Seamless Gutters

How seamless gutters are made on site

The forming machine rides in the crew's truck or trailer. A roll of painted aluminum, or copper for a copper job, feeds through a series of rollers that bend it into the gutter profile as it comes out the other end. The crew measures each roof edge, runs out exactly that length, and carries the finished piece to the ladders. Because each run is made for one spot on one house, there is no stock length to work around and nothing to splice in the middle of a wall.

Why fewer seams means fewer leaks

Sectional gutters are sold in short lengths joined with connectors and sealant. Each joint is a place where sealant dries out, where expansion and contraction tug the pieces apart, and where leaves catch and hold water. After several New Jersey winters of freeze and thaw, those joints are where most drips and stains start. A seamless run removes those middle joints entirely. The water that reaches the trough has one way out: the downspout outlet.

Where seams still exist

Seamless does not mean no joints at all. A few connections are part of every system, and they are made carefully because they are the only ones left.

• Mitered corners, where two runs meet at the corner of the house
• End caps, sealed at the closed end of each run
• Downspout outlets, cut into the floor of the gutter
• Expansion joints on very long runs, which let aluminum move with the seasons without buckling

Colors and finishes

Aluminum coil comes with a baked-on factory finish in a wide range of colors, from white and almond through browns, grays and black. Most homeowners match the trim so the gutter reads as part of the fascia; others match the roof or the siding. The finish is on the metal before it is formed, so there is nothing to paint later. Downspouts are ordered in the same color, and so are color-matched Gutter Cap covers if you plan gutter guards.

Profiles you can get seamless

The most common seamless profile is K-style, in 5-inch and 6-inch sizes. Copper K-style can also be formed seamless. Half-round gutters are more often installed in shorter sections joined at sealed or soldered seams, which is part of why they look and cost the way they do.