Looking for a more Elegant Look? Half Round Gutters vs. K-style Gutters
There are different types of gutters found in residential installations today, but the most
sought-after styles are the k-style and half round gutters. Gutters are essential in moving rain
and external moisture away from your home to prevent leaking and flooding your home’s interior. So,
besides looking at the colors, materials, and prices, it is also important to consider the style in
order to choose the right gutters for your home.
Gutters are named from the appearance of their profile when viewed from the side, so K-style
gutters have an outer shape that vaguely resembles the letter K. This style’s outer edge comprises
a short, straight-line from the gutter’s bottom with two opposing curves followed by another
straight line. There are sizes and materials of K-style gutters, with the most common sizes being
five and six-inch. Common materials include aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, and vinyl.
The basics of Half Round Gutters
While k-style is the default gutter style for most US homeowners, because of its ease of
installation and minimal labor costs, some homeowners prefer to install something more stylish and
appealing that is customized to suit their homes. Half-round gutters are a great alternative to the
standard k-style gutters. Some of their characteristics include:
1. Shape
Unlike their square-shaped counterparts, these gutters are rounded like a round pipe that has been
cut laterally. The edges of these gutters have a curled top, though the curl may be present on only
one of the sides. They were widely available in a variety of widths and colors, and could be
purchased in sections, or installed as seamless gutters.
2. Materials
Historically, half-round gutters were preferred in most homes because they were easy to form using
basic tools, like by bending steel plates around cylinders. Today, however, these gutters are
manufactured in a host of materials, including copper, aluminum, and zinc-coated and galvanized
metal.
3. Style
The popularity of the k-style gutter is mostly due to its resemblance to interior crown molding,
which allowed it to complement most modern homes. That said, half-round gutters can add a touch of
elegance to the exterior of homes built in the early-to-mid 20th century. These gutters are also
suited for certain styles of architecture that are characterized by rounded roof-lines.
Homeowners stand to benefit in a variety of ways from choosing half-round gutters for their homes,
including:
1. Elegance: they provide the perfect highlight for older homes
2. Less prone to corrosion: they feature a smoother shape compared to the angular formed k-style
gutters, which reduces the areas where wetness can form, making them less likely to corrode.
3. Easy maintenance: they are easier to keep clean because waterborne debris flow freely through
the gutters without being caught on the rough edges, making the gutter less likely to clog. This
ultimately reduces the cleaning frequency.
These gutters are more expensive compared to other styles. However, they are not as readily
available, and require specialty accessories, like hanger brackets and threaded rods to install. So, if you are
convinced that you want to install half round gutters, it is important that you find a skilled
contractor, who has dealt with this kind of gutter installation before, to avoid inconveniences.
