Utility of Copper Gutters
The main utility point for copper gutters would be the long-lasting material. Copper gutters can last a lifetime. Typically, a copper gutter system will last you 80 to 100 years. Before they begin to leak or anything of that nature usually, they will become aesthetically beaten up and abused from ladders, tree limbs and people working around them over the years. As far as leaking and holding up, if a copper gutter system is installed properly it won’t happen. Good lead in the joints instead of a sealer can help copper gutters last.
Copper Gutters are More Durable than Aluminum Gutters
In comparison to aluminum, copper is much, much heavier. When it’s hit with something, it still can dent in the same way, but it’s durability and the thickness of it is much stronger. Another utility for copper gutters is it does not respond to temperatures in the same way as an aluminum gutter. Aluminum tends to expand and contract at a much higher rate than copper. Copper is a more stationary, solid product for more critical areas to not have issues with expansion and contraction. The fasteners that are used won’t be subject to breaking or being pulled from the wood or metal surface that they’re mounted to.
What is The Price of Copper Gutters?
Standard gutters for a home can run between $4 and $10 per foot for an aluminum gutter system. You might see some specialty products as high as $20 to $25. With copper gutters, you could see $25 to $40 a foot. Not only is copper labor-intensive for installation, but the product is also much much higher right now to purchase. Copper being in higher demand or being more difficult to find makes it more costly.
All around, copper costs significantly more than other gutter systems. They are approximately four (4) to five (5) times more than a standard gutter system depending on where you are. IT can also be a little more difficult to find an installer for it. That also can increase the price if you’re hiring an installer who has a longer distance, say two to three hours away from your location. You may even have to hire someone out of state. Having to come and get licensed in your city to do a particular job is fairly common with copper gutters.
Durability of Copper Gutters
Copper gutters are extremely durable. As previously mentioned, they can last 80 to 100 years. There is less expansion and contraction and the material itself is rigid. This is especially true after being roll-formed into a half-round or K style gutter system. All of the joints are sealed with lead which is also a very durable product. This is in contrast to synthetic sealers that are usually used with aluminum gutter systems. Durability is much much higher because of the products that are used.
Do Copper Gutters Increase the Value of Your Home?
Copper gutters actually do increase the value of your home in several ways. One being that copper gutters are more expensive. Generally, you know you spend $5,000 to $20,000 on a gutter system. Those gutters are there; they have the standalone value. The main cost increase comes from the longevity that is promised and the aesthetics that the gutters provide for the value of your home. It is a product that if you were doing a higher-end home you would use copper gutters to capture more of that property value for the quality and the step things up in that way.
Oxidation
Mildew or residue can build up on the surface of copper gutters, but they do not oxidize unless they are used with a material that is corrosive. Copper gutters can only be used with specific other materials. The chemical makeup of copper and other materials can actually cause certain materials to break down when they work together. Not being subject to oxidation is very valuable for a gutter system.
Why Does Oxidation Happen
Oxidation is usually caused by the UV rays from the sun and the chemical composition of rainwater causes the surface of aluminum and some metal products to begin to oxidize.
How to Prevent Oxidation on Gutters
Find a layer of brown or a black copper oxide that will form on gutters. This actually can protect the copper from further corrosion. You’ll see a green layer of like copper carbonate that’ll form on old copper structures or gutters. You’ll even see it on the Statue of Liberty. Copper just seems to tarnish when it’s exposed to sulfur compounds and just reacts differently to different types of copper sulfides.
Overall although you’ll see the copper oxide on the surface the finish can be restored at any time. Usually, that look is desired and more appealing once copper has aged and has been exposed to oxygen and to weather. It tends to look better than it did when it was new.
Can Oxidized Gutters Be Restored?
The surface of the copper gutter can be restored to a new finish but usually only cleaned up to a level of back to functioning and just to get rid of large layers of dirt or debris. Copper in a gutter world is usually not restored because the desired look is to be aged.
How Do I Know If Copper Gutters are Worth the Investment?
Determining whether copper gutters are worth the investment would take in short getting a home appraisal. If you don’t want to pay for an appraisal, do your own. Compare the size of your home to those in your neighborhood and the condition of those in your neighborhood and make an assessment. If your neighborhood residents are all priced about the same as yours and you’re about to spend $20,000 in a copper gutter system, recouping those funds may be difficult because of the area where not many people are paying for those larger upgrades.
Determining whether copper gutters are worth the investment would take in short getting a home appraisal. If you don’t want to pay for an appraisal, do your own. Compare the size of your home to those in your neighborhood and the condition of those in your neighborhood and make an assessment. If your neighborhood residents are all priced about the same as yours and you’re about to spend $20,000 in a copper gutter system, recouping those funds may be difficult because of the area where not many people are paying for those larger upgrades.
When it is Safe to Invest in Copper Gutters
If the homes in your area are rather large and on the high end and it doesn’t seem to affect one home to the next, it would be safe to invest in copper gutters. An example is if the other homes are not equal but vary $100,000 to $200,000 from one to the next. However, if you’re living in a community where all of your homes are priced within $15,000 to $20,000 of each other and you’re going to add 20,000 to yours, you could be at risk. You could lose your investment in a resale situation because you’ve stretched your value out to the max.
The people that usually buy homes are more focused on location. That is usually what determines a home purchase and of course quality, size, and functionality of the home for that buyer.
Ultimately people are looking for a specific location either for proximity to something else, or proximity for driving. They also look for the aesthetics or the prestige. People may go to the country to be by themselves or move to the inner city to be part of a community. Every specific subdivision and area has a different determining factor for people moving there. You want to make sure that people are moving there to spend some money.
Conclusion
Copper gutters are always worth their investment for the long term longevity of their functionality. Be cautious of which home you install it on, make sure you’re going to get your money back if you ever were to resell. Even though it’s a really nice product, nice quality, you want to make sure that you’re not pricing yourself into spending all of your equity on your home and not able to recoup it. Pick a good installer, find a good area, and confirm shopping prices and get ready to let those gutters age into their beauty.
