If you want your gutters to be durable and functional, you need to consider the material they are made of. Common gutter materials include aluminum, copper, and vinyl. Aluminum is affordable, lightweight, and rust-resistant, making it a popular choice for homeowners. However, it may not be the best option for someone living in Paradise, where the gutter system is exposed to the wildfire-prone environment. Some of the fires in recent years have caused places like Paradise to become very different from the way they looked before. Vinyl gutters are easy to install and low maintenance. However, like most products made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), they are not environmentally friendly. While gutters are not the only place I would recommend looking for eco-friendly products, if they are not, they probably shouldn’t be, since inexpensive vinyl gutters are just silly in a climate with heavy rainstorms.
In Paradise, gutters need routine maintenance, just like any other system in your home. Professional plumbing services—utters and otherwise—are essential if and when your home has problems. But for those who are fortunate enough to have a "maintained" status, the work is mostly preventative. "Get your gutters maintained in the fall before the heavy rains," says Simpson, of Gregory & Appel, a plumbing company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. "That assures they can get through the winter intact." For those who don't have that option, there's always the risk of a soggy spring down the line. At least three times a year—once each in the spring and fall and once just before winter—a homeowner should check the gutters, advises Richard L. Acker, owner of Acker Home Repair in Poughkeepsie, New York.
When it comes to new installations, a variety of gutter systems are available for consideration, each with distinct advantages. While traditional sectional gutters tend to be the most affordable option and pose little difficulty when it comes to installation, seamless gutters appeal to buyers who wish to achieve a more contemporary look. In addition, custom gutters—built to the specifications of a particular project—are another option. When they're properly installed and then maintained, by whatever mythical team of maintenance elves one can conjure, all three types of gutters seem capable of achieving the same end. That end is keeping water away from a structure. On any of the three types of gutters, water can be seen discharging from the problem end and presumably headed in the opposite direction of the problems an architect, designer, or homeowner wishes to avoid.
