Just because gutters have to be functional to protect the house doesn’t mean they can’t also play an aesthetic role in your home’s exterior. A high quality gutter system can help you improve your curb appeal and add value to your property. Custom gutters are a better choice for your home for a number of reasons including: they can save you money, provide solutions for homes with unique architectural features, and really enhance curb appeal.
What are Custom Gutters?
Custom gutters can refer to a gutter system that is designed from scratch specifically for your home. This typically includes a custom gutter profile, seamless gutters, gutter accessories, and colour matching with other exterior finishing elements of your home.
The term can also refer to seamless gutters that are manufactured on-site to your home’s specifications. Depending on the gutter installation company, they might offer a choice of gutter profiles (a variety of shapes), materials, and decorative touches or gutter accessories.
Saves You Money
You hear “custom” and think “expensive.” While the initial expense might seem a lot all at once, they will save you money in the long run. A gutter contractor will take into account the size of the house, the surface area of the roof, its configuration, and the grading around the foundation, and then design a gutter system to specifically protect the structural integrity of your home. Better protection usually means fewer leaks, repairs, and overflowing issues that can result in basement flooding or damaged siding, costly issues when they need to be fixed.
The ROI Factor
As a home improvement project, custom made gutters are a good return on investment (ROI). Since they are typically manufactured from higher quality materials than standard gutter systems, they look superior and won’t need replacing for as long as you own your home. If you will be moving some time in the future, a transferable lifetime warranty for custom gutters could be an additional selling point.
When Your Home has Unique Features
Custom guttering provides a homeowner with more options when a home has unique features or design elements. Because custom-made gutters are designed to perfectly conform to the roof, it can provide solutions for homes with:
- Complex rooflines (multiple levels)
- Architectural features such as dormers or turrets or other distinctive features associated with historic homes and mansions
- A copper roof
- A steeply pitched roof that restricts or limits access
- An addition or renovation that requires the new gutters to match the existing ones
Homes located in areas subject to heavy rains or snowfall may require larger gutters or need gutter sections that are larger in size than other parts of the gutter system.
More Durable
Since custom-made gutters are manufactured from high-quality or high-end materials, they tend to be more durable than standard gutters. Gutter contractors offering custom installations, typically install seamless gutters because they have fewer seams, and are not as prone to leaks as sectional gutter systems.
Curb Appeal and Beyond
If you want to stand out from the crowd, custom guttering allows you to express yourself and gives your home a distinctive personality. It lets you have total control over the overall appearance of the gutters and downspouts – from the gutter profile to the gutter material to the style and colour. Add charm and a touch of whimsy with decorative gutter accessories such as ornamental brackets for downspouts, collection boxes, and ornamental gutter hangers. Because the gutters are custom designed and made to your exact specifications, the gutter system will be unique to your home.