Gutter guards?

[gunlovingirl]

I'm tired of climbing a ladder to clean out the gutters. Anyone care to comment on gutter guards? Do they really work? Some better than others? Can I install them myself? Thanks!

 

[windjammer]

I got a price on them of $3700. I'll do without and pay $40.00 to have my gutters cleaned out. I have a normal 3 bedroom house. Not a lot of gutters.

 

[m657]

Our house was plagued by the usual gutter garbage requiring cleaning regularly. After many years of the routine, we checked out the choices at a home show. Installed costs were pretty high. We found some products that were home-owner installed.

Our final tally for about 150' of easily installed guards was less than $150 and took a long afternoon to do such. This was the 'solid upper, water runs around and trickles thru slots into gutter while leaves slide off' design.

There are a number of different products available. Ours slid under the lower shingle edge and snapped into place over the existing gutter. 2 years with no further problems label this as a "good deal" for our needs.

An out building has a large problem that the older slotted top design which failed to work well in heavy leaf conditions. We copied another idea, and stuffed a 3" slotted flexible PVC drain pipe into the 20' length as a trial. After 2 seasons, it too has worked very well.

 

[BarbC]

It was expensive when we looked at Gutter Guards.

So we bought an attachment for the leafblower that reaches up and into the gutters. Like this one Poulan 701715 Weed Eater Rain Gutter Cleaning Blower Attachment #Ga2010

Actually we bought 2 sets and hooked them together because it was a very high 2-story.

 

[ladder13]

I use a leaf blower hooked up to a couple lengths of leaders and a curved flexible fitting on the end. Sort of like a long pipe with a J hook on it. I fit one end into my backpack and walk around the exterior of my house, resting the J hook on the edge of my gutters. Blows the leaves right out, even if wet. I never leave the ground.

Edited: Barb has the idea. I use leader pipe though because I find it's lighter than that black pipe and easier to lift. Some of my gutters are 25 ft high, then add in some more length because you're away from the base of the house, shrubs and other obstructions.

 

[Rule3]

I have tried several kinds and they work a little but eventually I am back up on the roof cleaning them out. Somehow just enough leaves get through to clog the downspout . Then I have to disassemble the downspout curved portion and blast it out. I gave up on the guards

Just one of life's little pleasures

 

[Erich]

Thanks for this thread, you all. My mom has black walnut trees that drop stems into her gutters, and she's getting too old (IMHO) to be climbing up to muck them out. (I used to do it when I was a kid but I live 1k miles away now; she refuses to let me hire anyone, and her nearby grandkids appear to be worthless in this respect.) I like Barb's suggestion for her and just sent her an email asking if I could send her a leafblower and one of those thing-a-ma-bobs.

 

[loutent]

The only guard that actually works IMO is this "gutter stuff" which we had installed a few years ago. It really works. At first I thought that it might slow down the flow of water but it doesn't. Not one leaf gets through. Although we had it installed when we replaced our gutters, Costco does sell it as a do-it-yourself package - a little expensive, but worth it!

Costco - GutterStuff® Self-installed Gutter Filter

 

[BarbC]

Thanks for this thread, you all. My mom has black walnut trees that drop stems into her gutters, and she's getting too old (IMHO) to be climbing up to muck them out. (I used to do it when I was a kid but I live 1k miles away now; she refuses to let me hire anyone, and her nearby grandkids appear to be worthless in this respect.) I like Barb's suggestion for her and just sent her an email asking if I could send her a leafblower and one of those thing-a-ma-bobs.

Once you read http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/158345-how-big-can-they-get.html nothing says Happy Mother's Day like a leafblower.

 

[ladder13]

The only guard that actually works IMO is this "gutter stuff" which we had installed a few years ago. It really works. At first I thought that it might slow down the flow of water but it doesn't. Not one leaf gets through. Although we had it installed when we replaced our gutters, Costco does sell it as a do-it-yourself package - a little expensive, but worth it!

Costco - GutterStuff® Self-installed Gutter Filter

Do the leaves sit on top of the foam though? Nothing in the video showing leaves on top of the foam.

 

[loutent]

Do the leaves sit on top of the foam though? Nothing in the video showing leaves on top of the foam.

We have never had that happen - the leaves never have a chance to settle down - just blow off with the wind. I can only go by our experience and it really works well.

 

[gamedic]

I like the foam stuff. There are several companies that make them. The regular gutter guards can't stop all the water coming off my large 12/12 pitch roof during a heavy down pour.

 

[ladder13]

We have never had that happen - the leaves never have a chance to settle down - just blow off with the wind. I can only go by our experience and it really works well.

Thanks, an interesting option.

 

[montezumaz]

I got mine when I had new gutters and downspouts installed. I still muck out the gutter at least twice a year. Save your money. My two cents.

 

[don95sml]

Gutter guards probably work fine to avoid leaves. My problem, however, is pine needles rather than leaves. No gutter guard I've seen is effective against pine needles.

 

[USAF385]

I got a price on them of $3700.

What?! That is.. outrageous.

I use Amerimax gutter guards I bought from Home Depot. If you go to the Home Depot web site and search for "Amerimax 6 in X 3ft" you'll find the ones I use. They have a 25 pack for $45 in stores, and a 5 pack for $8 which you can order online (at least with my store settings).

I've had these on my house for 5 years. They were easy to install. I haven't cleaned them in 2 years.. and as you can see they are clean.. except for the little gritty pieces of shingles. They keep everything else out.

Based on my personal experience, I highly recommend them.

 

[gunlovingirl]

Interesting array of replies. Looking forward to more. I've never heard of, or seen, the foam stuff. USAF385, were yours easy to install? My biggest problem is a huge elm tree in my front yard. Anyone who knows trees knows what a major mess they are. Constant seeds and twigs falling, and 2 months of leaves falling in the fall. Sooner or later it's going to get cut down.

 

[USAF385]

Misty.. Mine were pretty easy to install. They just clamp on the front and fall down over the gutter. I live in the middle of a typical beech-maple forest and have trees very close to all four corners of my home. The covers keep out those little helicopter seeds as well as the twigs and leaves.

 

[Iggy]

Places like Lowes and Sutherlands sell 3 foot plastic sections for around $1.80 apiece. You slide one end under the shingle and the other end snaps onto your gutter.

You can custom fit them in small places with a heavy set of scissors or tin snips.

The do a pretty good job.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

The only economical ones I have seen that work well are those posted by USAF385.