Are Gutter Guards Worth The Money?
Solved: Low maintenance gutter solutions.
Gutters help direct rainwater away from your house and into your yard or drainage system. Leaves, sticks, and any other objects (stray baseballs!) that collect in your gutters prevent your drainage system from doing its job. Gutter guards keep debris from clogging your gutter lines and provide protection that alleviates maintenance work — especially in fall and spring.
Gutter strainers
Gutter strainers, also called downspout strainers, are wire or plastic strainers that fit inside the opening to your downspout, preventing leaves, sticks and other debris from clogging downspouts or flowing into your drainage system and clogging underground pipes. Clogged downspouts can cause gutters to overflow with water, which can damage the gutters and erode your landscaping. Strainers pair well with other methods of gutter protection, like leaf guards.
Leaf guards
Leaf guards come in metal mesh and vinyl, and they cover your gutter system to prevent leaves, pine needles and other material from clogging the water flow. There are various types of leaf guards available, though all perform a similar function. Mesh and fine mesh guards prevent most debris from getting into your gutter system, but fine particles — like shingle grit — can occasionally clog the mesh.
Surface-tension gutter guards pull water around the nose of the guard, through grates, and into the gutters. They work well as long as they’re installed to match the angle of the roof. Surface-tension guards do a great job of protecting gutters from large debris, and anything that slips through the cracks will generally wash through the gutters and out the downspouts with no problem.
Gutter scoops
A gutter scoop is the last line of defense against gutter debris. The scoops are small, handheld shovels (similar to dog food scoopers) that make the removal of leaves and tree matter easier. Scoop mouths fit right into your gutter and usually have a narrow heel to allow for simple pickup of leaves, sticks and dirt. To avoid the need for a gutter scoop, try gutter strainers and leaf guards first!
Once you spend the money to install gutters, it’s worth investing in additional gutter protection to make maintenance easier and to help your gutters do their job. If you need gutters and gutter protection recommendations, give TruGuard a call.
