gutter guards??

[albireo13]

We have gotten clogging problems at our house ... leaves and pine needles.
Getting too old and crabby for spending my off time cleaning gutters.
That plus, I' no longer like getting up on the ladder ... it's tempting fate.

I've looked into gutter guard products and there are lots of options with reviews all over the map.
I was wondering if any folks have used them. Any success stories?

Thx.

 

[Newventurer]

Well, I have the cheap plastic ones that I was going to recommend until I saw that you have pine needles...never mind

 

[frank]

https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...385-c-5812.htm?tid=8391131183513484068&ipos=8

put these on 10 years ago. best thing I ever did. my house is surrounded by oak and pine trees. I had to clean gutters every week or two. now I just have to check them once a year. most times there is nothing to clean but once in a while pine needles work their way in and have to clean them out. they are cheap, easy to install, no tools required except snips or scissors to cut off the end piece to fit.

 

[Newventurer]

https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...385-c-5812.htm?tid=8391131183513484068&ipos=8

put these on 10 years ago. best thing I ever did. my house is surrounded by oak and pine trees. I had to clean gutters every week or two. now I just have to check them once a year. most times there is nothing to clean but once in a while pine needles work their way in and have to clean them out. they are cheap, easy to install, no tools required except snips or scissors to cut off the end piece to fit.

Well that’s what I have as well, I didn’t realize they would resist those pesky pine needles.

 

[jazz4cash]

We pay ~$100 for an annual cleaning. We have hip roof....maybe 150' of gutters that are 2-3 stories off the ground. Now that the trees are getting bigger, it looks like we'll need to go to 2x per year.....worth it!

I also added some downspouts to reduce problems with backups. I am convinced the real issue is the gutters are just too small, especially the hole the feeds into the downspout.

Many neighbors around here have the high end ones and a lot of water bypasses the gutter in a heavy rain. Some of them have baffles on the shingles to slow down the flow into the gutter to reduce the bypass volume. I wouldn't mess with those.

I might try the ones frank linked on a section that is only 1 story off my deck since they look inexpensive and easy to install. I wish we had Menard's around here.

I was planning to use these.....
https://www.homedepot.com/p/GUTTERSTUFF-5-in-x-48-in-K-Style-Foam-Gutter-Filter-GS-K5-SPAN/203318223

 

[kaneohe]

Not a success story,unfortunately.......just some experience. Put on some of cheaper ones.....plastic w/ a grid pattern. Unfortunately we have a lot of trees around us, including a redwood that drops all kinds of stuff. That combines with other trees that produce a variety of debris so that the holes eventually clog up and the water just flows off instead into the gutter.

The wide range of reviews is probably in part due to the variety of sizes of the debris. Just leaves would probably be blown off by the wind but the variety leads to plugging of the holes.....just like a beaver dam.

Perhaps some of the more expensive stuff might work......or not.....

 

[frank]

I have my doubts about the ones jazz4cash is considering. foam will plug up over time with just about anything, including the granular surface that washes off the shingles, or just plain dirt in the air. anything with that fine of a filter will certainly plug and the water will then just run over the top. that is just my opinion though. check the reviews on home depot to see what I mean.

 

[pb4uski]

I installed those inexpensive plastic screen/mesh type a couple years ago and they work well for us. I still get up there with a hose and flush any debris out each fall, but the debris is minor by comparison.

 

[JoeWras]

Well that’s what I have as well, I didn’t realize they would resist those pesky pine needles.

I have these as a stop gap until I get pro install. I have to clean them once per year because enough needles get stuck. I also wash off the pollen and crud. Still better than nothing, but not perfect.

I also added some downspouts to reduce problems with backups. I am convinced the real issue is the gutters are just too small, especially the hole the feeds into the downspout.
...
I was planning to use these.....
https://www.homedepot.com/p/GUTTERSTUFF-5-in-x-48-in-K-Style-Foam-Gutter-Filter-GS-K5-SPAN/203318223

Most of the pro installs require the bigger gutter and downspouts. That solves a lot of problems.

I never have seen the foam solution. That's kind of crazy in a way! We have huge problems with heavy pollen, and I can see it getting stuck in the foam matrix and blocking. Actually, pollen causes all kinds of problems since it acts as a mortar of sorts and blocks holes or ties debris together. Also makes a good base for mold to grow on.

 

[mountainsoft]

I was planning to use these.....
https://www.homedepot.com/p/GUTTERSTUFF-5-in-x-48-in-K-Style-Foam-Gutter-Filter-GS-K5-SPAN/203318223

We have vinyl gutters and started out with the plastic screens made by the same manufacturer. The holes were fairly large which kept out leaves but fir needles went right through. Being vinyl they expanded and contracted in the sunlight leaving gaps between sections and/or warping like crazy.

I've been replacing the vinyl screens with the Gutter Stuff foam filters for the last few years. I just did the last section a couple months ago. Overall I have been happy with the foam filters. Some fir needles still build up on top of the foam but the gutters themselves stay free flowing. I clean the tops of the filters once or twice a year (we're surrounded by large fir trees), but it's a lot easier job than digging the wet smelly gunk out of the gutters.

I haven't seen the filters clog any except for the front and back of our house where the two roof valleys are. Roof granules and smaller debris funnel down the valleys and pile up in the foam. This summer I replaced the one piece of foam on each side of the house that was clogged. Each was a few years old. Probably took less than 20 minutes to do both.

The only negative I have seen with the foam filters is the occasional weed that roots in the foam. When I see little plants in the gutters I know it's time to climb up and pluck them. It's not a big deal, two or three little seedlings a year at most.

 

[JoeWras]

The only negative I have seen with the foam filters is the occasional weed that roots in the foam. When I see little plants in the gutters I know it's time to climb up and pluck them. It's not a big deal, two or three little seedlings a year at most.

Yeah, and like I mentioned I have to clean the cheap plastic ones once per year too. I guess a lot of these barrier types require maintenance. Simple as that.

Like the OP, I'm getting tired of the ladder. The back of my house is 3 stories up. I get up there from a deck. It is a long, deadly way down. I don't ever want to go up there as I age.

So, still trying to figure out what to ultimately get. A lot of people here are very happy with the surface tension types that curl the water around and may be what I go with. Still, very expensive.

 

[albireo13]

yes, the back of my house is a 3 story climb up a ladder. I don't want to do that anymore.

 

[ransil]

I installed those inexpensive plastic screen/mesh type a couple years ago and they work well for us. I still get up there with a hose and flush any debris out each fall, but the debris is minor by comparison.

I had those, the screens come loose and clog the gutter, the plastic warps.

 

[ransil]

I had a quote years ago for leaf guard or gutter helmet something like that something like $18 ft, gutters only cost me $4.50 ft.


I'm still looking for the a good product.


I use a combination of the leaf blower with attachment or ladder and scoop

 

[JoeWras]

I had a quote years ago for leaf guard or gutter helmet something like that something like $18 ft, gutters only cost me $4.50 ft.

I'm still looking for the a good product.

I use a combination of the leaf blower with attachment or ladder and scoop

Right. Cost is a huge issue for those.

I haven't found a 3 story leaf blower attachment yet.

 

[OldShooter]

I have no faith in foam or plastic. Maybe 5+ years ago I put the "Gutter Glove" product on about 20' of high gutter at our lake home. I did this specifically as a test and I am able to look at that section of gutter from our bedroom window. Bottom line was it worked well. This is a stainless screen on an extruded aluminum frame, so pretty rugged.

As a result of this successful experiment, I put the product on our city home last year, including some heated sections to eliminate ice dams. It is working well. I am happy. There is, however, about a 3' section that does get pine needles. The contractor sent someone out to clean that section, part of his guarantee, but he is an older guy and probably will not be around forever. The guy that did the cleaning said the needles were trapped in a seam, which sound to me like it could be closed up with silicone caulk. We'll see.

Gutterglove.com | Stainless Steel Gutter Protection These are installed by independent/franchise contractors. FWIW I found that most of the sellers of various magical gutter devices are willing to haggle on price. I ended up paying about 20% less than the first-quoted price. It was easy; the contractor called for a follow-up and I told him I was still thinking about it because of the expense but if he'd do it for 25% less, he could come over that afternoon. He countered at 20% and I took it.

The Gutter Glove product seems to me to provide the most value. Foam and plastic are both extremely cheap to manufacture and highly likely to deteriorate over a few years.

 

[samclem]

We've had a few previous threads that may have info you can use--lots of ideas:
From 2011: Gutter Covers
From 2016: Gutter Guards
From later in 2016: Gutter Guards?
The guards I put on my home many years ago are doing a great job. They were professionally installed, about $5/ft at the time. "Leaf Relief" is the brand. I didn't do it myself because some areas were pretty high. More info in some of those earlier threads.

I recently put some perforated aluminum gutter guards on my daughter's house, they are this style and the cost was about $1 per foot for the materials. They were easy to put up, and I like the idea of metal vs a plastic or fiberglass screen that seems more likely to get brittle and fail over the years. I can't report yet on how well they work, but the openings look to be only a little larger than the ones on my Leaf Relief product, which has done very well against maple tree debris and pine needles.

I didn't want any of the styles that go underneath the first row of shingles. I want the shingles to stay stuck down just as they are, with no excuses for popping up/blowing away.

 

[JoeWras]

I have a concern with any mesh product when it comes to pollen. For most of the world, pollen is nearly invisible and not a problem. However, for those who live in heavily pollinated areas (typically long leaf pine country), you understand my concern.

These guys address the problem well and have a great picture of a pollen paste/concretion over the mesh.

https://www.brothersgutters.com/blog/2016/06/13/increased-pollen-count-and-your-gutter-guards/

 

[MBAustin]

I have no faith in foam or plastic. Maybe 5+ years ago I put the "Gutter Glove" product on about 20' of high gutter at our lake home. I did this specifically as a test and I am able to look at that section of gutter from our bedroom window. Bottom line was it worked well. This is a stainless screen on an extruded aluminum frame, so pretty rugged.

As a result of this successful experiment, I put the product on our city home last year, including some heated sections to eliminate ice dams. It is working well. I am happy. There is, however, about a 3' section that does get pine needles. The contractor sent someone out to clean that section, part of his guarantee, but he is an older guy and probably will not be around forever. The guy that did the cleaning said the needles were trapped in a seam, which sound to me like it could be closed up with silicone caulk. We'll see.

Gutterglove.com | Stainless Steel Gutter Protection These are installed by independent/franchise contractors. FWIW I found that most of the sellers of various magical gutter devices are willing to haggle on price. I ended up paying about 20% less than the first-quoted price. It was easy; the contractor called for a follow-up and I told him I was still thinking about it because of the expense but if he'd do it for 25% less, he could come over that afternoon. He countered at 20% and I took it.

The Gutter Glove product seems to me to provide the most value. Foam and plastic are both extremely cheap to manufacture and highly likely to deteriorate over a few years.

+1 on GutterGlove. We had them installed 2 years ago and the only thing I have to do is brush them off once a year in a couple of areas where there are odd roof angles and/or not enough wind exposure. They provided a brush with a very long extension handle so I don't even have to get a ladder out. Not cheap, but completely worth it in my book.

 

[pb4uski]

I had those, the screens come loose and clog the gutter, the plastic warps.

We did have some that would do that, and then got some that were a bit sturdier.

 

[bingybear]

I put on these gutter screens this year. So far I am happy with them. I did leave in the down spout fillers so I catch most of what get thru the screens. So far not much. I don't have pine needles, but do have to deal with small leaves. These seem to be working for those.

I looked at how rain runs across these. Most goes as you would expect. I did notice that some will hold on to the screen and run across the screen and some run down the outer edge of the gutter and fall to the ground. Not a big amount, so not really an issue... just something interesting to consider.

This may not help the OP since I don't know how it works with pine needles.

 

[travelover]

I've never found a guard that works with pine needles. What I did find is that the weakness in the system is where the down spout attaches to the gutter. If you look at it from the top, it is just a little oval hole. I made a funnel shaped piece to attach the downspout to the gutter, which discharges into the larger commercial sized downspouts. Makes a huge difference for plugging, though leaves need to be cleaned out. It looks sort of like this: https://www.gutterpeople.co.za/funnels.html

 

[Redbugdave]

I tried the screened gutter covers and was not satisfied. I took all my gutters down except for a small section on the front of the house. I only clean about 25 feet of gutter now of leaves from a step ladder. There was too much work and risk factor having all the other gutter that I used to have. When faced with a safety issue, one way to fix it is to eliminate the problem. Another way is to throw more money at it which I would not do.

 

[always_learning]

I've been replacing the vinyl screens with the Gutter Stuff foam filters for the last few years. I just did the last section a couple months ago. Overall I have been happy with the foam filters. Some fir needles still build up on top of the foam but the gutters themselves stay free flowing. I clean the tops of the filters once or twice a year (we're surrounded by large fir trees), but it's a lot easier job than digging the wet smelly gunk out of the gutters.

I haven't seen the filters clog any except for the front and back of our house where the two roof valleys are. Roof granules and smaller debris funnel down the valleys and pile up in the foam. This summer I replaced the one piece of foam on each side of the house that was clogged. Each was a few years old. Probably took less than 20 minutes to do both.

The only negative I have seen with the foam filters is the occasional weed that roots in the foam. When I see little plants in the gutters I know it's time to climb up and pluck them. It's not a big deal, two or three little seedlings a year at most.

We have the foam inserts, too. We hired someone to do the part where we didn't think we could reach and liked them so much that after four years we did the rest of the house ourselves buying the foam from Lowe's and Home Depot. it was nit-picky but simple.

We have many pine trees and live in The Valley of Pollen and haven't had an issue with 'pollen glue'. The asphalt from the shingles comes out the drains just fine. Four years and counting with the initial foam inserts and other than a quick swipe with a broom once or twice a year to remove the pine needles laying on top, they require no maintenance. We have had to go up and remove a tree that started growing in one foam insert and have another one now (same spot) that we have to go and get. In all fairness, though, we also had a pine tree seed take root in a "valley" way up on the roof and grew to over three feet high before we found someone who would/could get up there and get it so the foam doesn't give us any issues that we didn't already have.

A side note: The company who did the initial install of the foam steered us away from any gutter guard/topper that requires lifting of the shingles for an install. Apparently, those negate roof warranties. They sold gutter guards as well as the foam and it would have been more money for them had we gone that way, so we saw no reason to disbelieve them. I don't know if it's true or not but that has stuck with me.

 

[Ronstar]

I have to get some gutter guards. We have a lot of trees, and I get on the roof and clean the gutters about 6 times a year. It used to be easy, but now each time becomes more difficult. I just feel a little uneasy up there, last time I slipped and slid about 10’ on my butt before I stopped sliding.

I’m thinking of getting a new roof next year, and I’ll get new gutters then, hopefully ending my trips up on the roof.