How to choose the right type of gutter system for your home?

Choosing the right type of gutter system for your home can do more than just prevent moisture problems. The best gutters can all add value to your home and improve its curb appeal. However, knowing which rain gutter replacement to pick can be a challenge. There are many types of gutters to choose from that are made from a range of materials. When buying gutters and downspouts from your local store, you need to know how they function. Some types of gutter replacements are cheaper but less durable. Other gutter systems are ascetically appealing and last longer but cost more.

How can I choose the right gutter system for my home? How many types of gutter systems are there which i can buy locally?

welcome to permies Veronica!

First it would help to know where you are located? so we could get a sense of what local would mean to better answer your question.

jordan barton wrote:welcome to permies Veronica!

First it would help to know where you are located? so we could get a sense of what local would mean to better answer your question.

Hi Jordan,
I hope you are doing well!
I live in interior of Massachusetts. This region has a humid continental climate and winters are long, cold with heavy snow.

Veronica Smith wrote:

jordan barton wrote:welcome to permies Veronica!

First it would help to know where you are located? so we could get a sense of what local would mean to better answer your question.

Hi Jordan,
I hope you are doing well!
I live in interior of Massachusetts. This region has a humid continental climate and winters are long, cold with heavy snow.

Generally in New England we do not have gutters because of the problems they bring on.

I always thought it was interesting in that as soon as a person crosses the New York border, instantly the gutters are gone from the houses. It kind of only makes sense with our humidity and long cold winters because they do not tend to last very long.

Where I live in Maine, we sometimes see houses with gutters, but they tend to be people moving in from away who do not realize they will not be on their houses long. My recommendation in New England has always been to save a homeowner's money, and just not install them. There are better long term solutions to the solutions they bring like properly grading around the house, and that sort of thing.

If a person is going to collect the roof water for irrigation, that might be a good reason to put on gutters, but then again, New England does not really have a problem with that either.

I agree with Travis, gutters are the bane of my existence. In our current place, there are conservation restrictions that require us to have gutters to redirect roof water into a dry well. They're constantly coming loose, getting clogged, etc.

My parents have never had gutters. There is a nice 3-foot wide layer of rocks and gravel around the base of the house where the water runs off, and some downpour-tolerant plantings to soak it up. When I was a kid, there was no gravel and it was just a water-made trench in the lawn about 6 inches out from the foundation.