What are Stainless Roof Gutters?
The image you see is an example of a stainless roof gutter. In layman’s term, its stainless steel shaped into a roof gutter. They are used in your roofing system and plays a vital role in preserving the foundation of your home. Their main role is to redirect water away from your house.
Looking for a Roofing Supplier? Contact us for a free quotation of supplies and labor. Send us an SMS
Where to Buy Roofing Gutters?
The obvious answer is a roofing supply store. Fortunately, in my country we developed a common symbol of a roofing store. These stores have a stand that looks like the image. So if you’ve seen this, they are selling roofing products. Chances are they are also selling roofing gutters (including those that are stainless). They are also available in some hardware stores. However, your best bet is still looking for a roofing store. On a side note, we also manufacture and deliver stainless roof gutters. Learn more on how to order by clicking on the link.
Cost of Stainless Roof Gutters in the Philippines
For the price of stainless roof gutters, it really depends on the specification of the roof gutter. Mainly there are two factors affecting it. Width and Thickness. For the length, it usually has a fixed length of 8-feet. The price table depicts the price of stainless roof gutters. It is also worth noting that these are 304 Stainless Steel.
| Thickness / Width | 24" Width | 48" Width |
|---|---|---|
| 0.4mm | ₱1175 | ₱2350 |
| 0.5mm | ₱1425 | ₱2850 |
| 0.6mm | ₱1875 | ₱3750 |
Stainless Roof Gutters vs Pre-painted Roof Gutter
Before comparing the two, lets briefly define what a pre-painted roof gutter is. Just like colored roofing panels, it is galvanized steel coated by paint shaped into a roof gutter. The two common designs of gutters are Box and Spanish. The only difference between the two is the manner of how they are bended. Spanish Gutters has curvy edges rather than straight.
The only difference between stainless roof gutters and pre-painted roof gutter is the type of material being used. Functionally speaking they are the same. Hence, another title of this section is, “Stainless vs Galvanized Steel”.
Cost
Let us first define the obvious. Stainless steel is more expensive than galvanized. The price of stainless is almost thrice of a pre-painted roof gutter. If you are considering using stainless steel for your roof gutters, prepare to allot more for your budget.
Appearances
For their appearances, the only difference between them is the color. Stainless steel observes a shiny reflective silver color. While pre-painted roof gutters has a lot of color choices. Depending on the supplier, popular choices of color are red, blue, brown and green. This maybe the only advantage of getting a pre-painted roof gutters; its variation of colors.
Lifespan
Because of its material properties, stainless steel are expected to outlast pre-painted galvanized roof gutters. The average lifespan for colored roof gutters is 10 to 15 years while stainless can last up to 50 years. Due to several factors, the results may vary however it is apparent that stainless will last longer than galvanized.
Why do Homeowners Prefer Stainless Roof Gutters?
It is mentioned that colored roof gutters are much more affordable than stainless and you are stuck with a single color. Still, why do homeowners favors this over the former? Majority of it comes from the benefits of the properties of stainless. Below are some of it.
Rust Resistant
Because of the chemical properties of stainless steel, it forms a passive layer which resists the formation of rusts. The elements that composes of a stainless steel prevents water and oxygen from interacting with the base metal.
Durable
Stainless steel is also known for its high resistance to heat. This is due to the fact of chromium being present within the material. This lowers thermal fluctuation which can lead to steel buckling or warping. Hence, stainless is known for its high durability and won’t crack from heat.
Maintenance
Because of the other benefits mentioned above, this leads to low maintenance. Once installed, you don’t have to replace them for a long period of time. Overtime it is inevitable that dirt will accumulate around the material. With stainless steel, cleaning and removing them is a breeze because of the protective layers.
Different Kinds of Stainless Roof Gutters
In the market, it is observed that stainless steel has a wide range of prices. The reason behind this is that there are multiple grades of stainless steel, each varies from alloy composition. The two common grades are 304 and 316. There are also grades which are lower than these. We recommend getting at least 304 for stainless roof gutters.
To make matters more complex a 304 grade varies from different supplier. However by standards, it must contain at least 10% chromium. This is the element responsible for most of the benefits of being a stainless steel. A 316 is another grade for stainless steel. It is more expensive than a 304 grade and is known for being more resistant to rust. One underlying alloy it contains is molybdenum. This alloy aids to increase resilience against chlorides. Hence, the application of these are recommended for coastal areas where corrosion is prominent. Below is a diagram of the common alloy composition of a 304 and a 316 grade.
Verifying Stainless Roof Gutters
These is no easy way of verifying stainless roof gutters from a visible perspective. The alloy composition of steel cannot be differentiated from the naked eye. The only possible way is to ask the supplier to hand out a Material Test Report (MTR) to certify the components of the material.
Should you Buy Stainless Roof Gutters?
If the budget allows then yes. Because of the number of advantages it offers, it is recommended getting stainless roof gutters. However, one important thing to consider is the design or the width of the roof gutter. Ensure that the width of the roof gutter is able to accommodate the amount of rainfall for the length for your roof panels. We recommend getting at least a 24” roof gutter for a 6-meter long span roof.
References
http://www.ssina.com/overview/features.html
https://www.wenzelmetalspinning.com/galvanized-steel-vs-stainless.html
https://www.nemaenclosures.com/blog/304-and-316-stainless-steel/
https://blog.swantonweld.com/galvanized-and-stainless-steel-differences
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-doesnt-stainless-stee/