Gutters & Leafguards

[dmartin88]

Getting ready to replace my gutters and want to include leaf guards. Looking for recommendations and any cautions when getting estimates. Are seamless gutters better? There are quite a few different types of leaf guards, anything to look for in that area and do they really work and not clog up with wet leaves?

Will need about 200 foot I estimate. Also interested in installed prices per foot but guessing this will vary widely? I also saw a product where the water wasn't actually channeled to a downspout, just spread as it came off the roof so it didn't cause puddles and holes around the foundation, does anyone have those installed?

A search on TBN didn't yield a lot of info searching for "gutter"? Thanks in advance.

 

[MarkLeininger]

I've used the same leaf guard on several of our houses. I bought them at Home Dumpo for about $1 per 3 foot length. They're curved aluminum with two small hinges that clip onto the front edge of the gutter. You can tip them forward if you need to get into the gutter for anything. They've held up well to the ice and snow.

I always have seamless gutters installed. I can't remember what they cost.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Suggest you peruse this thread

Previous gutter guard thread

Cliff

 

[dmartin88]

Thanks, now realize the "search box" capability at the top of the page must have some pretty short default settings-- entering "gutter" there doesn't pick up this post. When I searched all forums and opened the time window out, I picked up some more information, thanks again.

 

[rlw]

I just bought gutter guards for my shop from these guys: Gutterworks

They also have general info on gutters and guards. Very fast shipping.

I don't have pine needles to worry about, just lots of leaves. They're working well so far, and installed easily.

 

[slowrev]

Do you have any maple trees that drop the little whirlygigs ? If so watch the screen guards. Spent a lot of time putting nice screen type guards on my gutters. Worked great till the little whirlygigs started falling. Got up one morning and the water was coming off the roof like I had no gutters. Looked and found that the little whirly seed ends fit perfectly in the screen leaving the tail sticking up and every opening in the screen had a whirlygig in it. The solid wall of whirlygig tails shed the water perfectly. Took the screens off and just went back to cleaning gutters /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Hope my rambling made sense.

Ben

 

[dmartin88]

No maples to worry about but every two years, we get tons of acorns from the oak trees.

 

[DocHeb]

The Search function searches a copy of the TBN forum database. This prevents degradation of the forum's speed that the prior search function caused. Threads are added to that copy on a daily basis. Searches will not show threads done in the last 24 hours. Careful attention to word choice and use of the "and" option for a filter can be quite powerful.

I think the gutter "replacements" that disperse the water in place of a gutter, while interesting on a theoretical basis, in practicality are useless. They still dump the entire roof area of rain on the 1-2 feet next to the house. IMHO, I would not consider these to be an acceptable choice.

 

[slowrev]

I am with Doc/Chris on this. My concept of a gutter system is something that catches the water and channels it away from the house, so as not to cause damage to the structure.

Ben

 

[dmartin88]

When I type "gutter" in to the box at the top of the page used to search forums, the thread related to "gutter leafguards" wasn't included even though it was from June. Looks like there may be other limitations beyond just the current day's traffic.

Thanks for the feedback on the diverters, will be getting some estimates from local companies in the next couple of weeks.

 

[DocHeb]

I tell my wife that the computer is the only thing in my life that does exactly what I tell it to do:

Select a Forum to Search: <font color="red"> All</font>
Words to Search For: <font color="red">Gutter Leafguards</font>
Search Options: <font color="red">And</font>
Date Range: <font color="red">All Posts</font>
Results in two threads matching:
Gutters & Leafguards
roof washers

You will get only search results that combine "Leaf" and "guards" into one word. Now try a similiar search, with a slight change in the search words:

Select a Forum to Search: <font color="red">All</font>
Words to Search For: <font color="red">Gutter leaf guards (NOTE SPACING)</font>
Search Options: <font color="red">And</font>
Date Range: <font color="red">All Posts</font>
Results in more threads:
Gutters & Leafguards
Roof Washers
Gutter Leaf Guards
Seemless Gutters

Your computer (and Muhammad's) is just giving you exactly what you ask for. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[dmartin88]

I understand how to use the search function but that's not where I entered the original search. At the top of the page, there is a box that says "Search Forums For:". When I enter "gutter" there and hit the "Find It!" button, the thread that was posted earlier titled "Gutter leaf guards" started by dieselsmoke1 on 6/4/04 wasn't part of what was returned. I only get a single page of threads dating back to 9/1/04 and it just seemed odd to me that the post from June wasn't found.

Thanks for the tutorial on the search function but it's not related to the search that I was trying to do. Usually I use the full fledged search function and it always seems to work well but this time tried to use the "shortcut" search at the top of the page and it didn't work out. Not really that big of a deal, just thought it was odd, thanks again for taking the time to try and sort it out.

 

[Henro]

I know what I am about to say does not relate to the original question, but here goes anyway.

When I designed my house gutters were not part of it. Why? Mainly because of the leaf catching/yearly maintenance issues.

So I put my effort into proper waterproofing of my foundation, and just let the water from the rain drop down and run away on the ground.

I suppose if my house was not built into a hillside, with two sides of the basement above ground I would have done things differently.

Still, gutters are things I don't want to deal with every year. I guess I am lucky...Western PA hills do offer some advantages...

Gutters...if you can avoid them, do so. Guess if you live on a flat area it is not that easy though...

What is the lay of your land? Do you really NEED gutters? Or are they just there because everyone has them?

Just a couple alternative thoughts...

 

[dmartin88]

On the back of our house, we have a deck along the entire length so the gutters steer the water off the deck and collect it nicely for use elsewhere. Our property slopes from the road in front towards the house and then continues down hill, not a steep slope. We have a series of berms along the front that channel most of the water to the sides and around the house. The gutters take the water from the house towards these berms and it flows down hill next to the house from there. There are some areas of the house that could do without gutters but will probably do them as well to make them look the same. I thought about going with no gutters but don't think it would work in this case. Thanks for an alternative opinion, good to look at all the options!

 

[slowrev]

I have gutters on the front of my house but not on the back as it is 2 stories high on the back and I do not want to clean them out /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Also the rear has a concrete wall on the basement and the gound slopes away from the house nicely, so I just put down a strip of #9 gravel for the roof to drip on so as not to splash dirt up on the wall.

Ben