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Without a doubt, gutters are one of the most important parts of any house and in their absence, it would be easy for water to runoff from any roof that builds up around the home’s foundation and causes a lot of damage. However, the good news is that if you are going to have the gutters installed by a professional, then you won’t have to worry about your foundation or basement getting flooded. With that in mind, it’s also a fact that unless you decide to install copper ones, gutters are not really that beautiful to look at. And while you can get them in galvanized steel or aluminum, the ones that generally stand out of the crowd are the copper ones.
Copper Gutter Cost: you are looking at approximately $15 – $25 per linear foot which puts them in a “luxury” bracket. In general though, the majority of residential properties are outfitted with gutters made of aluminum. These ones are a lot cheaper compared to their copper counterparts and can range anywhere between four to eight dollars per linear foot. If luxury is something you are accustomed to you’ll still have a few dollars to play with and your beautiful copper gutters thickness will directly influence their final price.
The good news about this though is that they’re going to last you for many years and your neighbors will be jealous. If money is no option for you, then getting gutters that are point thirty two inches thick is recommended, yet if you want to save a bit on the cost, point eighteen inches should still make for a pretty durable copper gutter system. Another thing you should factor when it comes to getting copper gutters is that they’re going to have to be installed by a professional, someone who has a lot of experience installing them.
That’s because they require special care and you may not be able to install them on your own. On average, you’re looking at a cost of about three – four dollars per linear foot in terms of labor costs.
Materials required for installation
If you want to have your copper gutters installed by a professional, then you don’t have to worry about anything, however, there are quite a few things needed for installation. First on the list are the gutters themselves and they are available in various styles, including half round, high back ogee and K style. In order to secure the gutters in place they require hangers and those are also available in a few styles.
Some are hidden so gutters appear to be suspended along the roof’s edge, other have more ornamental appeal. Next on the list are end caps, downspout reducers, outlets, elbows, miters, connectors, expansion joints, wire strainers, cleanouts, leaf guards, offsets… Of course, not all of those parts will have to be used on every copper gutter system installation in Chicago. Each house is different and some of the components may not be required at all.
Copper Gutters Installation Benefits and Drawbacks
As expected, there are benefits and drawbacks of copper gutters and even though they require a bit more maintenance compared to other materials out there, they do last a lot longer. As a homeowner you need to decide whether these types of gutters are actually the kind that will make your home look better and that they are worth that extra money. Copper or aluminum gutters will do the same job as far as water discharge from your roof and for as long as they are properly installed they will also help keeping water away from your basement and foundation walls.
Benefits of copper gutters installation
Most of the times copper is used in wiring and piping due to the fact that it has a natural resistance to corrosion. In fact, it’s not uncommon for copper gutters and anything else that’s made from copper to last between sixty and up to a hundred years or even longer if they’re properly maintained. And since they don’t have to be replaced once every few years, you won’t have to worry about them filling the landfills and becoming damaging for the environment. Not to mention the fact that the look of copper is great and it gets even better as they start aging.
Drawbacks
The price is probably the biggest drawback and that’s why so many people don’t really consider copper gutters. Since they can cost as much as twenty five dollars per linear foot, it’s simple to understand why they aren’t that popular. Second thing, which might be considered as a positive by some homeowners is the fact that copper starts getting greenish tint as it gets old. It’s a matter of taste…
There’s one more drawback, there are some accounts of homes that have copper gutters installed and have been targeted by thieves.
Copper gutter maintenance
If you want to make sure that your gutters are still going to look amazing after a few years, then you need to learn how to properly maintain them. As a homeowner, you should also bear in mind that every single time you’ll need to work with your gutters, it’s best that you wear gloves.
Why is that? Well, your hands produce a certain type of oil that negatively affects copper when it comes in contact with it. From time to time, you also need to consider cleaning the gutters, since the debris accumulating on them can damage the finish. Compared to other types of materials used for gutters, copper can be scratched very easily and in order to avoid that, you’ll need to use plastic tools for removing debris. Maintenance though extends a lot more than that and you should also polish your copper gutters from time to time.
As you can very well see, there are things that will need your attention even if you hire a professional copper gutter installer on your Chicago property, that is probably why there are so many people who have second thoughts about getting them. Even though polishing the gutters needs to be done only once a year, the costs easily add up and not everyone is comfortable with making such a huge investment mainly for their appeal.
