Looks like we will be spending the weekend cleaning out the leaves from our gutters. Our home builder suggested purchasing gutter guards,(things you put over the gutter to block leaves from accumulating)but we didn't do it. We have heard mixed reviews on them. One neighbor advised us they were a waste of money - but it could just be the brand he bought, not sure.

Does anybody have them, and if so would you recommend a certain type or certain installer? Any ideas as to cost?

Mo3inGE

I had a similiar situation with the builder wanting me to invest in Gutter Guards. This site helped me make my decision:

http://www.askthebuilder.com/541-Gutter-Guards-and-the-Whole-Truth.shtml

Good site, GER. Never have understood how people get roped into that stuff. They don't work.

What a great website! Can't wait to show hubby -he loves a good project now and then. And yes, I kind of thought the gutter guards were a waste of money. Seems to me I read it somewhere.

Thanks!!

I can sum that up in one word. NONE!!! It is more of a pain to clean the leaves out of the gutter guards than it is to just blow them outta the gutter

We've had mesh screening over the gutters on our current home and on our previous home, and I will install them on any future homes I have (at least as long as I live near deciduous trees!)

No, they do not make your gutters "maintenance free." You occasionally have to get up there and clean out some debris that gets stuck in the mesh. The worst time is the spring, when the silver maples dump their flowers and seeds.

But the effort involved in picking out a few maple "helicopters" is far less than I previously spent digging masses of wet leaves out of uncovered gutters. And it is the kind of thing you can do when it is convenient for you, instead of an emergency situation when you realize your gutter is clogged.

We have several extremely large maples directly overhanging our house. So far this fall I have not been up on a ladder or my roof, and my gutters are clean.

YMMV

They were pretty cheap when we had them installed by Seamless Gutter.

Mesh screening? Now that sounds OK. I have the ones that are the perfect fit for our Maples to drop their seeds into. Talk about a pain.

I may have to look into that.

Yeah - the "front" edge is a solid strip that screws into the front lip of the gutter, and the "back" of the screen slips under the shingles.
The mesh "diamonds" are maybe 1/4" per side.
A few whirlybirds might fit through, but it is far more common for them to get stuck in the mesh withough going through.
That happens if they hit the gutter just right.
The majority that hit the roof and slide down just lie flat on top of the screen, and then blow/wash off.
But if you have a bunch that get stuck in the mesh, they can cause the others to gather.
It is a minor task (IMO) to brush/pluck the relatively few dry whirlybirds from the tops of the screens, compared to scooping handfuls of wet seeds out of uncovered gutters.

It has just occurred to me that by removing the gutters entirely from my house, I would never have to worry about leaves or anything else clogging them. That might also alleviate the ice damming in the winter.

jkoral:

Keep in mind that you may not have what we around here call "Dinsdale Money".

My guess is that Dinsdale's seemingly simple gutter guard technology doesn't come cheap.

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:
Keep in mind that you may not have what we around here call "Dinsdale Money".

Just to eliminate any doubt as to why all the banks are coming to town. They're all clamoring for a piece of the Din$dale pie!
Mmm, pie.

Please check out the Leaf Relief gutter guard manufactured by ALCOA. It is inexpensive and comes with a ten-year warranty against inside-the-gutter clogs. I have them on my home. They work great in comparison to the expensive hood-type gutter guards.