Gutter Guards etc.

[HOUSTON RICK]

I spent much of this lovely day scraping pine needles and stuff out of my gutters. Age and aversion to falls and cardiac arrest have made me ponder the value of the often-advertised gutter guards etc. I have trees over my roof (Two large pines and a modest oak) and most of what gets in my gutters are pine needles. I fear these products will in the end allow pine needles into my gutters and just make them harder to clean. any first-hand experience with these products and large pine trees? Thank you in advance.

 

[tt66]

I believe there are several different type of gutter guards.

What we see advertised on tv is a solid cover type that flows the water over the cover and into the gutter. Never priced those. We added a gutter guard to ours last year but it is a flat plate with lots of holes that fits in the top of the gutter. These ran about $5.00 per foot installed.

We have oak trees but so far it seems to work fairly well. Time will tell.

Tim

 

[bigwheelzip]

The ones that look like a finer-mesh chicken wire grid just hold on to stuff until it decays and breaks into the gutters.

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

A few years ago at Costco, I filled out a card to have LeafGaurd come give me a bid. They wanted $13,000 to install them on all our gutters. Worst part is he wouldn't give us the bid until we watched his 45 minute video, in spite of the fact that I told him I would not be interested in any bid over $2,000. I immediately kicked him out for wasting our time. I'm sure that was probably around $50 a foot.

 

[ladder13]

When I lived up north with loads of oaks and maples I used a backpack blower with a section or two of downspout connected. Worked pretty darn good getting the leaves out. That was after
I had tried the foam inserts, garbage collectors. Also had the builders grade plastic guards, more garbage.

Moved south.
Pine needles? Yeah, by the truckload having a backyard neighbor with a half dozen pine trees on his property. They are impossible to get out, those needles stick to everything especially the hangers, and jam up the downspouts.

And if you have round holes in the gutter guards, the needles will find them, and you won’t get them out without putting up a ladder.

After doing my homework, I had a contractor put a fine stainless steel mesh filter on. Looks like the one below but with some squiggly lines, not the straight lines pictured, that keep everything elevated off the surface. If wet leaves collect there, I haven’t seen any, they will get blown off once they dry by the wind.

Same with the pine needles, they will not get stuck. The mesh is too small for them to plant their flags.

Best thing I could have done as I have not put up a ladder since they were installed about two years ago. Water flows free, no jams in downspouts.

They may have to be cleaned sometime, but it won’t be 5-10 times a year like before, and I’ll just pay someone to do it if/when it clogs.

 

[GypsmJim]

I only cleaned my gutters twice in 35 years. The second time was last year. I decided that at my age I would not do it again. I only had two 35' long gutters.

In our area, several of the different vendors have a booth at every gun show, boat show, car show, etc. The LeafFilter brand looked to be the best technology.

The guy came to the house and did the whole spiel. Sounded good. Finally, at the end he gave me the price and I almost spit up. I just said NO and stood up heading for the door. WEllll, he came down and I still said no and told him he could leave. Wellll, yada, yada and here's what I can do, etc. Had some over run from another paid job...

Anyway, the original quote was $4500 and I signed it for $1400. So far they have worked just perfect. Good product.

Now, for the rest of the story. They come in 4' sections. When the installer got to the end there was a 6" gap. Rather than climb down and cut a small piece he left the hole open.

Now, never had a plugged gutter before now. It rained and the gutter was overflowing all over a newly planted garden. When it stopped raining I heard a lot of commotion. The plug was right above my second floor office.

LIfetime guarantee so they DID fix it. The gutter was plugged because a bird made a nest thru the small opening. The gutter had trash 3 feet long.

If I ever do it again I would follow up by climbing up the ladder to see that it was done right.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I bought my gutter guards from Lowes and installed them myself. 3 ft sections. Entire house for around $150.00...........Those companies are RIPPING PEOPLE OFF BIG TIME!!!!!!

 

[hittman77]

During heavy rains I’d get a small amount of water in a couple areas of my finished walk out basement.

Had a guy come over to look at it and submit a bid to help.

My roof is a 12/12 pitch. He claimed the water was running OVER the gutter guards and saturating the ground, wetting the basement, etc. Told him I was skeptical so he asked me to remove HALF the gutter guards and report back.

Sure enough ….. next couple of frog choking rains and water only entered on the side with the gutter guards. I removed the remaining guards and had no problems since.

That man wouldn’t charge me for his time. I sent him a $100 Visa gift card.
I think that was 2015.

 

[SMSgt]

Gutter guards can be mixed blessings. They don't work with the live oak trees in my yard, they simply plug them up. I use a leaf blower with an extension tube and walk around the house blowing the gutters out.

 

[armadillo]

No pine trees for me anymore. Just the live oaks now days.

I tried the snap-on mesh ones first but the sun burned them up after a couple of years.

I finally got Leaf Guards, but only put them on specific sections because of the cost which was about $50 per foot. They work great - no problems at all. I even gave away my 24' extension ladder. That's what I would recommend if you can to spend that kind of money on gutters.

 

[STCM(SW)]

They charge too much for something that only works most of the time....
You still have to have the gutters cleaned as composted roofs will still get into the gutters. Owned a rain gutter CO for a few years......

 

[ACORN]

The man that did our metal roof, installed gutter guards my wife bought on Amazon for around $100, for $250.

 

[Bald1]

Lowes sells I think 4’ sections of “giant gutter sponge filter looking things”. They are shape of gutter and fit right down in gutter. Only water can pass thru. Sounds like a solution for u. I’m going to get them for my cabin that gets filled with maple leaves and buds.

 

[Heinz]

I have bought 2 houses with gutter guards, they did not work. Here in the south pine needles are a big problem as well as oak leaves. The condo development HOA I am in pays for gutter cleaning. It priced out cheaper than gutter guard installation. You might check on someone cleaning your gutters. We let our contractor do it at his convenience 2 times a year and it is reasonable.

 

[ladder13]

Lowes sells I think 4’ sections of “giant gutter sponge filter looking things”. They are shape of gutter and fit right down in gutter. Only water can pass thru. Sounds like a solution for u. I’m going to get them for my cabin that gets filled with maple leaves and buds.

I had them, they didn't work, at least for me.They catch every little stem, piece of leaf, and all the roof granules.
Eventually they clog up and cause a stinking mess, in my experience, then not alot of water passes through.

 

[twodog max]

When we had gutters installed a few years ago we had a budget leaf guard system put on. So far no clogs and they run freely. We do not have many pines close to the house just oaks, elms and a cherry or two. I like ours.

 

[Maddog 521]

In my opinion------
If the building contractor did not put gutters around the entire roof there would be less problems. If the right roof edging and shingle overhang was used it would help also. Gutters over walkways and entrances are sometimes necessary but not around the entire building.
I'm another that uses my leaf blower to empty the gutters. Works great

 

[SMSgt]

I had them, they didn't work, at least for me.They catch every little stem, piece of leaf, and all the roof granules.
Eventually they clog up and cause a stinking mess, in my experience, then not alot of water passes through.

I looked at that, but the runoff on my FL metal roof would just run right over it and the gutter.

 

[SMSgt]

In my opinion------
If the building contractor did not put gutters around the entire roof there would be less problems. If the right roof edging and shingle overhang was used it would help also. Gutters over walkways and entrances are sometimes necessary but not around the entire building.
I'm another that uses my leaf blower to empty the gutters. Works great

Gutters are often necessary to move rainfall away from the foundation, a major source of home water-intrusion problems.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I have a single story home, thankyou, and get out and use a leaf blower
before the heavy rain and snow season comes after September, if needed.

No pine trees or oak in my area, so not a major pain.