Gutter Guards

[Mark_G]

My gutters are more like a planter than a tool to carry away water. I installed el-cheepo plastic covers with small holes (from Home Depot) but they let fine material in that built up. Any one use gutterglove or leaffilter or another brand?

Thanks

Mark

 

[jfh28]

Pretty much anything you can buy at a big box will not work well..........i"ve tried it all. The best design is of the "waterfall" type mostly sold direct or through a roofing supplier. If I had a choice I'd opt for the metal over the plastic...........I have found that if the plastic type is hit in the winter (falling branch) it will crack.

Make sure that you install adequate length diverters at valleys and anywhere a downspout spills onto a lower roof.........in the big storms the volumn of water will overshoot the gutter guards.

No matter what you choose it sure beats climbing up and cleaning out the gutters!

Jack

 

[Western]

I'm looking to add gutters too.
From what I have been led to understand is the "grade" of the drain slope is like 1/8 inch over 5-6'. sorta like a sewer main, need enough water to wash the "fines" out.

I am going to install the gutter guards also since I'm in the middle of oak trees.

Good point on the plastic gutters, I was leaning towards metal from a quality perspective, that just helps me make up my mind.

 

[mnbowhunter1960]

I have the metal covers and you stiil get some sediment that collects in the bottom and does not was through, I usually take my leaf blower up once a year and blow it all out when it's dry.

 

[Maxfli]

I have GutterGuard ( I think this is the Brand Name) and I am not pleased. They do a poor job of directing the water in my opinion. If I was going to do it again I would look at Gutter Brush. Seems simple and cheap.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

I've also been looking into possibly getting some type of gutter guard. I read some interesting posts here:

Gutter Guard Truth

Gutter Guard

Gutter Guard Test Results


I already have a good pressure washer, and have also thought about purchasing an extension wand for it to see how this would work:

General Pump Telescoping Pressure Washer Wand 3500 PSI, 6ft. to 24ft. Length, Model# DLTG24 | Wands | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[Western]

Did you guy's install the gutters yourselves or hire it done?

I have figured less my time, it would be almost half price on the DIY idea. Of course there is advantages to a seamless gutter installed by a pro.

 

[ToadHill]

The Gutter Helmet seems to work well. It covers the whole gutter and is made out of metal. The surface tension of the water causes it to flow around the front of the helmet into the gutter while the heavier material like leaves fall off.

 

[TUG HILL ADDICT]

Did you guy's install the gutters yourselves or hire it done?

I have figured less my time, it would be almost half price on the DIY idea. Of course there is advantages to a seamless gutter installed by a pro.

Anything over 20' (maximum length I have found available retail{84 lumber}) I've had installed by a pro in order to get the seamless advantage

 

[tommu56]

The Gutter Helmet seems to work well. It covers the whole gutter and is made out of metal. The surface tension of the water causes it to flow around the front of the helmet into the gutter while the heavier material like leaves fall off.

I have a similar plastic guard that comes in 4' pieces from the ORANGE box store and they work pretty good.
To keep the ice / snow from ripping them and the gutters off (metal roof) I made sure that gutter and guard was below the plane of the roof at its highest point. then pitched gutters down 1/8 per foot to down spout outlet.


tom

 

[jeffwinger]

Anything with a small holes screen that supposed to filter leaves and debris from your gutters will clog up that will eventually slows down the water flow causing stoppage or worse flooding about our gutters during heavy rain pour. Thus, solid-type gutter cover is the desired choice for keeping leaves out of the gutter and preventing clogs and build ups. Brands such as Hallet offers such gutter cover type. It痴 easy to install and very affordable.

 

[terry.dinerman]

I was disappointed by all of the gutter guards available at the Big Box stores, so I got some 12" flashing and made my own.

The wind clears most of the heavy leaf litter off when its dry and heavy rain washes it over the top of the slot between the guard and the gutter. Any water short of a deluge pretty well follows the rounded contour of the fold and drips into the gutter.

Slipped under the edge of the metal roofing or shingles and retained by the metal building screws or shingle nails, the guards stay put even in considerable wind, they are bent to hover just above the hanger nails, following the slope of the gutter and are flexible enough to allow entry of a hose for a cleanout.

Some material is going to accumulate in the gutter no matter what .... silt, if nothing else ....

The sketch should explain it all...

Terry

 

[Pilot]

A major factor is what kind of trees you have. What works with Douglas-firs in the Pacific northwest, with 1-1.5 inch needles and 3-4 inch cones that don't quite fit into the holes for the downspouts may not work where you have long needle pines, oaks or maples.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Shop Amerimax White Snap-in Gutter Filter at Lowes.com

We installed these right before the leaves started to fall and after all the spring oak tassles we still have free flowing gutters for the first time in my life with NO cleaning. They are a snap to install.

In a hard storm the fine mesh on top of the course grid will shoot some water over the side but nothing like stopped up gutters. :thumbsup:

 

[om21braz]

The Gutter Helmet seems to work well. It covers the whole gutter and is made out of metal. The surface tension of the water causes it to flow around the front of the helmet into the gutter while the heavier material like leaves fall off.

+1 It's not cheap, but it does work well.

 

[techman]

At our home, we have A LOT of leaves. I had mesh metal covers for a number of years, but they seemed to grasp the stem of enough leaves and eventually decay. Also small broken up bits of leaves would get through, and eventually all of this stuff would clog up the gutters at the outlets (I had wire screens on the outlets). Also I was getting moss growing in some gutters because the outlet flow was somewhat clogged and water sat.

Two years ago I put in gutter foam, after a great deal of research. Bottom line is that every "system" has some sort of problem in the long run. For me the foam is OKay so far. Leaves and stuff pile up on them in the fall, so I need to hose them out to clear them. They seem better than the mesh covers for my particular tree waste. A few more years yet to see if the plastic starts to break down into dust.

paul