If your home is a little on the “mature” side and was built decades ago, you may have an open-top gutter system. How can you be sure you have an open-top gutter system? Open-top gutter systems are exactly that – a gutter that has a bottom but no covering so the inside of the gutter is exposed. They resemble a half-circle, so identifying this type of gutter system should be relatively easy.
Some open-top gutter systems are shaped like a “c” while some are shaped like a “k”. They’re easy to identify because the actual gutters are not covered and are completely exposed on the top. While open-top gutters do offer some advantages, ultimately, this type of gutter can easily become clogged compared to the covered and sleek K-Guard Gutter System.
Aside from the design and shape of open-top gutters compared to K-Guard, there are many other differences. Continue reading to learn about 5 differences between open-top gutter systems and K-Guard.
1. Design
As we mentioned earlier, open-top gutters are gutters that have a bottom but no covering, leaving the top of the gutter exposed. They come in different shapes, some available in a “c” shape and some available in a “k” shape. Older, traditional homes often have open-top gutters due to their timeless designs that can often resemble crown molding.
The K-Guard Gutter System is a complete gutter system that contains a hood, gutter, and downspouts. They’re designed to not only prevent clogs and protect your home from drainage issues but also add curb appeal to your home. Because our leaf free gutter system is available in a variety of colors, it’ll complement your home’s unique and beautiful design.
Unlike open-top gutter systems, K-Guard has a sleek, curved design that keeps leaves and other debris from getting trapped in the gutter system and looks great on every home. K-Guard is the only complete gutter system that adds to the beauty of your home while protecting it from drainage issues.
2. Durability
Next, while traditional gutters can be somewhat durable, the materials used and how they’re installed play a huge role in their durability. Open-top gutters are available in copper, aluminum, vinyl, and steel. While some of these materials can be long-lasting, their lifespan is nothing compared to K-Guard. Relatively speaking, traditional gutter systems last around 20 years.
Another durability factor with open-top gutters is the weather conditions in which the gutter system is installed. Living in Colorado often means extreme weather conditions, especially in the winter months, and traditional gutter systems can develop chips in their paint throughout the system and are prone to rust.
The K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System is the most durable in Colorado. Our gutter system is backed by three lifetime warranties; a lifetime paint warranty, a lifetime no-clog warranty, and a lifetime no pull away warranty. Our gutter system is made from heavy-duty aluminum, it’ll never corrode and the paint will never chip. Regardless of weather conditions, the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System is guaranteed transferable for the life of the home, something traditional open-top gutters cannot offer.
3. How the Gutter System is Mounted
Another major difference between open-top gutters and the K-Guard Gutter System? They’re mounted to the home differently. Open-top gutters are typically mounted to the fascia and in rare cases may be mounted to the roof. Mounting gutters to the fascia or roof can cause all sorts of issues over time like sagging, separation, rotting of the fascia boards, etc.
The K-Guard Gutter System is mounted above the floodplain which eliminates the possibility of your gutter system sagging or separating as well as rotting fascia boards. How a gutter system is mounted is crucial to how durable the system will be.
4. Performance
While open-top gutters can drain and direct water away from your home, their performance is not comparable to K-Guard’s. Traditional, open-top gutter systems have smaller gutters and downspouts that don’t allow them to flush as much rainwater and meltwater away.
K-Guard outperforms every other gutter system on the market because of the size of our gutter and downspouts and their ability to handle more rain and meltwater. Our 5-inch gutters allow for more water to be moved throughout the system at a rapid rate – a minimum of 22 inches of rain per hour! Open-top gutter systems and other “complete” systems are too small to handle heavy precipitation.
5. Maintenance
Open-top gutters need to be cleaned regularly for them to function properly. While how often they need to be cleaned depends on a few factors like the design, weather conditions, and trees surrounding your home, they’ll need to be cleaned often. You’ll need to remove pine needles, leaves, and other debris that gets trapped in open-top gutters to keep water moving through the system.
You’ll never have to clean your K-Guard Gutter System. Because the curved design of our hood enables debris and leaves to slide off the gutter system, nothing but water can enter the gutters. Ultimately, your K-Guard Gutter System will never become clogged and you’ll never have to perform maintenance on them. What a sigh of relief!
If your home still has open-top gutters and you think it’s time to make the switch to K-Guard, contact us today. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have and offer a free in-home estimate.
