Simpson
When was the last time you paid attention to your gutters?
They are an essential component of any kind of building. Their primary function is to collect and direct roof rainwater into pipes, preventing it from damaging the house’s foundation and siding.
Without gutters, rainwater from the roof will fall directly on the foundations and seep into them, compromising their stability. If it soaks your home’s siding, it may get waterlogged and lose its integrity, as well. Fortunately, you can also call on roof repair experts for help.
Aside from their practical use, they also add to your home’s aesthetics. That’s where customization comes in. As a homeowner with a deep sense of style, you wouldn’t want ugly-looking gutters around your beautifully decorated home. It’s essential to install gutters that match your home’s standards.
With that said, here are five practical ways to customize your gutters:
1. Design To The Right Capacity
Customization of gutters goes beyond aesthetics. The first and most critical consideration you should make is their functionality. It’s not enough to pick a gutter size and design you spotted on a neighbor’s home. Your home’s size and the type of roof pitch it has may differ significantly. Therefore, you must have a professional contractor design a gutter system of sufficient capacity to drain rainwater falling on your roofs.
An undersized gutter system will always overflow with water. On the other hand, an over-designed gutter system will cost you more for no reason. Accurately determining the desired capacity goes a long way to saving you cash and guaranteeing effectiveness.
Expert contractors like GreaterSeattleGutters or similar ones in your area can help you with these calculations. They’ll consider your roof’s surface area, pitch, and your area’s typical climate in designing your gutters.
2. Paint Them
Painting is an excellent way to make your home look fantastic while on a fixed budget.
Gutters get defaced pretty quickly because of their constant exposure to the sun, wind, and rain. Applying a fresh coat of paint annually may be all you need to spruce up their looks. Weatherproof paint would be best for this job.
Also, choose a paint color that matches your home’s exterior. For example, if your home’s siding is white, painting the gutters white would be a prudent camouflaging tactic if you don’t want to draw attention to them. Consider darker colors like brown, blue burgundy, green, or black if you want them to stand out.
3. Light Them Up
Another customization option for your gutters is adding lighting fixtures around them. Since gutters go around your roof’s perimeter, they form a perfect platform for decorative lights to add a dramatic flair to your home.
One option is to install recessed LED downlights along the soffit. These will illuminate your home’s siding at night for all and sundry to behold. Alternatively, install spotlights on the surrounding grounds pointing towards the gutters. You may also go the traditional way and hang electric lanterns. Just make sure they’re well-shielded from water to prevent short-circuiting.
4. Replace Downspouts With Rain Chains
Gutter downspouts are too common, and you can spot them in every other home in your neighborhood. For a unique touch, install rain chains instead.
Rain chains consist of a series of interconnected plastic or metal rings hanging from the gutter to the rainwater collection barrel.
The surface tension in the water ensures that it trickles down in close contact with the rings, as it’s the path of least resistance. The tingling and dancing this produces add musical drama to the otherwise dull sound of rain.
5. Decorate With Sculptures
With a bit of creativity, you can turn your gutter system into an attractive art piece. For instance, you can fix a custom-designed animal statue at the downspout’s mouth to create the impression that water is pouring from the animal’s mouth. If not a statue, you may want to try street art for the same effect. It’ll always be a sight to behold and a conversation starter whenever visitors arrive at your home.
6. Try Copper Gutters
Keeping up with trends is essential to portraying your sense of style. Aluminum gutters have been around for decades and centuries, and architects are advancing to more aesthetically pleasing materials like copper. You may also want to try them at your home.
Although expensive, copper is a strong material and will last you decades before you ever think of replacing them. Moreover, copper gutters exude a modern vibe, earning you praise from onlookers.
Conclusion
Gutters play a functional and aesthetic role in your home’s design. This is why customizing them is necessary. Your winning point is stretching your creativity to the limits to tweak their appearance intelligently, sprucing up your home’s look. For the best results, get professional help in designing the gutter system, installing the components, and applying your desired finishes.
