia.

27. Euro Box - A profile of gutter identified by its very minimalistic shape consisting of a flat back, bottom and face and 90° edges.

28. Rain Collection System - A system of rain barrels, pipes and/or pumps for collecting, storing and using rain water collected from a gutter system.

29. Soffit - The horizontal surface that connects the exterior of a wall to the fascia.

30. Gutter Cleaning - The hosing, scooping or blowing out of debris from a gutter.

31. Embossed Gutter - Gutter that has been fed through an extra machine that impresses a raised repeating pattern onto a gutter.

32. Bead or Rib - The term for an indention roll-formed into a gutter for added rigidity.

33. Oil-Canning - An unintended waviness in gutter caused buy uneven material expansion.

34. Heat Buckle – A severe thermal expansion failure occurring when material growth exceeds available movement allowance, resulting in warping, wrinkling, seam failure, or material tearing.

35. Thermal Expansion - The predictable linear growth of a material as temperature increases.

36. Expansion Joint - A seaming device or product that is designed to provide a water-tight connection between two sections of gutter yet allow the two sections to expand and contract independently of each other. Preferred versions do so while being as invisible or as unnoticed as possible.

37. Ogee - A double-curved profile resembling the middle portion of the letter “S,” commonly used in K-style gutters to provide both decorative detail and structural rigidity.