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Without rain gutters, your home would fall apart. Gutters direct rainwater away from your siding, landscaping, roof and foundation, preventing foundation settlement, mold, corrosion, basement flooding and other water damage. Different types of gutters have different levels of protection and durability, and it’s crucial to select the right kind for your home.
This guide breaks down all the information you need about the different types of gutters. We at the Home Media reviews team have also recommended some professional gutter guard services. Gutter guards block debris from entering your gutter system, preventing overspills and decreasing the frequency of cleaning and maintenance. From researching the best gutter guards on the market, we gained in-depth knowledge about how gutters operate, how different materials influence their performance and insights into what makes one gutter system better than another.
Below is an in-depth breakdown of the two most popular gutter shapes.
K-style gutters are the most popular gutter style. They have flat backs, making them easy to install yourself. You can nail the gutters directly into your fascia boards — the outer surface beneath your roof’s edge — without needing complicated support hangers.
K-style gutters come in standard sizes of 5-inch to 6-inch widths and feature rectangular downspouts. However, cleaning K-style gutters is more challenging than other types of gutters because they have tight inner angles that collect a lot of debris.
+ Holds more rainwater than other types of gutters
+ Ideal for do-it-yourself (DIY) installations
– Requires routine maintenance and cleaning
Often found in homes predating 1960, half-round gutters have a rounded design with round downspouts. Like K-style gutters, they come in standard gutter sizes of 5-inch and 6-inch widths with a curved lip. Typically, half-round gutters are easier to clean than K-style gutters, and they work well on historic homes due to their appearance.
You may need to check local ordinances if you have a historic home or live in a historic neighborhood, as they sometimes require you to have half-round gutters.
+ Easier to clean than other types of gutters
+ Tends to be more durable than other types of gutters
– More challenging to self-install than K-style gutters
– Tends to cost more than K-style gutters
Gutter systems come in two different designs: sectional and seamless. Below is a breakdown of both types of gutter systems.
Sectional gutters are sold in 10- to 20-foot sections that connect to form a larger section. Sectional gutters come in various materials, including vinyl and steel. Though ideal for DIYers, they have an increased chance of leaks.
Seamless gutters are one continuous piece of gutter cut from a single-coil piece of metal, usually aluminum or copper. Seamless gutters are less likely to leak, but they typically require professional installation and are thus more costly.
Gutters are created using various materials. Vinyl and aluminum gutters are the most popular choices because they’re affordable, easy to install and DIY-friendly. However, they’re not very durable and aren’t ideal for wet climates. More expensive options, such as copper and zinc gutters, are rust-resistant and can last more than 50 years but require professional installation. Below is a breakdown of popular gutter materials, their cost, recommended installation method and average lifespan.
*Prices are based on the averages of 200 linear feet of gutter from multiple 2021 reports .
Gutter installation is an excellent home improvement project to upgrade your home’s protection, character and aesthetic. We also encourage homeowners to consider gutter guards and look for services that install and replace gutters.
LeafFilter is our top pick for a gutter guard company. It offers stainless steel micro-mesh gutter guards. This design and material are the most efficient available, preventing clogs from even tiny debris such as pine needles and shingle grit. We also recommend All American Gutter Protection if you’re interested in taking advantage of ongoing deals and discounts. Both providers can install new gutters.
Use our simple tool below to contact gutter contractors that service your home’s address. We suggest getting at least three quotes from three contractors to compare pricing and offerings.
You need to clean your gutters two or three times a year. However, if you install gutter guards, you only need gutter cleaning once every year or two.
Vinyl gutters are the cheapest, with an average price of $2 per linear foot.
You should replace your gutters about every 20 years unless you own more high-quality and durable gutters, such as copper gutters or zinc gutters.
The Home Media reviews team aims to provide factual, well-researched reviews by researching consumers’ primary concerns and ranking gutter guard companies on objective, relevant factors.
Following hundreds of hours of research, we scored gutter guard providers on a 100-point scale using the following factors. We then divided the points earned for each provider’s final score on a 5-point scale. Note that DIY gutter guard companies received a reduced point value in some categories since they provide products to homeowners but do not offer professional installation and gutter repair services.
During our research process, we secret-shopped each company to obtain unbiased quotes and learn about pricing, payment options, product specifications and additional benefits. We also spoke to customer service representatives over the phone, asking questions to gauge their knowledge and helpfulness. We repeated this process online for applicable providers to get a sense of the digital shopping experience.
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