gutter recommendations?

[mdhills]

What is current recommendation of what to look for when getting new gutters?
Aluminum seems most common; I've also had a recommendation for long-run, pre-painted steel.

Thanks,
Matt

[Gregor1]

6" painted, aluminum seamless, with 4" drops. If your fascia board is not perpendicular to the ground, have gutter wedges installed. Never worry about clogged gutters again.

[Snipe Hunter]

Do you have a lot of trees and leaves? If so, 6". If not, 4" looks better.

Most gutter companies have several style dies on the truck. You can pick your profile. But seamless, manufactured on site are by far the best way to go. We just had new 6" installed, the guys did a great job. They were a sub of the GC who did the addition, roof, windows and siding.

[mdhills]

How are seamless aluminum gutters joined at corners?
Do non-seamless gutters require a lot of maintenance to avoid leaking?

Do gutters usually get installed prior to applying the roof layers, or after?

We don't have fascia -- the old gutter was nailed directly into the rafter endgrain.

Matt

[Snipe Hunter]

How are seamless aluminum gutters joined at corners?
Do non-seamless gutters require a lot of maintenance to avoid leaking?

Do gutters usually get installed prior to applying the roof layers, or after?

We don't have fascia -- the old gutter was nailed directly into the rafter endgrain.

Matt

Gutters go in after the roof so the gutters don't get damaged. They are joined at the corners with per-manufactured corners. Most installers use hidden brackets now so no gutter spikes. They look much nicer and don't back out like the spikes. They are screwed into your rafters/trusses.

[Willyou]

My recommendation? Don't use them unless you have to (I understand some places require them by code or ordinance).
If you must have them, use aluminum. Squirrels love to chew the plastic ones and steel rusts.
Make sure your fascia boards are rot proof (maybe pvc board) or cover them with aluminum flashing top to bottom. Even if they are cedar, they will rot quickly.
If you have over hanging trees, be sure to have some kind of screen over the top. I don't know how well the "no leaf" gutters work.

[rwe2156]

If you have a lot of trees, I wouldn't even bother.

We had our roof redone recently and did away with the gutters.

[Snipe Hunter]

My recommendation? Don't use them unless you have to (I understand some places require them by code or ordinance).
If you must have them, use aluminum. Squirrels love to chew the plastic ones and steel rusts.
Make sure your fascia boards are rot proof (maybe pvc board) or cover them with aluminum flashing top to bottom. Even if they are cedar, they will rot quickly.
If you have over hanging trees, be sure to have some kind of screen over the top. I don't know how well the "no leaf" gutters work.

I'd have to disagree. About half of water related insurance claims are due to missing or clogged gutters. Gutters are there to get the water away from the foundation, keep it out of the basement and crawlspace and prevent rain related erosion and to prevent rain water from splashing onto the exterior walls rotting any wood components. Keeps the water out of the walls and the house much cleaner.

[Willyou]

I'd have to disagree. About half of water related insurance claims are due to missing or clogged gutters.Gutters are there to get the water away from the foundation, keep it out of the basement and crawlspace and prevent rain related erosion and to prevent rain water from splashing onto the exterior walls rotting any wood components. Keeps the water out of the walls and the house much cleaner.

With respect, your concerns are real, but most of the time there are better, more cost effective, more maintenance free ways to deal with these issues: adequate grade slope away from the foundation, ground level splash/erosion protection and diversion, adequate overhangs, etc. There are, of course, times/places where gutters are the best solution. I have a couple of those on my house. But, they are a pita and if that wasn't the only solution for those spots, they wouldn't be there.
"About half of water related insurance claims are due to missing or clogged gutters." This helps to make my point; don't use them unless you have to. Don't use them to try to fix correctable ground level drainage control problems.

[JosephP]

Much of the gutter/no gutter argument probably lies largely with average annual rainfall, soil conditions, and slope of the yard...