Leaf filter guards

[shooterdon]

I had them. Bought from Leaf Filter. Absolute garbage. They plug off with pollen and become useless.

$3500 wasted. And they did not honor the “warranty”.

 

[garry1p]

About "Leaf Guard" gutters.
If you have to ask the price you can't afford them.

 

[chevy]

I have have installed a lot of big box gutter guards over the years for clients. I never liked any of them. Other clients had the expensive guards installed. Those, at some point had to be cleaned out.

I found some aluminum gutter guards on Amazon. I have had them on our rental house, pole barn & part of shop for over 4 years. They have been completely trouble free.
A-M Gutter Guards

 

[jyoutz]

All I have here is pine trees. I've never had a problem with pine needles plugging the standard gutters. The whole thing sounds like a big rip to me.

Ponderosa pine needles will definitely plug gutters if they are within the distance that wind can disperse the needles from the house. I’ve cleaned many a pine mat from my gutters at my last house that had a 20” pine within 50 feet.

 

[Sprinkler Fitter]

We had them then removed them. Stuff loads up beneath them that you can't get to.

They told me if they have to come clean my gutters they will clean them and give me my money back

They sell similar gutter screens at Home Depot for a lot cheaper. They aren’t hard to install.

I tried a couple different brands from the big box stores and they would not handle the volume of water off of our metal roof, the leaf guards have handled the pouring rain so far.

 

[LouNY]

Well, I just this last week had 110 ft of seamless gutter installed with two downspouts and "Champion Micro Mesh" gutter guards along with 300 ft of heat tape "V"ed on the roof and laid in the gutter. The total was almost $3000 with a $1000 being the heat tape and installation. Supposedly the pine needles will wash off along with the asphalt particles from the roof. We shall see. I have Oak, Maple, Birch, Poplar and Pine to worry about plus these are installed on the North and Northeast side of my house were ice is always a problem.

 

[Torvy]

Another option for some people is to get the bigger gutters and downspouts.

Like oosik, most of our trees are pine (loblolly, not ponderosa). Ours are closer to the house, so we do get some in the gutters.

My experience with gutter protection is that none of them are worth the money.

 

[oosik]

Been out here 42+ years now. Never once have I ever had to clean my gutters. What also helps - my gutter has an open end - no downspout. The gutter dumps into a 55 gallon drum on the ground. A hose from this drum takes the rain water away from the house.

With no downspout - nothing to get plugged. Another thing that helps. We seldom get "gentle rains". We will get a 15 to 20 minute gully washer. This will DEFINITELY clean out the gutters.

 

[mx842]

About "Leaf Guard" gutters.
If you have to ask the price you can't afford them.

Come on now, why would you say that? If you went out to buy a new car or truck, wouldn't you want to know how much it cost before you went to pick it up?

 

[mx842]

Another option for some people is to get the bigger gutters and downspouts.

Like oosik, most of our trees are pine (loblolly, not ponderosa). Ours are closer to the house, so we do get some in the gutters.

My experience with gutter protection is that none of them are worth the money.

For years I didn't have gutters at all but about 4 years ago I had 5" gutters installed on the garage part and the back of the house. I was really in the woods when I first built my house, and I didn't want the hassle of dealing with clogged gutters. Now I only have gutters on the garage in the front of the house and the garage and the rear 50' part. I also have a metal roof. The garage has a 6/12 pitch roof, and the main house is 4/12. On the front and side of the main part of the house which is 50' x 40 has a wrapped porch that is 12' wide. I didn't put gutters there because the water gets dumped out far enough from the main part of the house and I have good drainage there.
I have loblolly pines in my yard also and they are fairly close. Whereas the needles are a big problem it's those little worm like thingy's that fall most of the year that is the real problem, and then, the pinecones that are always falling. I hate to cut them but if I'm going to have gutters, I guess I'll have to, there is a tradeoff to just about anything.
I'm now 76 and I still get around pretty good. I don't have a problem with working on the garage part but it's the back of the house that I don't want to deal with.

 

[oosik]

garry1p - you could be right. However - if I paid $3500 and got a non-functioning system. Somebody is going to make it right by me. And - "you can take that to the bank".

 

[mx842]

I had them. Bought from Leaf Filter. Absolute garbage. They plug off with pollen and become useless.

$3500 wasted. And they did not honor the “warranty”.

Yeah, I forgot about the pollen, that's another thing you have to add to the gutter clogging list. I was wondering how that will affect how well they will do. Thanks

 

[shooterdon]

Yeah, I forgot about the pollen, that's another thing you have to add to the gutter clogging list. I was wondering how that will affect how well they will do. Thanks

This is like snow removal. What works for one area is stupid in another.

People dealing with leaves, have a different situation than those dealing with pine needles.

After pissing away over $3500, I hired a local guy who cleans my gutters for $200. Lots of folks looking for a bit of a side hustle job. If I had put $3500 into an index fund I would have averaged over $250/year.

I can go about two years between cleanings. Easy math.

 

[oosik]

I never even thought about the pine pollen. In the late spring the air turns completely limey-green with the stuff. I manage to keep from tracking it into the house and inside the pickup. Otherwise - EVERYTHING gets completely covered. My beautiful Taco Wagon turns a poop brown. That's when the blue shows thru and mixes with the pine pollen color. Then - like everything else, as more comes down - it's a limey-green Taco Wagon.

 

[shooterdon]

I never even thought about the pine pollen. In the late spring the air turns completely limey-green with the stuff. I manage to keep from tracking it into the house and inside the pickup. Otherwise - EVERYTHING gets completely covered. My beautiful Taco Wagon turns a poop brown. That's when the blue shows thru and mixes with the pine pollen color. Then - like everything else, as more comes down - it's a limey-green Taco Wagon.

My gutter guards were nearly completely blocked off by pollen after three years

 

[garry1p]

I made the comment "If you have to ask the price you can't afford them" because they quoted $7000 to install the gutters and leaf guard screens over the gutters for an 1100 sq ft house..

I paid them $3000 to remove the old gutters and install 6" Leaf Guard Gutters I would not pay $4000 for the screen filters.

I told them to go pound sand and ordered screen filters from another company and paid someone $20 an hour to install cost me $560 for the screens installed.

The quoted price of $7000 for the gutters and screens was ridiculous for an 1100sq ft house.

I am satisfied with the 6" gutters but unhappy about the quoted price for screens to cover the gutters.

 

[oosik]

The "leaf guard" folks are really putting on the push. In the last ten days - two offers of free inspection/price quote in the mail. Several web sites offering the same deal.

I wonder if the feedback is hurting sales.

 

[jmc]

I just went to a local home show and there were more booths selling gutter screens than any other product. Must be lucrative. Big thing now is very fine ss screen molded in to a plastic frame with ridges to control the water flow before it soaks thru the screen.

8 years ago my screens were $4/foot, installed. Basic perforated aluminum. Leaves pile up in the inside corner valleys and then water overflows.