Gutter Guards vs Gutter cleaning

[Romer]

I have been getting my gutters cleaned twice a year as I have trees on my property. Had some issues with the cleaning company and like switch to another one.

I see all these ads for Gutter Guards and there are so many variations. They all say never clean your gutters again. The Gutter company I had said you still have to clean them and it is more expensive.

Interested in any real experiences converting to Gutter Guards, what type and if eliminated the need for cleaning gutters

I see no value in changing my gutters if I still have to clean them

Thanks in Advance

 

[Sunset]

There are a LOT cheaper solutions than gutter guard.

This cost 0.74 cents per foot of gutter at menards (it's the one with the screen over the holes).

I've used it after testing it for a couple of years, and now 7 years later it's still working great.
https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/gutters-accessories/gutter-accessories/lb-plastics-3-filtered-vinyl-gutter-cover/1585123/p-1539325725571-c-5812.htm?tid=079dc23e-294c-45f0-99c5-75e0178a0ed5&ipos=12&exp=false

 

[Koolau]

All the ads I see on TV for such covers at least "imply" that you no longer have to clean the gutters.

 

[skyking1]

I recently had Leaf Filter out to give us an estimate. It was atrocious and then they played price games, trying to close a deal. It was high pressure BS sales tactics at it's worst and we tell everyone about it.
There are several options for self installing, or having a reputable contractor install.

 

[Sunset]

OP - there is a thread on here where folks talked a LOT about gutter filters and various brands people used.

It's here: https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/leaf-guard-success-115675.html

 

[Midpack]

I posted in the other thread. Good gutter guards are great at first, but they don’t eliminate gutter cleaning, and cleaning is more expensive if you have gutter guards. Depends in part on what falls on your house, big leaves, pine needles and shingle grit are different issues. I’ve concluded it’s easier to juts clean ours once or twice a year. YMMV

https://homeinspectioninsider.com/pros-and-cons-of-gutter-guards/

 

[Dash man]

This is the style of gutter guard we have and have never had a problem in five years since we got them.

 

[Palmtree]

It really depends on what is actually clogging your gutters. I live in the southeast where pine needles and pollen are a big problem. I have tried all the different gutter guards over the years.
Screens- Shrug off big leaves but catch and clog up with pine needles. Also impossible to clear with a leaf blower. One they are imbedded, it take forever to clear them by hand.
Micro Mesh- Looked good on paper but clogged up with pine pollen and then it hardens up like glue. Useless after one season.
Add on gutter helmets-Sort of worked but they kept getting dislodged and would fall out from time to time.

After many years of trying this and that spending way to much time cleaning off gutter guards I was at my wits end. I noticed my neighbor never had a problem. Found out he had "Leafguard" gutters installed and had years and years of trouble free services so I broke down and had all my gutters replace by Leafguard. It's been 8 years and they are still working great. They have a lifetime clog free guarantee. Around year 5 I noticed that a section of gutter was pulling away from the house a bit. I called and it was fixed within a week at no charge. A couple of months ago I was curious if debris was building up inside so I got my ladder and took a peak. Nope, besides some grit from the shingles, it was fairly clean inside.

If you decide to get a quote, don't jump at the first price. They will come down quite a bit but you have earn it. I had them price match a competitor.

 

[jazz4cash]

This is the style of gutter guard we have and have never had a problem in five years since we got them.

View attachment 46315

I posted in the other thread. My big issue is that they don’t handle heavy rain so water overshoots the gutter completely and floods the foundation. Many neighbors have various styles but the style pictured seems to work better than others.

We have a hip roof and pay $125 plus $20 tip 2x per year. One section is 3 stories off the ground. It’s very reasonable to us. They go up onto the roof with a water hose and clean by hand. One year we used a different company that used a handheld blower. What a mess! Downside is the gutters might clog before the semi annual cleaning. The best solution is getting the biggest gutters that fit aesthetically.

 

[Romer]

Thanks everyone. I reviewed the other links and found them very informative. I should have searched better

 

[MBAustin]

We had Gutter Glove Pro installed 7 years ago and the only "cleaning" I do is to take a very long handled broom/brush they provided and clean off the corners where leaves accumulate during the fall and spring shedding seasons (live oaks lose their leaves in the spring). Takes about 20 minutes, no ladder needed (one story house). Worth every penny to me.

 

[MC Rider]

I tried some a few years ago, tree seeds got in and they had to come off to clean the gutters. They never went back on. I bought some abs pipe and elbows and attach to the leaf blower so I can do it from the ground.

 

[harley]

I had pretty good luck with the gutter foam inserts from Home Depot. Just triangular lengths of foam that fills the gutter but lets the water flow through. Still had to brush off some leaves on occasion, but only every few years. Far cheaper than any of the Gutter/Leaf Guard products, and easy to remove if you do have to clean the gutter for some reason. Not saying it will work for every situation, but it did work like a champ for us with our pines and live oaks. Of course, cutting the trees down worked even better.

 

[Aerides]

I get up there once a year (one story house) and shovel out what is mostly shingle grit and dirt, and a few leaves. I take a bucket and trowel and get the big stuff out pretty easily, in the few areas it seems to collect more than others.

Then I jet-hose the rest to move it along to the downspouts. It's messy and I get soaked, but it's not a huge job. I wouldn't do it if I had a two story, but then those probably get less leaves?

 

[aaronc879]

I got one of those expensive gutter guards right after I bought my house almost 7 years ago. It was a couple grand for a small house but I have never had to clean them since and no reason to think I ever will.

 

[hopefullyoneday]

I have leaf type covers over my gutters and although i don't get leaves in them i still get dirt and asphalt from the shingles. They are a pain to clean as i have to remove screws to get the cover up and scratch my hands all up. Mine is a 1 story and soon the guards will be coming off for easier cleaning. When it rains med to heavy the water overshoots the gutter.

 

[Sunset]

I have leaf type covers over my gutters and although i don't get leaves in them i still get dirt and asphalt from the shingles. They are a pain to clean as i have to remove screws to get the cover up and scratch my hands all up. Mine is a 1 story and soon the guards will be coming off for easier cleaning. When it rains med to heavy the water overshoots the gutter.

dirt and asphalt from shingles could probably accumulate for quite a few years before needing to be cleaned out.
I also wonder if you could take an end cover off and spray a hose to wash the grit down the gutter many yards. No need to remove them all.

 

[hopefullyoneday]

dirt and asphalt from shingles could probably accumulate for quite a few years before needing to be cleaned out.
I also wonder if you could take an end cover off and spray a hose to wash the grit down the gutter many yards. No need to remove them all.

The dirt that accumulates on there has actually grown a few little seedlings which come out the opening looking for light. Can't take a end cap off because they are crimped on.

 

[freedomatlast]

Our house has woods on three sides, so some kind of gutter guard was a must have. When we moved in, they had the foam stuff in some of the gutters and some kind of cheap plastic guard over the rest. Neither worked well, so I removed all of it. After thoroughly cleaning the gutters, I installed this on both stories:

https://www.amazon.com/Amerimax-Hom..._g_13398861_sccl_20/147-7979797-4014602?psc=1

Home Depot also sells it for about the same price if you don't want boxes of 25 pieces.

When installing, I did use wire ties to secure where one piece ended and another began and haven't had any issues.

This is similar to what we had on our old house that worked very well and has worked equally as well on the new house.

 

[arcyallen]

Nothing works! (how's that for positive thinking)

At first I tried the plastic guards that cover the gutter - they did not work.

Then I tried foam inserts. This provided a nice, damp base for little trees to grow out of. Threw them out after a couple years.

Next was the iRobot Looj. Super cool, sorta fun to use, and got stuck all the time.

Currently, I use an extendable "u-turn" sprayer that sprays water directly into the gutter. It works for the light stuff, but I still need to go up on a ladder multiple times a year to clear the leaf sludge by hand. For the record, we have three large trees near the house and get a lot of leaves and "helicopters" from them.

 

[Markola]

+1. My trial and error experience too. I rigged up a u-shape extension for my shop vac on blower mode, which works pretty well when everything is dry.