Leaf guards for gutters.

[aezael]

I am getting too old to climb ladders and clean the gutters so I am asking for any input about how to protect the gutters from being filled with leaves and debris. Thanks for any help.

[Freckles]

I too am of the age where climbing ladders to clean my gutters has become too strenuous and dangerous.

When I was in Lowe's a few days ago I saw a device that attaches to a garden hose and allows one to clean their first floor gutters from the ground.

It sells for about $25 or $30 and I intend to get one this weekend. I'll let you know how it works.

[willshak]

on 5/21/2007 6:47 PM Freckles said the following:

Don't bother. I got one. It sucks, unless you only have a few leaves in there. Once they pile up halfway down the gutter, you'll need a pressure washer to break it up. A ladder, bucket, and two hands (plastic gloves optional) is the best way to go.

[BobR]

I replace my open gutters about 12 years ago with a gutter system called LeafGuard. This system uses a complete cover over the gutter that relies on the water adhearing to the surface of the guard and following a curve back into the gutter while the leaves are washed off the guard.

They guarantee the system and will clean the gutters for free if they ever clogged. I lived in the house for 12 years after putting the gutters on and only had to have them cleaned out once. The gutters were very effective with a couple of minor exceptions. One, the fine gravel off of our new roof flowed with the water into the gutter. The water flow was not enough to clear the gravel out of the gutter. The other problem was a buildup of pine-needles over that period of time and we had to have the gutters cleaned after 10 years. The other types of leaves were not a problem though and they washed over the gutter.

[Joseph Meehan]

I have seen only one test that appeared to be good. It found that what system worked well (if any) depended on the situation. What kind of leaves or needles or whatever might get into the gutters. The system that did well with maple leaves did poorly with pine needles and if one did good with oak leaves it likely failed on those maple seed things.

[Larry and a Cat named Dub]

[Bob M.]

They don't work well. All they do is blow the leaves & such to the drain pipe, where they get stuck.

[Art]

Leafguard gutters (a brand name with built in guards) work well for all types of trees in my experience. GUtter helmuts were useless on my previous house.

[Art]

I'm surprised you ever needed them cleaned. Mine are perfectly spotless inside after 9 years. I wonder if yours were installed with a low spot.

[jJim McLaughlin]

So much of whar works is depndent upon what ypur "leaf" situation is. I live in the Pacific NW, Oregon. Most of my gutter / roof crud is Douglas fir needles, maybe 1/8 inch wide, half that thick and maybe 5/8 -

3/4 inch long. The rest is vine maple and alder leaf.

Several neighbors have invested in the "Cadillac systems" like Leaf Guard and Gutter Helmet. Both work well with the maple leaves and alder but are less than a success with the Doug fir needles. While the Leaf Guard uses get "free" cleaning, they had pay a lot up front for that free" cleaning.

Last fall, I found a product at the Local Loews, cones in 36" strips, has a white PVC like frame over which there is a white vinyl / PVC ish window screen fabric glued on. The PVC like frame "snaps" into the gutter, has a slight upward bow.

I put it on the front and back of the garage (about 24 feet each) as a test over the fall and winter. I plan to go up ther this weekend and check out ow it worked, as well as clean the house gutters. Its a Memorial Day tradition around here.

Stuff I found is called "Snap In Gutter Filter" by an outfit called "Gutter World". No location or web site listed on the label. "Made in USA". UPC code 17857 00461 7. Label says "WHITE" in bold letters, which leads me to believe that it is available in other colors, but I've not seen any other colors.

It was $ 3.59 / $ 3.99 a 3 foot strip at Loews. Not cheap, not outrageous. Still wanted to do a serious test before I invested in enough to cover the 50' of gutter run in each of the back and front of the house. Probably will look around to see if I can get a better pice on 35 - 40 pieces if I do decide to go with it on the house gutters.

I have no affiliation with or interest in the company or the product. I'm just waiting to see how well it worked on the garage gutters.

YMMV.

[Charles Pisano]

Wish I'd have seen these responses before I tried the gutter blaster. I said this b4 on here. My house in Fla. has no gutters and does fine.

My home in Pa is near alot of trees, so I think my bigger problem is leaves and not water running off my roof. Maybe the gutters will eventually fall off?

I think I only made them (the leaves) mad with the gutter blaster...;>)

[Tim Smith]

This looks interesting:

The seem confident enough to name their major competitors. Usually, companies don't directly name their competitors, instead saying "better than the other leading brand" or things like that, unless they are very sure that they are better.

This also seems to be an interesting approach:

Basically, it has slats that get installed. The rain runs off the roof, and the slats disperse it, so that it falls to the ground like rain, instead of like a stream of running water.

I have a question about gutters. How clean do they need to be? Say my getters are 3" deep, and an inch of crud accumulates somewhere, say in the middle. OK, so I will basically have a 1" dam there, so will get some standing water in the gutter. Is that a problem? Won't the result simply be some standing water in part of the gutter? Any rain water will either drain, or become part of the 1" deep lake behind that dam, so there doesn't seem to be a drainage issue with having a little lake in the gutter. Are there other problems with it, such as it becoming a breeding ground for nasty things?

[tylernt]

Nope, the roof shingles and sheathing material directly above your puddle will become damaged (mold, rot, etc) by the moisture evaporating from that puddle. Also if it freezes in winter, your gutter can be damaged by the expanding ice.

[jJim McLaughlin]

Thanks for the tip.

Unfortunately, only one dealer in my state (Oregon) about 200 miles away in Hermiston on the east side of the Cascades in high desert country.

Not a lot of Doug fir out there on which to test the efficiency of the product, and a long way to go for a sales pitch.

Thanks for the

[DaveR]

I just installed a new roof and my roofer installs Leaf Guard.

However, he told me not to bother. No "clean gutter" system really works well. They may prevent big, dry leaves from getting in, but wet "gunk" will always find its way in there, and with most of them, you can't really clean it out.

He suggested I save the money you would spend on such a system and use it to pay a landscaper to clean the gutters a few times a year.

[Charles Pisano]

Not sure about this new invention I just came up with. What is does is funnels water away from the edges of your roof and takes it ouside the area of your foundation. It keeps water (runoff) isolated to certain areas of the roof.

Only one problem, if you live near any trees chances are great that they will fill up with leaves and render my 'invention' worthless and it is possible when my invention is full of leaves you could be worse off.

But you can buy a cap for it, it's just the cap might not work either. It'll only cost you about 1200 dollars to get my invention istalled on your home and if you want the caps for it another 400.

How about it ..? Do we have a deal?

[DaveR]

Nah, I'll just extend the roof edges 10 feet, landscape properly around the home, and be fine. No need for those crazy things.

[C & E]

My sentiments exactly. After my buddy told me the contractor's estimate for installing Gutter Guards on his home I pointed out that he could hire a handyman to clean his gutters twice a year for 30 years. By that time he and I will either be plant food or drooling on our shirts.

[Jim L]

Investigate "Leaf Filter" . Had mine done this Summer and after doing a lot of research on the web, etc....can't find anybody to complain. Totally different system that puts a stainless microscreen over the gutters that only lets water through. The leaves, etc. tend to blow or wash over the side and disappear. This is not one of those metal hoods that never work....

Jim, Seattle

[Art]

Leafguard gutters have been working perfectly on my house for 10 years now without cleaning.