Gutters are important for a home as they direct rain water away from your foundation. If you are replacing the gutters, you will find the gutters are made with different types of materials. Below is information about five material types, as well as tips to keep the gutters maintained.

Types of Gutter Materials

There are a variety of materials you will find when you start shopping for gutters including:

• Aluminum: Widely used, easy to install, and lightweight. Comes in a variety of colors but can also be painted.
• Seamless aluminum: Seamless aluminum gutters have no seams so there is less of a chance of the gutters developing a leak.
• Copper: Will not rust, never need to paint, and beautiful. Copper gutters are expensive, however, and requires a professional to install them.
• Steel: If galvanized steel is used these gutters are resistant to rust. Available in a variety of colors but can also be painted. Steel gutters are heavy so a professional should install the gutters.
• Vinyl: Vinyl gutters are inexpensive and lightweight. This makes them easy for a person to install. Vinyl will crack over time due to severe cold, and the color will fade due to the sun.

Maintain Gutter System

Once you choose and have your gutter system installed, you need to learn how to keep the gutters maintained.

The main thing to do is to keep the gutters clear of clogs, such as leaves and other debris. You can do this on your own using a hand shovel. You can use a garden hose also if there is a lot of debris. If you constantly have leaves in your gutters you should consider installing gutter guards. This covers the gutter to prevent leaves and debris from falling in.

Visually inspect the gutters periodically and look for fungal growth, holes, and rust. If you see any of these things, either clean the gutters or have the gutters replaced.

Another thing you can do is to install a downspout extension. The downspout is what directs the water away from your home's foundation. To direct the water even further away you can install a downspout extension.  If you do not like the look of these extensions, there are automatic downspout extensions available. With this, these roll out automatically when it rains and then rolls back up when the rain ends.

Talk with the professional that you hire to install your gutter system, such as Innovations Siding & Windows, and they can give you more tips.