Gutter Guards and Leaf Protection: alcoa gutter guards seamless gutter guards 5 or 6 waterfall leaf relief pro/cons gutter guards pros and cons gutter covers rain gutter guards covers gutter screens gutter guard install 5 vs 6

    This section is to provide some general information on some of the different types of gutter guards and products that are on the market. Besides the franchise companies that charge thousands of dollars for their "special" product, there are several that can be purchased and installed by the homeowner or independent contractor.  

Some of the most popular products in this area are: The aluminum screens, @Waterfall, and @Leaf Relief. 

To clarify one thing that goes on in this business I would like to say that at Grace Home Improvement we do not believe it is fair to the homeowner to include the linear feet of downspout you have on your house when calculating the costs to install gutter guards. Just because "everybody else does it," doesn't make it right. So when getting estimates to install gutter guards and the downspout footage is included then you know that contractor probably does not have YOUR BEST INTEREST in mind. When getting an estimate from Grace Home Improvement we only charge for the footage of gutters that actually gets the gutter guard.

Aluminum Screens: The cheapest way to go is the aluminum screens.  They are designed as a simple mesh that snaps on the front of the gutter and usually arches to the back against the fascia board. This product can normally keep most debris out of the gutter and downspout. The problem is that much of the debris gets stuck in the mesh. The screens are pretty touchy, and once they get bent, they are prone to leave gaps unprotected or won’t fit right. Certain types of moss and helicopters that get stuck in the screens eventually either clog the screens or penetrate on through to accumulate in the gutter.

The photo above shows where we removed the aluminum screens to clean out the gutter and the outlet was completely clogged. “How could the outlet get clogged with a screen above it?” Well, in this situation a fallen limb damaged a screen at the other end of the house. When the limb bent the screen it left an opening to where the debris entered, traveled and accumulated at the outlet. The picture below is the result of the clogged outlet.

When an outlet gets clogged the gutter holds water. When the gutter holds water and then freezes it can pull the spikes loose. This photo above shows where we had to remove the aluminum screens, clean out the gutters, and install hidden hangers with wood screws to tighten the gutters back up. In this case the clogged outlets allowed the weight to pull the spikes loose in the middle allowing the front of the gutter to sag and overflow above the front porch. So this homeowner had bought the aluminum screens and still had to pay someone to come out, clean, and reattach his gutters. When the old spike and ferrule method works loose, just tapping the spikes back in does not work. It’s always best to install new hangers with screw fasteners. The most common disadvantage to the screens is that they get bent and damaged easily and debris gets stuck in the mesh.

@Waterfall Gutter Guard System: I would not recommend this product. This product is designed to go under the first course of shingles and snaps on the front lip of the gutter. It comes in 5 and 6 inch. It’s designed smooth and made of vinyl so that debris does not stick to it, but does. The small holes for the water to go through get clogged easily and are difficult to clear. It has to be installed with the pitch of the roof, but rarely stays that way.  It’s made to allow water to go in but the debris to travel over the gutter to the ground. The problem is being made of vinyl it expands and contracts considerably and almost always sags to where the debris goes right to the holes and gets stuck. This product has trouble handling the water and runs over the gutter below roof valleys and places that water runoff is concentrated.  The product also comes with a pattern to use with aluminum to cut out for the ends to prevent birds or critters from entering under and nesting in the gutters. It's not uncommon for birds to still penetrate the ends and build elaborate nests underneath and clog the outlets. If gutter supports are spread out too much it will sag and cave in. You also have to disturb the shingles to install it. When lifting the shingles to slide the product underneath, there is always a chance of damaging those shingles. Once this system is installed it’s almost impossible to take it off and reinstall it if you need a repair. This is also the most visible gutter guard from the ground of the three. It only comes in clay and white. It won't work with metal roofs. Below is a picture of Waterfall that was installed 8 months prior to taking this picture. Notice it is already sagging and clogged. The warranty on this product only covers "manufacturer defects." It does not say anything about customer satisfaction. If you have a claim they will determine whether or not the material alone is replaced or not. There is no refund.


 



@Leaf Relief: The leaf relief system is by far the best gutter guard I have seen or installed. The two types of @Leaf Relief are the standard and retro-fit. The standard is designed to go on new gutters. It takes the place of hidden hangers and adds strength to the gutters. It comes in seven-foot sections and snaps on the new gutter in the place of hidden hangers and the screw fasteners are inserted through the back and into the fascia board. The retro-fit is designed to install on existing gutters and has a piece of rubber that lies against the fascia board. I prefer to install the retro-fit instead of the standard version on new gutters. I don’t like the fact that you have to take the whole gutter down to get into the gutter with the standard version. I would rather give the homeowner heavy-duty hidden hangers with the retro-fit on top. The retro-fit sits on the hangers and screws down every two feet through the lip of the gutter and has the added piece of rubber against the fascia. Despite it’s looks, it can handle high volumes of water. If you ever need your gutters re-pitched from settling, replace a damaged section, or develop a leaky miter, you can just unscrew the zip screws in the lip, take it off and reinstall it without any problems. It’s designed so that debris rests on top until it dries and a simple breeze removes it. No birds can penetrate the ends. Its low profile is unseen from the ground. There is no absolute maintenance free gutter guard. Certain types of moss, and debris will always be an issue to deal with. If your downspout plug into underground pipe then I would recommend purchasing @Leaf Relief. This product is sturdy and if it needs cleaned off it’s easy to take a blower or a small broom and clear it in minutes. It’s a lot easier to sweep off the @Leaf Relief Gutter Guard every now and then, than it is to clean out the gutters. @Leaf Relief is made by @Alcoa, now @Mastic, and is the only gutter guard I’ve installed that is backed by a ten year warranty. The warranty does include a refund if your downspouts or underground drain pipes clog. It is a good warranty and you can read it by clicking the link below and go to Literature. For the money @Leaf Relief offers the greatest protection for the greatest price! If you purchase Leaf Relief with new 6 inch gutters you can enjoy additonal savings! We’ve installed thousands of feet of this product without a single call back! Below is a picture of @Leaf Relief Gutter Guard. Check it out here at www.Leaf-Relief.com.

 

Feel free to ask any questions here on the forum or email JDotson@graceguttering.com. Free Estimates!



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