A well-functioning gutter system is paramount for the longevity of your roof and safety of your entire home or business. For this reason, you want to take all the precautionary measures in order to ensure your gutter system is able to work to its full potential. In the following article, we will talk about ways how heat affects gutters.
Ways how heat affects gutters
To better illustrate this occurrence, we will give you an example. If you take a 50-foot aluminum rain gutter, and subject it to a 50°F change in temperature, it can expand or contract to almost 0.5 inches. Now, this may not sound like much, but believe us when we say that it can cause some serious problems. While your rain gutter expands, the hangers will have trouble keeping up. They will rather stay in place. These conflicting forces distort the gutter, further leading to cracks and buckles.
Keep in mind that this is an inevitable occurrence. Sidewalks and roads, roofing tiles, and rain gutters are all susceptive of bowing and cracking due to thermal expansion. Know that the thickness of the gutter coil does not have any effect on the severity of thermal expansion. However, it is not that hard to reduce the risk itself.
Steps you can take in order to prevent substantial damage
One of the best ways to prevent great thermal expansion is to keep an eye on the temperature during gutter installation. As the material will inevitably go through some expansion and contraction, you want to ensure that the changes themselves are minimal. This will help prevent major damage that can lead to serious problems. When the vinyl or aluminum gutter is installed at temperatures that are below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, the metal is already fully contracted and at its smallest size. In the same manner, temperatures over 90 degrees have the opposite effect and still lead to the same problems.
Keep in mind that if your gutter installation was handled poorly, the gutters will be left with no room to expand or contract upon weather change. This will inevitably lead to frequent repairs and sooner replacement down the road. And while you will not find it hard to locate quality gutter repair Dallas services, you will be spending more money, time and nerves on solving a problem that could have been prevented with proper installation.
Try to choose an installation time when temperatures are moderate., about halfway between the hottest and coldest days of the year. This means something between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Doing this will allow your gutters to resist the contraction and expansion issues known to create heat buckling.
Be smart with the material choice
The material you choose can have a big effect on the ways how heat affects gutters. With the proper choice, you can minimize the damage, and save yourself a lot of trouble with the maintenance later down the line. The best way to choose the most reliable material is to discuss your heat buckling concerns with your certified gutter company Dallas. The experts there will help you decide which type of gutter works best for your particular situation. Know that just because your next-door neighbor has vinyl or aluminum gutters does not mean that that is the best choice for you and your home. Your safest bet is to trust professionals who have experience in the field. They will know how to access the situation with great expertise.
Even though the heat itself will not be the biggest problem your quality gutters have to face, it is the fluctuation in temperatures that will cause damage to your gutter system. That is to say, your gutter’s biggest problem coming from heat is thermal expansion. This is the tendency of a material to expand and contract when exposed to changes in temperature. And, the bigger the change in temperature, the more the material will expand or contract.
Make sure the gutter machine is well adjusted
Every professional gutter contractor knows that making adjustments to the gutter machine is an inevitable and necessary part of every new gutter installation. It is important that your gutter is completely straight without any bending whatsoever. Ensuring a straight and even gutter system makes it less prone to buckling during the hot summer months. And if you live in the state of Texas, you are probably familiar with those. So, if the necessity arises, your professional roofing and gutter specialist ought to make these adjustments and keep your gutter as straight as it can be.
Verify the length of your gutter run
If you are an owner of a large home or business that requires more than 50 feet of gutter in a single run, you will have to pay extra attention to the length of the gutter run. In this case, it is essential to consider using an expansion joint. In certain cases, even two shorter runs make a smart choice. Taking these steps will ensure that your gutter remains stable. It will also make it less likely to buckle during strong wind and storms. And that is usually when you need a reliable gutter system the most.
Be wary of direct sunlight
Direct sunlight will expose your entire roof and gutter system to additional heat. And, while heat can be a good thing as it helps evaporate water that is inside the gutters and dry them out faster, it can also lead to potential buckling issues. Heat exposure does have its downsides. However, it is the unequal sunlight that is the biggest cause of these problems. If one part of your gutter system is in the shade, and thus endures cooler temperatures, and the other is a subject of higher heat, the disbalance will put additional stress to the material. This is one of the harmful ways how heat affects gutters. You want to keep a close eye on any areas of your gutter system that sits in direct sunlight.
