Tired if Leaves Already any good Gutter guards?

[machsnell]

Anyone have any info on good gutter guards?

I am sick of blowing leaves out before a rain or at night when I get home. Lots of trees so leave and branches that jam in the downspouts if not careful.

Lowes has some and I think I saw some from Costco that can be ordered.

Lemme know if you got any good or bad results. I want to do asap.

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[climb.on]

I just installed some more of this yesterday. It's working pretty well at our new house. I notice some pine needles getting through, but I don't think it will be enough to casue any issues. I was going to use this stuff from costco, but it wasn't going to work with my steel roof. It's designed to tuck under the shingles and I can't really do that with my steel roof. I used these from Menards on my old house for years. Worked pretty well.

All gutter guards will require some maintenance (cleaning), but not as much not having them. All gutter guards will reduce water flow somewhat, but I'll live with that over plugged gutters and not having to get up there 4 times a year to clean the **** out.

Here are some pics of the ones I just put up.

 

[tedo2007]

No good info but I need to do this too!


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[machsnell]

I know some say dont do screens or small holes or flat or convex.....too much to digest but I do want to do it right and once.

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[Stuart in MN]

I have Leafguard gutters and they've been great. Zero leaves get in them. The only thing is you have to replace the entire gutter system as the cover is integral so it's not cheap, but for people who are going to replace them anyway as part of other renovations they're well worth considering. https://www.leafguard.com

 

[vavet]

I looked into all those a few years ago. It seems they all have their vulnerabilities. Some work well with light rains and horrible with downpours. Others work better with faster rain. I decided not to do anything and have the gutters cleaned out periodically.

 

[930dreamer]

Flip gutters;

 

[Tinkerman66]

I looked into all those a few years ago. It seems they all have their vulnerabilities. Some work well with light rains and horrible with downpours. Others work better with faster rain. I decided not to do anything and have the gutters cleaned out periodically.

^ This is what I have witnessed with my brothers house.
Not sure of the brand of his gutter system but in a light rain the leaves will sometimes follow the rain into the gutter. Heavy rain the water shoots right over the gutter. It was installed before he bought the house so at least he didnt waste his money on it.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

My neighbors sold me the covers they pulled off their house. They said they worked. I've yet to put them on, sitting in my garage. They're the aluminum mesh knid with the little flip clip on the edge.

 

[58Yeoman]

I've tried the plastic & aluminum rolls, and the plastic inserts (brown) which melted in the summer heat. I finally went with the Costco guards, and haven't had a bit of trouble since. I'll see leaves or twigs stuck up there once in a while, but it seems the weather gets rid of them. I'm plenty pleased.

My brother had the one piece leaf guard style put on his small house, and it cost him over $6000, but he said that they work very well. I think mine cost a little over $300.

 

[Jazz1]

My shingles are wearing. I wonder if the shingle "gravel" would fall through those screens. I don't mind walking along the roof spraying out the troughs on house and garage annually. Did mine on Monday.

 

[BuffettFan]

I bit the bullet in 2011 and had Gutter Helmet installed.
Not cheap, but no regrets.
No issues with leaves or heavy rain.

 

[4xdog]

I'm trying a length of Gutterfill low-density reticulated foam gutter liner on one side of my garage. We'll see. I bought this off-the-shelf at my local Menards.

 

[jkeyser14]

None of them work. I put oversized 6" gutters and 4x5" downspouts on my new house. It is in heavy woods, and leaves and twigs all pass through now. Spending money on gutter guards is just throwing away money.

 

[Stuart in MN]

None of them work. I put oversized 6" gutters and 4x5" downspouts on my new house. It is in heavy woods, and leaves and twigs all pass through now. Spending money on gutter guards is just throwing away money.

A couple of us would disagree.

I have Leafguard gutters and they've been great. Zero leaves get in them.

I bit the bullet in 2011 and had Gutter Helmet installed. Not cheap, but no regrets. No issues with leaves or heavy rain.

 

[chicken89]

the house i just bought had some kind of gutter guard on it... well, most of it. the parts that were missing just allowed the leaves to collect under the parts that had the guard. i ended up tossing all of it and just climb onto roof and blow out the gutters. ***** to do, but better then grabbing a ladder and moving it a couple feet to pull out the leaves then replace the gutter guard

 

[jkeyser14]

A couple of us would disagree.

And many others in this thread would disagree with you. Extremely heavy downpours, pine needles, ice dams, etc. Every single gutter guard has one type of flaw, if not multiple. My comment is based on my experience. I tried several brands at my last place and took them all off. But oversizing gutters and downspouts, I found that it will greatly extend the time between cleanings (if needed at all). There aren't many leaves that won't pass through a 4"×5" opening.

 

[Kenta]

I have "Leaf Relief" gutter guards and as advertised they do a good job keeping the leaves out, no clogs. No pine trees near the house so I can't comment on how they'd hold up to needles. Leaves are just fine. If I had to do it again, I'd do the guards again. Beats getting up on the ladder and cleaning the gutters.

 

[Stuart in MN]

And many others in this thread would disagree with you. Extremely heavy downpours, pine needles, ice dams, etc. Every single gutter guard has one type of flaw, if not multiple. My comment is based on my experience.

My comment was based on my experience as well. I can't comment on other products, but in my case Leafguard gutters work as advertised.

 

[Bill Bowman]

^^^^I have the same brand on 2 homes. Excellent, but pricey. Installed in 2002, and have never had to mess with them since.

 

[BillK]

I am across the river from you and have about the same amount of trees from what I can see in your picture. I bought these about 5 years ago from Home Depot:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Amerima...Snap-In-Filter-Gutter-Guard-86270BX/100520851

Cheap, very easy to install and they work great. A couple of them are starting to show some wear and tear but for the price its easy enough to replace them every once in a while.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

There must be a half dozen threads about gutter protection.

I'm trying a length of Gutterfill low-density reticulated foam gutter liner on one side of my garage. We'll see. I bought this off-the-shelf at my local Menards.

None of them work. I put oversized 6" gutters and 4x5" downspouts on my new house. It is in heavy woods, and leaves and twigs all pass through now. Spending money on gutter guards is just throwing away money.

A couple of us would disagree.

And many others in this thread would disagree with you. Extremely heavy downpours, pine needles, ice dams, etc. Every single gutter guard has one type of flaw, if not multiple. My comment is based on my experience. I tried several brands at my last place and took them all off. But oversizing gutters and downspouts, I found that it will greatly extend the time between cleanings (if needed at all). There aren't many leaves that won't pass through a 4"×5" opening.

4xdog, I hate to say it, but the foam inserts are really nothing more than a good way to catch dirt and debris. It makes a nice substrate for plant growth and you'll have trees growing out of your gutters in a few years.

Flip gutters fall open from the weight of snow or ice and you are very limited on where the downspouts can go (at least the two installations I've seen). They go on the vertical end of the gutter, usually around the corner of the building.

For those that say, "None of them work", you just had bad designs. I've had Gutterglove guards for about 15 years. Never had a single issue. They are so good they are certified as a filtering system for rainwater collection.

They were taken off and reinstalled this spring when we reroofed, and even the roofer commented that he was amazed at how clean the gutters were, that they were still like new inside. We've had 5"/hour torrential downpours and there is no overshoot, even on a 12/12 pitch roof cape cod. There is a drip here and there where the panels meet because there is a seal between them and a teeny bit of water does run down the seal and over the edge.

There are DIY and Pro versions. I have the Ice Breaker version that is designed to have self regulating heat cable installed on the underside.

https://www.gutterglove.com/

Tommy

 

[4xdog]

I’ll buy your comments, Tommy. There’s not much lost when my foam insert experiment fails. (I have only about two feet installed near the downspout drain — I needed the rest of the single four-foot length I bought for another project.)

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I’ll buy your comments, Tommy. There’s not much lost when my foam insert experiment fails. (I have only about two feet installed near the downspout drain — I needed the rest of the single four-foot length I bought for another project.)

You know what, they might actually work better that way as the majority of the water will be running through them horizontally and flush themselves. You'll probably still need to clean the rest of the gutters, though.

Tommy

 

[4xdog]

...You'll probably still need to clean the rest of the gutters, though...

Fershure. I expect to keep cleaning the gutters. My experiment is to see if I can keep the downspout clear. That’s by no means a sure thing either as the way I’m doing it will allow leaves to flow under the foam.

I also have a plug of foam inserted into the top two or three inches of the downspout and flush with the level of the gutter. I’m more optimistic about that approach.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Fershure. I expect to keep cleaning the gutters. My experiment is to see if I can keep the downspout clear. That’s by no means a sure thing either as the way I’m doing it will allow leaves to flow under the foam.

I also have a plug of foam inserted into the top two or three inches of the downspout and flush with the level of the gutter. I’m more optimistic about that approach.

I use the expanded aluminum "screen" downspout guards to deter chipmunks from using the gutters as a tunnel, even before I got the Gutterglove. They never really got blocked and kept the downspouts clear, so idea might be pretty good.

Tommy

 

[Bluedodge]

I had this installed when we built 25 years ago. They work "OK", but in areas where we see lots of leaves, like inside corners, the leaves build up and I still need to clear out the area with a pool brush. They will occasionally blow out in high winds, they slide under the shingles then clip onto the gutter. Ones that kept popping off I secured with a dab of clear silicone. It helps a little bit.

 

[bugnut]

I live in the woods and have Gutter Toppers. Since installation 15 years ago have had zero issues. I have no ice dams and leaves are not in the gutters. I do not have pines near the home but have maples with the whirligigs, and beech very close. I have had the company that did installation out after a 2-3 year period for a rinse and review-no issues. Also had a new roof this year and the roofers noted that the only debris, mainly grains from shingle were collecting in a low spot, but no leaves or other vegetation. I have never been on the ladder to clean anything. The one thing I notice is the leaves, vegetation, seeds end up piled up along the patio in a nice line showing me how well they are shedding the debris.

 

[yeldogt]

I have properly sized 1/2 round gutters and smooth downspouts on my projects -- they don't clog up like the K's .. and they look good.

The gutterglove is big in my area ... does seem to work and be well made ..... you do notice them ..especially on a steep roof

 

[BearsFan315]

i got tired of doing leaves a few years ago and bought a screen mesh from lowes, it was too large and too much **** got in the gutters. oak tree dumps tons of leaves, and tons of acorns every fall from Oct to about Feb !! before it is done !! 10-20 lawn Bags a week of Leaves ! about a 100' umbrella, beautiful big oak.

last summer i bit the bullet and bought these:
EasyOn Gutter Guard i ordered them from Costco online, NO i am NOT a Costco member, but the price was the best around !!

I followed instructions and installed them. I was so happy NO leaves in my gutters !! no debris in my gutters !! water still easily goes in the gutters !!

I am VERY HAPPY with these, you can get them different places, i like the stainless as the previous ones from lowe's started to rust after a two years.

 

[ford33]

I have "Leaf Guard" gutters. They work well at keeping leaves out but they do need to be cleaned due to build up of shingle stones, bugs and small twigs. I have noticed my down spouts clogged to these small pieces. Leaf Guard will clean them without charge if you call.

When it downpours, they don't collect water. Water rolls off the roof in large sheets. It's a trade-off to have little maintenance on gutters.

 

[6768rogues]

I have never seen a system that works. If it has enough blockage to keep leaves out, it will obstruct enough water in a hard rain to overflow the gutters. Some fall in the gutter and clog it worse, some divert water over the gutters, some collect leaves themselves and still need cleaning.... I only have 50 years of experience, though.

 

[McFarmer]

I certainly haven’t tried them all but I think the best guards are the ones easiest to clean under.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I have never seen a system that works. If it has enough blockage to keep leaves out, it will obstruct enough water in a hard rain to overflow the gutters.

Like I previously posted, mine do nothing of the sort even in 5"/hour downpours. The gutters are still as new inside after 20+ years.

Tommy

 

[4xdog]

i got tired of doing leaves a few years ago and bought a screen mesh from lowes, it was too large and too much **** got in the gutters. oak tree dumps tons of leaves, and tons of acorns every fall from Oct to about Feb !! before it is done !! 10-20 lawn Bags a week of Leaves ! about a 100' umbrella, beautiful big oak.

last summer i bit the bullet and bought these:
EasyOn Gutter Guard i ordered them from Costco online, NO i am NOT a Costco member, but the price was the best around !!

I followed instructions and installed them. I was so happy NO leaves in my gutters !! no debris in my gutters !! water still easily goes in the gutters !!

I am VERY HAPPY with these, you can get them different places, i like the stainless as the previous ones from lowe's started to rust after a two years.

I have a set of these at my parents old house in southeastern Ohio, part of the upgrades I need to find time for as I get ready to put that house on the market. Glad to hear you like 'em.

 

[CN Spots]

I had this installed when we built 25 years ago. They work "OK", but in areas where we see lots of leaves, like inside corners, the leaves build up and I still need to clear out the area with a pool brush. They will occasionally blow out in high winds, they slide under the shingles then clip onto the gutter. Ones that kept popping off I secured with a dab of clear silicone. It helps a little bit.

We have these on our house. They're a pain when the pines start dropping needles and a nightmare when the oaks start dropping catkins in the spring. We also have the same problem with the leaves/inside corners as you.

I wish there was a gutter where the water/debris just rolled off the ends into the downspout instead of down some poorly punched out downspout hole.

 

[Chetter]

I went with a product called Leaf Filter. I did a lot of research before buying this product and have absolutely no issues or problems with it, it's not just a screen cover, they created a patented design that makes water pull into the gutter. My brother in law did the Leaf Guard and chose Leaf Filter based on what I read and saw for myself. I have never had water cascading over my gutters with these on no matter how heavy the rainfall and nothing gets into the gutters, not even the granules from the shingles. I have maples and oaks all around me and hated cleaning gutters out all the time and as I got closer to 60 years old decided it was time to stop getting on ladders and off roofs to clean them. One of my friends fell head first off his roof cleaning his gutters and that was the point where I spent the money for the product I use. I have several friends that use this product based on my review of it. Was it expensive, yep, but cheaper than the hospital bills or death from a fall, and I got them at the time with 0% financing.

 

[strutaeng]

I am across the river from you and have about the same amount of trees from what I can see in your picture. I bought these about 5 years ago from Home Depot:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Amerima...Snap-In-Filter-Gutter-Guard-86270BX/100520851

Cheap, very easy to install and they work great. A couple of them are starting to show some wear and tear but for the price its easy enough to replace them every once in a while.

I was just going to post a link of these that I installed on part of my house. I had to cut away the fine mesh because it was causing the water to just run off. I also had to drill a lot of holes because water was still running to the edge and over the lip. They sort of work now.

THD also sells some metal ones that look just like expanded metal that I think may work better for me. Pecan, oak and mulberry trees is what I have. no pines.

 

[My Old Tools]

I have Leafguard gutters and they've been great. Zero leaves get in them. The only thing is you have to replace the entire gutter system as the cover is integral so it's not cheap, but for people who are going to replace them anyway as part of other renovations they're well worth considering. https://www.leafguard.com

price?

 

[My Old Tools]

We have these on our house. They're a pain when the pines start dropping needles and a nightmare when the oaks start dropping catkins in the spring. We also have the same problem with the leaves/inside corners as you.

I wish there was a gutter where the water/debris just rolled off the ends into the downspout instead of down some poorly punched out downspout hole.

Same with the ones that look like diamond expanded metal. Complete **** with oaks and pines.