When it comes to rain gutter materials, you have a wide variety of choices. From aluminum gutters to copper, steel, vinyl and others as well. One of the most popular gutters are ones made of aluminum. But, are aluminum gutters your best option to install on your home? Here's a quick look.

Over the years there have been many improvements in aluminum gutter systems. In years past they would often have problems with the paint coming off or they weren't as sturdy as they needed to be, but today you'll find a lot of nice changes. Here are a few tips to look for with aluminum.

1. Thickness - If you want a long lasting aluminum gutter, then you should be sure it is at least .032 inches thick. Anything thinner than that will lead to problems. A ladder can easily bend it and a heavy rain can cause sagging or bowing.

2. Paint - Always read the warranty about paint finishes to be sure you are covered for years in the future. In addition, the paint on traditional aluminum gutters has always held up better than the coil stock that makes seamless gutters.

3. Attaching It To Your Roof - The age old method of using long spikes through ferrules or metal tubes, is one that should be laid to rest. Why? Because this method does not allow your rain gutter to expand and contract. Then what happens is the spikes come out of the fascia board from being stressed over time.

The best method of installing rain gutters is by using hidden hangers or clips. Hangers allow your gutter to go through the expansion and contraction process without doing any damage. One key point here though is to always find out the weight bearing limits of the gutter system.

Rain gutters and downspouts are essential to your home and foundation. Without them, your home can suffer from erosion, wood rot and a whole host of other issues. Gutters are an inexpensive solution to avoiding these problems.

Aluminum gutters have made good improvements over the years. If you need to replace your home's gutter system you won't go wrong with using aluminum as a material.