The Best Gutter Guards for Less Gutter Maintenance

Gutter guards are very invaluable and effective tools. They prevent your gutters from clogging up with unwanted items like twigs, leaves, and other debris, allowing water to flow through them as it should. They are especially useful during the autumn when trees naturally lose their leaves.

A gutter guard is a very effective investment and saves you from climbing up a ladder several times a year to clean out your gutters. While it doesn't eliminate the need for maintenance, it reasonably reduces the amount of time it takes for debris to build up in your gutters.

There are different types of gutter guards available on the market and they usually come in a wide range of colors, materials, and sizes to suit your needs.

Below, we have examined a few of the factors that you will ideally need to examine before you make a purchase. Let’s check them out.

What are things to consider when buying gutter guards?

Here are some of the main factors you should consider before making a final purchasing decision when you are in the market for a fitting gutter guard:

Ease of installation

This should be one of the major factors you should check out before selecting the kind of gutter guard you want for your home. You have to decide between a temporary guard that you can easily install and set up yourself without professional assistance, or a more permanent solution that requires help from a professional. If you’re choosing to install them yourself, will the guards require tools you don’t have? Is it a one-person job? These are important things to think about before choosing a DIY or professional installation.

Size

When you are out to buy a gutter guard, you need to consider what size of gutters you have to avoid purchasing guards that do not fit. The gutter widths that you are most likely to come across are five, six, and seven inches. Seven-inch gutters are rarer than the other two and are usually only used in locations that get a lot of rain. You always have to be sure that you got the right size of gutter guards before buying – to do this you’ll need to measure your gutters first.

Appearance

If you are the kind of person that places a lot of stock in how their home appears from the outside, a very aesthetically and visually pleasing gutter guard may be a non-negotiable factor for you. In a situation like this, it is best to opt for a gutter guard that comes in a wide range of colors so that you can match it to the finishes of your home’s exterior or one that can’t be seen from down below altogether.

Most guards lie flat above the gutters, so they aren’t seen all too often anyways. However, some are designed to blend in seamlessly with your shingles. Consider if you want your gutter guards to be purely functional or if you want them to serve a design purpose as well.

What are the types of gutter guards available?

Here are some common types of gutter guards you’ll come across, as well as some of their advantages and disadvantages.

Screen gutter guards

Screen gutter guards are quite affordable and easy to install on your own. They are installed by raising the bottom row of roof shingles and sliding the edge of the screen underneath it. Their simple design effectively prevents leaves and other large debris from accumulating and damaging your gutters and roof. Water can still flow through the screen so it accumulates and flows through the gutter without being blocked. If installed improperly, these gutter guards do have the tendency to be blown off in very windy conditions. They may also grow brittle and weaken with time.

Mesh guards

Mesh guards are a bit pricier and more sophisticated to install than screen guards. Their holes are smaller, and as a result, they tend to prevent more debris from clogging your gutters. These kinds of guards are typically made of metal or plastic and are usually installed by slipping them under the bottom row of your roof shingles, by snapping directly onto the top of the gutter, or by attaching a fastener to the fascia. Mesh guards tend to be affected by extreme weather conditions and some varieties of them are flimsy and can be easily torn or damaged by these conditions such as snow or ice.

Micro-mesh guards

Micro-mesh guards are similar to mesh guards. They possess holes in them to prevent the accumulation of debris and let water flow freely through. The major difference is that the holes in these kinds of guards are even smaller— effectively enabling them to keep out more debris. Micro-mesh guards are a long-term solution to the problem of roof debris but usually cost more than DIY solutions. They also require little maintenance aside from occasionally cleaning piled-up debris.

Foam gutter guards

This type of gutter guard also falls within the cheap and easy-to-install category. All they require is that you stick the wedge of foam in your gutter to keep out the large debris. Foam gutter guards may prevent the gutters from filling up with debris, but the debris can sometimes build up on top of the guards. This is one of its major disadvantages, that along with the fact that the guards have to be removed completely to be cleaned. And, because they're made of foam, they won't last that long compared to the aluminum mesh guards.

Reverse curve (surface tension) gutter guards

Unlike the other types of gutter guards that allow water to flow through the gutter, this gutter guard directs the water to flow over the gutter and around a downward curve before finally flowing into the gutter beneath. This mechanism prevents the leaves from entering the gutters and resting there. Reverse curve gutter guards are usually more difficult to install because they need to be positioned at the same angle as your roof. If your house possesses a steep roof, things could get a little tricky, so it may be best to call a professional. They are also quite pricy and can be seen from the ground below so they don't blend in seamlessly with your home.

Brush gutter guards

These guards look like large pipe cleaners that fit into your gutter. When brush gutter guards are in place, large pieces of debris collect on top instead of falling into the gutter, and water flows through to the gutter and out the gutter spout. While brush gutter guards may be easy to install, they tend to hang on to smaller debris, such as pine needles in their bristles. To get these pieces out, you’ll usually need to completely remove the guard to shake them out which may be bothersome.

Gutter Guards FAQs

Q: What are gutter guards usually made of?

A: Gutter guards are usually commonly made of one of these materials: aluminum, metal or nylon mesh, and plastic. Each of these materials has its advantages and disadvantages. Plastic, for example, is usually more affordable than the other two materials but does not last as long. Aluminum and mesh materials last longer than plastic, but aluminum is lightweight and prone to movement in the wind. Mesh gutter guards require the most maintenance.

There are, of course, more materials out there, such as the brush or foam gutter guards mentioned previously. These are more inexpensive options but won’t last as long as the stronger materials like aluminum, metal, or mesh.

Q: Are gutter guards worth it?

A: Yes, absolutely. While they may require the occasional maintenance, gutter guards do not need to be cleaned as much as bare gutters – this makes them the perfect solution for someone that detests climbing a ladder to clean out their gutters a few times every year.

Q: Do I really need gutter guards?

A: Not all homeowners actually require gutter guards. In a situation where your house is in an empty area without large trees within a 50-yard radius, debris won’t be an issue. But when your area has trees that are close enough to either drop debris onto the roof or have their leaves blown into the gutters by the wind, then gutter guards may be beneficial. They will prevent any major blockages in the gutters and reduce the need to frequently clean them out.