| What You Need To Know About Gutters | | | | They are either made of vinyl, painted aluminum or |
| Materials | | | | pre-painted steel. Gutter sections are joined together |
| Gutters come in various materials, sizes and colors. It is | | | | by snap-in-place connectors. All sectional systems |
| no surprise then, why consumers feel so perplexed | | | | have end caps, corner pieces and drop outlets for |
| when it comes to purchasing the right gutter system | | | | connecting to downspouts. The negative to sectional |
| for their home. | | | | systems is that there is a potential for leaks through |
| Wood, vinyl, aluminum, steel and copper are some of | | | | the seams. One positive is that they can be installed |
| the materials that gutters and downspouts are made | | | | by either the homeowner or by a professional installer. |
| of. Wood is the least popular because of its high | | | | Seamless gutters are the most popular type today. |
| maintenance and price. Vinyl is great for | | | | The biggest selling point is that they don't have any |
| do-it-yourselfers and can be found at | | | | seams which could potentially leak. The sections join |
| home-improvement centers. Aluminum gutters are the | | | | only at inside and outside corners and at downspout |
| most common. Primary aluminum is the thickest and | | | | outlets. Seam¬less gutters are usually formed |
| most consistent kind. Avoid secondary aluminum, a | | | | from aluminum that has a baked-on finish, but they |
| recycled product that's often plagued by inconsistent | | | | may be made from copper or factory-painted steel. |
| thickness. Metal gutters are made in sheet metal | | | | They are made with a special machine that's brought |
| shops and require gutter specialists to install them. | | | | to your home by a gutter contractor. These types of |
| Types of Gutters | | | | gutters can not be installed by do-it-yourselfers. |
| Sectional types are sold in 10ft. to 22ft. long pieces. | | | | |