Gutter guards

Definitely worth it. Not sure what brand mine are but they're like sheets of aluminum with tiny holes throughout. I got them about 5 or 6 years ago. As it happend I was actually up on the roof attempting to clean the gutters out when two guys in a pickup truck stopped out front and came over saying they would install them for about $800. I told them I'd think about it.. About an hour later I was still up there when the drove by again and said they'd do it for $400.. Sold.. I got off the roof, they went up ( a large 4 level split house) and installed them, all screwed into place, great job.. Took about 45 minutes to an hour.. gave them their $400 cash and off they went.

It really depends on the cost...

When I had my gutters redone last year, I was given a price that basically doubled the cost of my gutters (at $7 per linear foot) which is NUTS. On the flipside, @Beneful1 got a heck of a deal at $400.

You can also install them yourself as most big box hardware stores sell lots of different sizes and shapes of them.

Don’t these still need maintenance though? How does is work when you need the gutters cleaned, can they do it without removing or is that going to cost more? We decided to go without and just have them cleaned.

Another thing to factor is that cost of aluminium has gone through the roof, I’ve seen a few contractors posting that they’re seeing substantial month on month price increases.

With gutter guards, you still need to climb up on the roof to clean. The leaves and pine needles just sit on top of the gutter guard. Cleaning will be easier.

chris416yyz wrote: ↑ Don’t these still need maintenance though? How does is work when you need the gutters cleaned, can they do it without removing or is that going to cost more? We decided to go without and just have them cleaned.

Another thing to factor is that cost of aluminium has gone through the roof, I’ve seen a few contractors posting that they’re seeing substantial month on month price increases.

Different products have different requirements as the design of each gutter guard system varies.

Some are screwed right into the gutter so to remove them you need to remove the screws in order to get below. Others have a hinge system. Some others have filtered mesh so that almost nothing gets below so removal is a non-issue while others have wide holes (compared to the mesh) so sediment will get in...

A big factor in this is whether you have tall trees with large leaves (Maple for one) then you might want to rethink the idea.

Owbist wrote: ↑ A big factor in this is whether you have tall trees with large leaves (Maple for one) then you might want to rethink the idea.

Poplar mostly. It's a messy tree, seed pods in the spring, then sticks all year and then largish leaves in the fall.

Went with a local company $6 ft and cleaned and installed within an hour, here's to hoping there is an improvement!

You still need to clean the gutter guard...once a year. It just makes the cleaning easier.

The wind will probably blow 95% off my gutters as things dry off, the issue was when it got stuck into my gutter, it was basically mud coming out

We are in the middle of a forest and our downspouts terminate in weeping tile that carry rainwater away from our foundation so I do not want that system clogged. Years ago, I installed these: Gutter Foam Filters. Super easy installation and they do a great job of handling downpours and keeping debris from clogging our system. Downside: that debris sticks to these things and they become unsightly. Fast forward to a reno a few years back where we redid the fascias, soffits, and gutters and I asked the contractor to put the slotted screens up to replace our open-cell foam filters. Upon installation, he strongly recommended that I put the foam back in AND put the screens on top and it's been that way for 12 years now.

What I find is that the debris mostly takes care of itself but on occasion I have to clear some debris off the screens - but it's WAY easier to do that than it is to empty gutters.

superscoots wrote: ↑ The wind will probably blow 95% off my gutters as things dry off, the issue was when it got stuck into my gutter, it was basically mud coming out

Just like I said before, based on actual real life experience, you still need to clean the gutter guard once a year.
CaptSemthwick is on the same page. He still need to clear debris off the screen....but it is easier.

Yeah, the upside of the screens is that they're way easier to clean than open eavestroughs but they are NOT maintenance free by any means. The downside of the screens is that they do NOT handle as much water as an open gutter during torrential downpours. On balance, I feel that the advantages of screens outweigh the disadvantages.

Which are the better leaf guards?

I don't have any pine trees near my house and mostly just maples. It looks like Leaffilter is the best but reading their reviews it seems pricey and they can be difficult to deal with.

I need to replace my metal work but was leaning towards open eavestroughs and using one of these leaf blower kits

https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/yard- ... aner-51667

slowandsteady wrote: ↑ Which are the better leaf guards?

I don't have any pine trees near my house and mostly just maples. It looks like Leaffilter is the best but reading their reviews it seems pricey and they can be difficult to deal with.

I need to replace my metal work but was leaning towards open eavestroughs and using one of these leaf blower kits

https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/yard- ... aner-51667

I would suggest looking at what's in your existing gutters 1st.

I cleaned out my fathers in law's gutters last weekend, it was never done in years Fine needs on the surface but that last inch was a thick muddy paste.

Not sure the leaf blower would do good job and the muddy substance would go out flying every. I tired the shop vac with pvc pipe last fall, its works but you can see anything.

After 1 hour I had sore neck and in my case I prefer using a ladder.

It's mostly just leaves and branches in my eavestrough. There are a couple of spots where the gutter pitch is off and water sits, where wet leaves/sludge can collect but those areas do dry out. However, come August I usually cleaning my at least every 2-3 weeks until the leaves are gone and I don't really allow things to get out of hand.

Even with the fine mesh of the Leaffilter, I have read reviews, where people still get sludge. Also, I haven't seen a great way to hang Christmas lights with them installed.

slowandsteady wrote: ↑ It's mostly just leaves and branches in my eavestrough. There are a couple of spots where the gutter pitch is off and water sits, where wet leaves/sludge can collect but those areas do dry out. However, come August I usually cleaning my at least every 2-3 weeks until the leaves are gone and I don't really allow things to get out of hand.

Even with the fine mesh of the Leaffilter, I have read reviews, where people still get sludge. Also, I haven't seen a great way to hang Christmas lights with them installed.

Sludge may be something that is really unavoidable as much of it is fine particles that go right through the mesh screen and just build up in the gutter. An option may be to look for a system that is easy to remove so that you can clean it out every few years.

craftsman wrote: ↑ Sludge may be something that is really unavoidable as much of it is fine particles that go right through the mesh screen and just build up in the gutter. An option may be to look for a system that is easy to remove so that you can clean it out every few years.

Agreed. Sludge is unavoidable. That being said, I have fine silt screens at the tops of the downspouts in the gutters so that crap doesn't get in the downspouts. I inspect them every few years and they are always clean.

CaptSmethwick wrote: ↑ Agreed. Sludge is unavoidable. That being said, I have fine silt screens at the tops of the downspouts in the gutters so that crap doesn't get in the downspouts. I inspect them every few years and they are always clean.

Alternatively, you can also install clean out filters on the downspouts and install a fine mesh in the clean out.