Steel, aluminum, and vinyl are all manmade materials ideal for different uses. Steel, one of the strongest metals, is used for vehicles and machinery, aluminum is an excellent metal for construction and household items, while vinyl is used for signage and siding. They have varying levels of strength and durability, some outperforming others.
Like other home exterior components, gutter systems are available in various materials, including steel, aluminum, and vinyl. How do you determine which is best for your home? Keep reading to learn about each kind of gutter material and how to choose the right gutter material for your home with K-Guard!
Gutter Materials
Are you considering replacing your existing gutters? You’ll want to consider the strength and durability of different gutter materials to determine which is best for your home. Below is a little about the most commonly used gutter materials to help you decide:
Steel
Steel is one of the strongest manmade materials, withstanding hind winds, downpours, heavy snow, and excess weight, making it an ideal metal for vehicles and construction. Though steel is incredibly durable, unless it’s a stainless finish, it’ll rust and warp with time as it is exposed to the elements. Water, heat, and humidity affect steel, causing it to rust easily.
If you’re considering installing steel gutters, choose stainless steel, not galvanized steel. Some gutter installation companies that install steel gutters push galvanized gutters, but they will rust and warp as the protective layer wears down, exposing the metal. Aside from the risk of corroding, steel gutters have a steep price tag; they can cost four times the price of other gutter materials!
Vinyl
Vinyl has its place for outdoor components like mailboxes, siding, and signage, but gutters shouldn’t be one of them. Though they’re becoming increasingly popular among homeowners, especially with DIYers, they are a waste of money, especially for homes in the Kansas City area. Yes, they’re affordable, but besides the low cost of installing them, there are no benefits to installing vinyl gutters. You’ll spend more money down the road to replace them than initially installing a higher-quality gutter material.
Vinyl gutters don’t perform well in heavy rainfall and snowstorms, which are frequent weather events here in the City of Fountains. Kansas City, Shawnee, KS, Lenexa, KS, and surrounding cities have a rainy season that can damage weaker gutter materials like vinyl. Other factors like snow and ice, ice dams, high humidity levels, and strong winds can rip vinyl gutters right off, potentially damaging your roof, soffit, fascia, and siding.
Aluminum
Aluminum gutters are another common gutter material for good reason. It’s a strong metal that withstands severe weather like hail and strong winds if heavy-duty. Though traditional aluminum gutters can show wear and tear, easily denting from hail and tearing away from the home, heavy-duty aluminum gutters can look good as new years down the road, lasting on average 15-20 years.
Aluminum gutters have another advantage – they’re more affordable than other gutter materials like stainless steel and copper. While they can require maintenance, especially if you install half-round gutters or gutter screens and filters, installing durable gutter guards like K-Guard Gutters can last a lifetime.
The K-Guard Advantage
While gutter material matters, the style and whether it has a gutter guard matters too. When you install the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System, your home will be protected from water damage caused by faulty gutters. Installing K-Guard Gutters offers homeowners in and around Kansas City many benefits.
Our gutter product is a complete system with components that work together to keep water flowing rapidly through the gutters and downspouts while keeping all debris out. The result? Gutters that will never clog or overflow. Our heavy-duty aluminum gutters will never sag from heavy downpours or snowfall because of how durable our gutter material is. Traditional gutters are made from 0.27 gauge aluminum while K-Guard is made from 0.32 gauge aluminum, a thick aluminum coil.
From the most extreme weather like hailstorms and severe thunderstorms to high humidity levels, K-Guard will last for the life of the home. Our aluminum gutters are so durable that we offer three lifetime warranties, including a lifetime no-clog warranty, a paint warranty, and a workmanship warranty.
Contact K-Guard Heartland to install the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System. Why choose K-Guard? Our gutter guards save you money and give you peace of mind, protecting your home from water damage and drainage issues caused by extreme weather conditions.
We also have a convenient estimation calculator that gives you a ballpark estimate for installing K-Guard Gutters. In just minutes you can get a free quote without having to schedule an estimate to get a feel for the installation cost. If you want to schedule a free estimate, contact our friendly team today to get on our schedule!
Our installation process is simple with three easy steps to get lifetime gutters. Contact K-Guard Heartland today for a free estimate, a detailed analysis of your current gutter system, and estimated costs for installing K-Guard on your home.
