Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Seamless Rain Gutters

Seamless rain gutters have been around for over 40 years. By feeding a coil of pre-finished material into a forming machine, we are able fabricate the desired shape and length of gutter required. Each section is seamless, and has the obvious advantage of being virtually leak proof and extremely sturdy. Installed with inside hidden hangers and stainless steel screws, there are no unsightly nails to diminish the beauty of your home, and more importantly, screws will not pull loose like the nails used years ago.

Aluminium is the most frequently used metal for seamless gutters, is available in a wide range of colors, and considered to be the best value for your dollar. Typical K style gutters are most frequently used because of its ability to hold and flow a large amount of water to the downspouts. Seamless aluminium gutters are pre-finished with baked on enamel that provides superior protection from the elements. And aluminium will not degraded or deteriorate for many hundreds of years, so a lifetime material warranty is provided when new aluminium gutters are installed on your home. Other materials are occasionally used, such as copper or galvanized steel, but aluminium is by far the most common, and is used by home builders to meet local standards.

A commonly asked question regarding gutters concerns their size. In most areas of the country 5 inch gutters are the norm. So the question is would 6 inch gutters be better? And the answer is no. Just think about adding another inch of gutter coming off the roof. Very simply it would just provide more area for rain to fall into the gutter. If it seems as if the water is filling up the gutter, the most likely culprit would be the downspout. After making sure that the downspout isn’t clogged up, you might consider using a bigger one. After all that is where the water must eventually discharged. A gutter professional can easily assess your needs in this regard. We at Alexandra Enterprises “Everything Gutter” are committed to solving your gutter issues in the most practical and expeditious manner. We assess your needs and have your best interest in mind. Contact us for a free estimate and visit the website at www.everythinggutter.com.

Friday, December 16, 2011

What should you look for in a gutter guard system?


Unlike some manufacturers of gutter guards would have you believe, gutter guard technology is far from rocket science. Consider what it is you are trying to accomplish……keeping leaves from clogging the rain gutter so that the water collected in the gutter can flow freely to the downspouts. If the gutter gets clogged, thereby forming a dam of sorts, water will overflow. It will overflow the front of the gutter resulting in pooling around the base of the house which can cause costly damage to the crawlspace area or basement. The water build up in the gutter will also seep over the back of the gutter where it attaches to the fascia board and cause rotting of that wood. So what’s the best and most economical way to prevent all of this? What should you look for in choosing a guard?
Well first off be sure that the guard is made of a sturdy material. Inexpensive plastic guards that are readily available at home improvement stores may hold up for a year, but after wet leaves, or snow put a heavy weight on them they will simply collapse into the gutter and give leaves a place to stick inside the gutter, actually causing more harm than good.
Secondly choose a guard with a screen that is small enough to keep large debris out of the gutter.
Then be sure that the guard is constructed in such a way as to allow air to flow under the accumulated leaves in order to allow the wind to blow the leaves off, and also to help dry them out when they are wet.
Avoid guards that go under your roof shingles and attach to the roof itself. This could cause problems in regard to your roof warranty.
Be sure that the guards will not allow a waterfall effect during periods of heavy rain. Some guards will allow runoff from the roof to overshoot the gutter completely, in which case you may as well not even have gutters.
And finally be sure that there is no large gap to allow leaves to blow into the gutter because once those leaves get in there, it is nearly impossible to clean them out properly. Also, birds and bees find these openings lead them to a nice sheltered environment to build nests and hives. And very often this type of guard is the most expensive.
So with all that being said take a look at the website www.everythinggutter.com and see what Shur Flo has to offer. Guaranteed not to clog, economical and sturdy, once installed you can forget you even have gutters. And a lifetime of gutter related issues is a thing of the past.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Have You Thought About A Rain Barrel?

There are many uses for rainwater captured and stored in a rain barrels. Most commonly it is used for watering landscapes and gardens, but there are other uses as well for inside the house, but it must be filtered if used for drinking. No filtration is required for watering plants, gardens, etc. One of the most obvious advantages to using rainwater is that it saves money. Using this free source of water will certainly reduce your water bill. Using rainwater from rain barrels for watering your landscaping will help to improve the health of your gardens, lawns, and trees since rain is a naturally soft water and contains no minerals, chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals. For this reason, plants respond very well to rainwater. With the rising price of municipal water and drought restrictions during the summer months, more homeowners in are turning to rainwater to save money and conserve this precious natural resource.

If you have an asphalt shingle roof and are concerned about using water collected from it, you need not be. Before you had a rain barrel, rain water from a downspout was pouring out onto your lawn, and vegetables were fine. You’re going to take the water and pour it in the dirt, which will serve as a filter, and then the vegetables will certainly be rinsed once in the kitchen before cooking or eating. So there should be no concern in that regard.

Rain barrels pay for themselves over time. Look at the water flowing out of your downspouts the next time it’s raining and consider that it could be a free resource for you, and reduce your water bill considerably. Just having a 50 gallon rain barrel or a linked series of rain barrels can allow you to leave that hose on the reel for a while. Even if you have a well, the use of the soft water from the barrel is a better source for the hydration of your plants, and reduces the chance of the well running dry during drought conditions.

Visit us at www.everythinggutter.com for more information. Professional installation is also available.