Expected life, by InterNACHI
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors estimates:
- Copper gutters: 50 years or more; copper downspouts: 100
- Vinyl gutters and downspouts: 25 or more
- Aluminum gutters, downspouts, soffit and fascia: 20 to 40 or more
- Galvanized steel gutters and downspouts: 20
These are estimates for normal service; gutters that carry ladders, ice or a falling branch can fail sooner.
How they differ
Aluminum does not rust, is light enough to roll into seamless lengths on site, and comes in many painted colors. Heavier stock resists denting better. Galvanized steel is stiffer but rusts once its zinc coating wears through. Copper is joined by soldering and develops its patina over the years. Vinyl is sold in sections, mostly for homeowners installing their own.
Seamless and sectional
Seamless gutters have joints only at corners and ends; sectional gutters are joined along the run. Joints are where leaks start.
K-style and half-round
K-style gutters have a flat back against the fascia and a molded front; half-round gutters are a semicircle hung on brackets and are often matched to older houses, frequently in copper.