Hello,
I’m bulding my house (close the end now) and I’m just about to get screwed over by my gutter guy. He promised gutter guards when we discussed the job, now he’s saying they are very expensive and he never agreed to this. Of course, this part of the job I didn’t get in writing, so I guess I’m at fault.
That being said, do you guys recommend gutter guards. I have a two storey, so eavestrough maintenance is something I want to minimize. If so, which ones do you recommend?
Last question, I consider myself moderately handy – is this something that’s easy to install once the eaves are installed? I’m hoping to just buy them and install them myself since I’m assuming I’m going to get nowhere with this contractor.
Thanks again for your continued help!
Replies
Gutter guards of almost any variety can be installed easily. Its a good DIY project, so long as you have the ladders, and no fear of them.
And in my experience, gutter guards, of all varieties, are useless, expensive, and make the gutters harder to clean out. But they do make some homeowners think that they've done a good thing.
In the past year alone, I've been paid to clean the muck out of gutters with screens, helmets, brushes -- you name it.
Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.
my experience, gutter guards, of all varieties, are useless, expensive, and make the gutters harder to clean out
mine also - some work with just leaves, have never seen any that work with Hemlock needles.
Actually there are gutter guards out there that work, you will need access to a break and of course ladders. Gutter Topper is the 1st one that came on the market that really works. I installed in on a home in WV, prior to the unstallation the getters needed to be cleaned every 6-8 weeks and of course in the fall every week, put Gutter Topper on and there were NO leaves after the first year, and the water really did go down the gutter. The problem with GT is that they sell only thru a dealer and they are $. Went to the IBS this winter and found a design that is very close to the same, if you check back tonight I will get the name and #. I've got to get back to work right now.
http://www.guttertopper.com/
A couple of homeowners I work for have these and swear by them.
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Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.net
See some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
With Guttertopper, can they be lifted out of the way to clean out the fine debris (eg hemlock needles) that will follow the water into the gutter?
Doesn't look like it. I took a quick look around their website and no mention of them lifting up. I'd think they'd mention someting like that, so I'm guessing no.
I also don't know off hand what kind of trees are around the houses where I've seen them. Sorry I couldn't provide more info. Just know a couple of customers like them. --------------------------------------------------------
Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.netSee some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
I also know some people with GutterTopper who swear by them, best I have seen or heard of .
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
If you click on "advanced search" at the top of the column that lists all the discussions and tell it to look for discussions with the words "gutter guards," you'll probably get quite a list of past postings. That may help you too.
NEVER seen anything that really works, waste of time and money!!!!!!!
I have installed the solid white plastic version available at HD on two homes. No problems yet.
Mine have been on for 6 years and the others have been on for 2 years. Plenty of Maple trees around both homes. No stuff in the gutters.
Important thing is to cut them so each section overlaps- this way gaps do not develop between sections due to expansion and contraction. The current instruction label on the product details this overlap. The cuts are easily made with right and left offset aviation tin snips.
They look like the Gutter Gard product, but these are plastic and 4' long. The manufacturer offers brown, but HD is the only place that sells it around here, and they only sell white.
The front edge of the gutter cover snaps over the front hem on standard 4" and 5" residential aluminum gutter, and there is maybe 1/4" of gutter cover that extends beyond the gutter itself. Icicles form from this overhang during the winter. That is the only drawback I have experienced. I do not know if other gutter covers have similar ice issues.
During heavy rains, not *all* of the water enters the gutter.
Do not waste your time with the flat plastic product with diamond shaped or round holes. These normally come in 3' sections.
Another time waster is the plastic mesh sold in roll form and the aluminum screen that sits higher than the gutter (some of these are made to flip open). Didn't stop some stuff from getting into the gutter, material piled up behind the screen onto the roof, and major ice dams. This was on my house when I moved in. Tore it off during the winter after salting the roof.
Edited 6/7/2008 7:00 am ET by danski0224
Take a look at this site:
http://www.rainflowusa.com
I have not used them yet but I know they are probably the easiest to install, can be easily removed then replaced if necessary & are not visible from the ground. I believe they are made from the husks of coconut or something.
Harvey industries carry it & the price is very reasonably compared to some other versions.
Good luck
None of the gutter guard systems are even close to perfect, but here's what I like the best:
http://www.gutterfilter.com/
There are several other products similar to them that seem to work equally as well. If any leaves/needles do build up on top of them, they usually blow off when they dry. I've had mine in place about 4 years with no problems yet and I have a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees around the house.
Most of the gutter helment type products keep the leaves out, but they also keep a lot of the water out as well..
http://grantlogan.net
Who got Bo Diddley's money?
I had Englert LeafGuard gutters put on my house 10 years ago based on a recommendation in Fine Homebuilding. They are one piece, formed on site, so I doubt it's a do it yourself job. Both my sister and dad put them on their houses at the same time. We all live on heavily wooded lots in central Virginia; their lots are mixed pine and hardwood. The gutters are guaranteed to shed leaves or they'll clean them for free. Neither my Dad nor I have ever had a need for cleaning. My sister who has OCD makes them come out once a year and clean her gutters, which they do with a smile, no charge and no complaint. I'm putting them on my next house.
Frank
If you can afford them Leaf Guard gutter systems work awesome and are incredibly rugged but expensive
Leaf Guard gutter systems work awesome and are incredibly rugged
If by work awesome, you mean keeping the water out as well as the leaves and by incredibly rugged you mean you can pretty much destroy them by leaning a ladder on them, then I'd wholeheartedly agree.http://grantlogan.net
Who got Bo Diddley's money?
you must be talking about something completly different. Leafguard is a one piece system that works great I have them on several jobs with nothing but praise from homeowners. And if youre bending these on a ladder then maybe you should pass on the donuts
Leafguard is a one piece system that works great
I know exactly what it is. They work fine in a light rain and if they are in short runs. They don't have the capacity of the real gutters they often try to replace with them. And in a hard rain, they sling a lot of the water right off. And they freeze up. I've seen icicles reaching the ground from a 2 story installation.
Now, I'm not saying they don't work at all. I just don't believe they are any better than a properly designed conventional gutter system. And they are expensive comparitively speaking and they look out of place on most structures. They are very easy to damage during a re-roof and take a lot of extra care not necessary with conventional gutters.
I've had several customers go back to real gutters after using them for a few years. I don't know of any one gutter product that works and looks right in all situations, but that's the way Englert markets and sells this stuff. The systems I've replaced never should have been sold and installed.
http://grantlogan.net
Who got Bo Diddley's money?
I have never installed any of them.
But I have seen a lot of failed guards of all kinds. Owners are typically asking me to remove them from the gutters 2-3 years after installation because of problems with them
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Its a franchise deal they wont sell them you have to hire them which is a drag and over priced
They suck IF ya have a 12/12 valley..the water shoots right over. And just TRY to get them out for any kind of follow up.
Had a bud have em installed in the NC mtns a few yrs back, he since had them replaced, due to the above problems. and Yes, it WAS Leafguard.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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