Replacement Gutters For Historic Homes: Should You Choose Half-Round Gutters?
Historic homes have a class and elegance that most modern developments cannot match, but only if you keep them in tip-top condition. Ensuring adequate rainwater drainage is particularly crucial if you live in an older property, as traditional building materials (such as timber wall trusses and roof shingles) are very vulnerable to mold and rot caused by poor drainage and dampness.
If your historic home's gutters have seen better days and cannot be repaired, you should have them replaced as soon as possible by a reputable gutter installation service. Half-round gutters can be an excellent choice for homes with historic architectural styles, but be warned — while this traditional style of guttering has its advantages, it also has some unavoidable drawbacks.
Advantages Of Choosing Half-Round Gutters
Traditional Styling
In years gone by, half-round gutters were the predominant style of guttering used in residential construction, until they were replaced with more modern styles such as K-style gutters. If your home was constructed before the 1950s, the original gutters fitted to your home were almost certainly half-round style gutters.
Fitting replacements in the same style will help to preserve your historic home's intended appearance and old-world charm, while modern gutters can look out of place. If you intend to sell your historic home in the future, preserving the building's original façade as much as possible will also preserve its value.
Resistant To Clogging
The open, semi-cylindrical construction of half-round gutters creates a very smooth interior surface, with no gaps or crevices where solid debris can accumulate. As a consequence, half-round gutters are unlikely to develop clogs and blockages, a common cause of damp and water damage in older homes.
They are especially useful if your home is surrounded by deciduous trees, as fallen leaves are notorious for causing clogs in K-style gutters, fascia gutters, and other types of gutters. They are also compatible with gutter leaf guards, if you wish to play it safe and keep leaves out of your gutters entirely.
Drawbacks Of Choosing Half-Round Gutters
Expensive
Half-round gutters have fallen out of favor in recent decades, largely because they cost more to manufacture than modern, modular gutter styles. They tend to cost significantly more than mass-produced K-style and fascia gutters, although this added expense can be worth it to preserve your home's resale value.
Difficult To Install
Half-round gutters also take more time and expertise to install than other types of guttering, especially if they are made from copper, painted steel, or other traditional materials. Fitting half-round replacement gutters is not a DIY job, and should only be performed by a residential gutter installation service. This can cause problems if you need replacement gutters quickly because your existing gutters are seriously damaged.