Will it protect your gutters?
Gutter Guard seems like a good idea. Who wouldn’t want to guard their gutters?
But the more you read up on it, the more opposing opinions you find. Some say it’s great and others claim it’s a waste of money.
So let’s try to cut through some of the noise and try to make things a little less… muddy!
Does Gutter Guard actually work? Should you install it on your roof?
We hope we can help you figure that out by the end of this article.
What is gutter guard?
Gutter guard is mesh or other material placed over or inserted in your roof gutters to stop leaves, debris, and pests from entering while allowing water to flow through.
Suppliers promote that it reduces blockages and the need for frequent cleaning.
Does it actually work?
The short answer is – sort of.
Gutter Guard does prevent leaves and debris from getting in the gutters – in the short term.
But it doesn’t prevent the Gutters from filling up.
While it may take longer for the Gutters to block up, when it does, it will clog worse.
The reason
The reason is that the gutters will fill up with silt and dirt which will block water flow and prematurely rust out your gutters worse than just leaves.
Leaves sitting on top of the mesh break down and turn into mush or silt, wind borne dust and dirt, small seeds and droppings from trees, all get through the mesh and eventually block up gutters.
Once installed, people often think, “now I don’t need to worry about my gutters anymore.”
But the truth is, they still do need to be cleaned. Maybe less frequently, but leaving your gutters filled with dirt and silt will cause more long term damage to the gutters than just leaves.
Cleaning with gutter guard
The other thing to take into consideration is that cleaning gutters with Gutter Guard fitted takes a lot more work.
Depending on the type of Gutter Guard you have installed, it can double or more the time and cost to clean them each time.
Because it can make it much more difficult, some Gutter Cleaning companies don’t lift the Gutter Guard to clean and just blow off over the top leaving the dirt build up inside.
Tip: If you do have Guard on the Gutters, check if your Gutter Cleaner has quoted to lift them and clean them out and then ask for photos afterwards to verify.
Types of gutter guard
There are different types of Gutter Guard and products on the market.
Some of them are more effective than others.
Some clog up worse than if there were no Gutter Guard at all. Some of them warp. And some of them make it extremely difficult to remove and clean.
Without running through every product on the market to explain the pros and the cons, we recommend, if you do decide to use Gutter Guard, to install the fine aluminium mesh type.
Of all of the products on the market it is the most effective in keeping leaves and debris out, it is one of the easier ones to lift for cleaning and does not warp like some of the plastic types.
Do you need it?
Based on the above reasons, we usually recommend that our clients do not have Gutter Guard installed.
Instead, we recommend simply having your gutters cleaned periodically.
Gutter cleaning, or any house maintenance, is unavoidable and there is no perfect system.
It is better to just recognise its one of those things that needs doing, and to schedule it in.
The exception
The only exception to this may be in extreme cases where owners have many large trees overhanging the roof and regular cleaning is practically unmanageable.
We have had clients who, due to the location of their property, have Gutters that fill up every three weeks. In such a case, trying to keep them clean may be not practical.
Gutter Guard, in this case, may be helpful, but we recommend only having it installed on those sections where the leaves are actually collecting.
If some of the Gutters are not collecting leaves, leave it off those sections.
Gutter Guard or not, regular cleaning will still be required.
How often to clean
Every property is different.
Some houses may need cleaning every 3-6 months. Some once a year. Some may be okay for longer periods between cleans.
The key is knowing how often your gutters need to be cleaned.
We recommend having someone clean the gutters and then scheduling (preferably the same person) 6 months or 1 year later to come and clean them again.
Even if it was a different person the second time, ask them to get photos of all before the clean and also ask them for feedback on which gutters were full and how full they were.
You might need to do this a few times or check on different seasons. You should be able to get a gauge on which gutters are filling up and how quickly they are filling up and be able to schedule cleans accordingly.
Tip: These days, a drone may also be helpful for keeping an eye on your gutters and roof.
Tip: Try to also find roofers and gutter cleaners who are helpful and forthcoming with information about your roof and suggestions and recommendations.
There are ways to stay on top of your gutter and roof maintenance without compromising your own safety climbing ladders.
End note
We hope this was helpful in understanding gutter health and making the right decision about installing Gutter Guard.
This information is general and may or may not apply to your specific situation.
For any questions or advice on your roof, gutters or situation feel free to get in touch with our team for an assessment.
For any gutter cleaning enquiries or quotes call or message us on the contact details below.
Need your gutters cleaned? Our maintenance division, Sky Dog Gutter Care, cleans gutters properly, guard or no guard. Read more on our gutter cleaning and maintenance page.
