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Discussion Forum

Gutter Guards

RenovationWest | Posted in General Discussion on November 10, 2007 07:17am

Anyone have suggestions on the best Gutter Guards?

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Replies

  1. England1 | Nov 10, 2007 01:02pm | #1

    My 2 cents ... had seamless gutters installed (by a local pro) 5 years ago and he put in the 4' sectional screens. I live in Michigan and surrounded by trees. Never had any problem. Cost difference between the caps and screens is huge.

  2. User avater
    Matt | Nov 10, 2007 03:24pm | #2

    It depends on what you are trying to keep out of the gutters.   I have one called Waterfall, and it works good for leaves, but the pine needles get stuck in the little slots. 

    1. JLazaro317 | Nov 10, 2007 04:22pm | #3

      I've got 300+ feet of Waterfall in a box in the garage that I won't put on my house. Stopped leaves like you said, but all the small stuff gets stuck in the ridges. I put 60' on my house to try it and took it off a year later. I think screens work better.

      My 2 cents,John

      J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.

      Indianapolis, In.

       

  3. Stuart | Nov 10, 2007 05:03pm | #4

    I've had Leafguard gutters on my house on my house for about four years now and have been very happy with them.  I don't have any evergreen trees so no needles to deal with, but they do keep all the leaves out.

    http://www.leafguard.com/home800.asp

    1. User avater
      Matt | Nov 10, 2007 05:35pm | #5

      Aren't they like $10 a foot?

      1. Stuart | Nov 10, 2007 06:25pm | #6

        I honestly don't recall the price, although they certainly were more expensive than regular seamless gutters.  Plus, I'm sure the price has changed over the years as the cost of raw materials has gone up.

        1. MFournier | Nov 10, 2007 09:01pm | #7

          I have tried them all and find they all work to some degree and all have their drawbacks.I prefer not having any gutters on a house when you can get away without them but most of the time that leads to excess amount of water at the foundation area that can cause water to make it's way in to your basement and slash up dirt on water table and siding. And no matter what type of gutters you have some maintenance is needed to keep them clear and leak free. Also leaf guard gutters do cost more then cheap alum. gutter sections or even seamless K type gutters. But they do work well to keep leaves out and they work well on most houses but on houses with more complicated roofs with valleys and intersections of additions that create large amounts of water at single points water can run right over helmet type gutter guards as if you had no gutter at all. Over all thou they are not that expensive.If you want to talk expensive gutters The gutters on my own house are built-in to the crown at the eve and cornice return and have a copper lining and copper drip edge. They were completely rebuilt from scratch based on old photos since the original wooden gutter system was long gone and had been replaced with cheap metal gutters before I bought the house.
          Materials alone cost me about $40.00 per foot (would be more today with the cost of copper what it is now) but compared to the overall costs of the renovations and the rewards of doing it right I do not regret the costs.You could simply cut down all your trees that over hang your house. Then you do not have leaves on the roof to get in the gutters.

          1. rasconc | Nov 11, 2007 04:22am | #9

            "You could simply cut down all your trees that over hang your house. Then you do not have leaves on the roof to get in the gutters."

            Does the wind not blow where you live? (:-)   I would have to cut down trees for about 200' all around my place to stay without leaves.  I just put Waterfall on our church parsonage and I cleaned a pile of leaves out where there were no trees for a very good distance.

            Sounds like a beautiful set of gutters that you have.

            Edited 11/10/2007 8:24 pm ET by rasconc

          2. MFournier | Nov 11, 2007 08:44pm | #19

            I was kidding about cutting down the trees :)

          3. renosteinke | Nov 26, 2007 03:07am | #26

            Actually, you were NOT off base. One of my pet peeves are trees that are allowed to exist far longer than they should. Let me explain.... The owner of a new house feels a need to have something NOW, so he plants fast growing hardwood and pine 'weeds' far too close to each other, and the house. And there he stops. He never plants the appropriate slower-growing trees in the proper places. He never thins or trims the fast growers. By the time the branches are prying the siding off, and the roots are splitting the foundation, he's long gone. All this concern over gutter guards is but a band-aid approach to a failure of basic landscaping.

          4. JLazaro317 | Nov 26, 2007 03:26am | #27

            All this concern over gutter guards is but a band-aid approach to a failure of basic landscaping

            That's a blanket statement that does not always apply. I built my house 4 years ago in an area of old growth (100+ years old) trees. I cleared a minimum of 20' from the house all the trees. I know that I may be within the drip line of some trees but I hated to cut down the old oak, hickory, maple, and ash trees. But I get leaves from 100' feet away. The only tree I have planted anywhere near the house is a Japanese maple ornamental. I do agree with your statement that alot of people plant fast growers or even trees too close to most houses and ignore pruning. But there are quite a few people that want to keep the old trees nearby and not clean gutters.John

            J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.

            Indianapolis, In.

             

  4. bldrbill | Nov 11, 2007 04:00am | #8

    The one I now have is called Gutta Guard. go to http://www.elkoproducts.com  . I have many oaks, hickories and pines and never any problems.  This is an aluminum DIY product, and not expensive but I don't remember the price.  I first had the white plastic ones from HD--pure junk, got stopped up with pine needles and oak tassels.

     

     

  5. xMike | Nov 11, 2007 04:48am | #10

    Based on my experience, it depends on the kind of trees you have.  Standard gutterhelmet type guards, and the waterfall type guards seem to clog on pine needles.  The cheap screens that the big box stores carry, over standard open gutters seem to work better in that case (the needles don't clog them up). 

    However, valleys overwhelm them all, allowing a column of water to stream over the edge of the roof whenever it's raining with any authority.  A valley diverter is handy at stopping this, but the leaves, needles, and other gunk backs up on them, and snow and ice like to back up on them as well.

    I'm convinced that the best combination is industrial sized gutters covered with the lowes or home-depot screens, and with LARGE downspouts (harder to clog).  Then, when the leaves are falling in earnest, you check them every couple of weeks, anyway (we have lots of trees around the house).

    Your mileage may vary :)

    1. onder | Nov 11, 2007 06:21am | #11

      I have locusts. The leaves are pretty small. They sit on
      top of screens and knit together defeating the screen.
      Eventually it seems that the leaves rot and bits fall
      through and fill up the gutter.
      I gave up and just keep the ladder handy. In the
      long run it is easier.
      Maybe I will go with the biggest gutters I can
      find with 4" pvc downspouts.

      1. seiverth | Nov 11, 2007 06:53am | #12

        I have been looking into a product called The Gutterbrush.  It is simple, affordable, easy to install and easy to remove should you need to do some type of periodic maintenance - which will eventually happen.  It comes with a great money back guarantee should it not live up to expectations.

        I just installed this on my house and a neighbor's.  The neighbor's gutters gets very heavy leaf fall, whirly birds, etc.  The gutters were completely clogged when I cleaned and installed the product this fall.  So far, things look great.  The only down side that I do not care for is that the leafs and needles do get caught in the product itself.  However, it does not seem to interfere with drainage.  Normal weather cycles and biodegration is said to take care of this problem.  At most, I think it is more of an aesthetic thing. 

        The product runs about $3.00 a linear foot, which is much cheaper than other high end products, but deemed just as effective.  Easy for DIYers also.  As a former roofer, I have uninstalled and reinstalled many gutter screens that you find in the box stores.  They are a pain to deal with and in my opinion, do not work well.  This product seems to provide a better solution than any other affordable gutter screen out there.

        I saw in one of the posts a recommendation to not use gutters at all.  This will just cause very costly drainage issues with your foundation.  Get the water away from the house, and you will reduce your chances of basement moisture, flooding, etc.  This starts with clean gutters, good slope away from the house, and water being shed from the downspouts at least a few feet.

        For more info, go to http://www.thegutterbrush.com

        I am also a local distributor/installer in my area for this product.  So feel free to shoot me a private message if you have any questions or comments.  For anyone who has used this product, I would love to hear your feedback.

        1. MikeSmith | Nov 11, 2007 07:19am | #13

          we don't  like gutters either and usually design our houses & additons to eliminate them...and no , we don't have foundation damage

           we do install a lot of gutters, because the owners want them.. or we are replacing bad installations.. or there are splash areas that can only be taken care of by gutters

           

          when our customers want gutter guards , this is the product we use..

          View Image

           don't even know the name of it

          View Image

           

          it's a mesh.. like  brillo pad.. with a  screen mesh top, comes in 3' sections , you trim it with scissors..costs about $9/ section with tax... so $3/ft.

          oldest install is about 3 years now.. no complaints

           

          Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

          Edited 11/10/2007 11:20 pm ET by MikeSmith

          Edited 11/10/2007 11:21 pm ET by MikeSmith

          1. seiverth | Nov 11, 2007 07:23am | #14

            In your area, do you have basements?

            Second, how do you prevent rain water from creating problems?

          2. MikeSmith | Nov 11, 2007 07:33am | #15

            we have about 40" /year 

            we invented basements ( New England )

             

            when i dig a hole , i dig it 12" deeper... bring it back up to subgrade with 3/4 stone.. install pipes in the stone, leading to either daylight or a sump.. daylight is better

            outside we build large overhangs and we grade around the house to move the water away from the house.... we try to design our exteriors to protect the house without gutters

             

            i always have dry basements.. and i've never had a gutter on my own homes

            Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

            Edited 11/10/2007 11:33 pm ET by MikeSmith

  6. Hazlett | Nov 11, 2007 02:17pm | #16

     I use a material called " leaf defyier"--and alsoa competeing gutter foam product.

     Very similar to the thing mike smith showed---but much more triangular in cross section.

     I will say--- it works VERY well-- but i have some reservations about it's long term durability( UV degradation)---and the cost is absurd-about $3.50/ft for the material alone

     Stephen

  7. seeyou | Nov 11, 2007 02:32pm | #17

    I'm with Smith and Hazlett. I use yet another product, similar to theirs. I've had it in my gutters for 3 years and have not seen any degradation yet. Works very well.

    http://grantlogan.net/

     

    It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey

    1. User avater
      BillHartmann | Nov 11, 2007 08:49pm | #20

      Do you have any idea how they would work with locust leaves.As someone else mentioned, I think about a screen, I am afraid that they would form a mat and then disintegrate..
      .
      A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

      1. seeyou | Nov 11, 2007 10:16pm | #21

        Don't know about locust, but I've got about everything else around my house and a lot of them are coniferous trees. No problems with needles. The stuff that does stop for a while on top of them dries up and blows off.http://grantlogan.net/

         

        It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey

    2. JLazaro317 | Nov 26, 2007 12:50am | #22

      How about the name of that gutter cover product you recommend. I just got done lugging the 32' ladder around the house cleaning gutters again. I figure the next time I clean the gutters, I'll put the filters on.

      Thanks,

       John

      J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.

      Indianapolis, In.

       

      1. seeyou | Nov 26, 2007 12:57am | #23

        Here you go:

        http://www.dciproducts.com/html/flofree.htmhttp://grantlogan.net/

         

        It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey

        1. JLazaro317 | Nov 26, 2007 02:03am | #24

          Thank you! I sent them an email. Hopefully they have a dealer in the area.John

          J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.

          Indianapolis, In.

           

          1. seeyou | Nov 26, 2007 02:42am | #25

            They ship lightning fast. I've ordered on Monday and had theminmy hand son Tues.http://grantlogan.net/

             

            It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. - J. Handey

  8. danski0224 | Nov 11, 2007 03:37pm | #18

    I have tried the both the rigid plastic screen sections and the soft plastic screen roll products.

    Neither worked, and the "dome" created by the rolled screen material caused ice problems.

    I have had excellent results with the solid top vinyl product with the slots sold at HD, but I do not have pine trees. The only issue I have noticed is that it encourages more icicles because of the gutter cover slightly overhanging the gutter. 

     

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