We call them gutter guards, but they're also called gutter covers, leaf guards, leaf filters, inserts, or screens. They've become even more popular in recent years, thanks to a few national brands that spend heavily on advertising. All of these products share the same goal; to prevent debris from entering the gutter and thereby theoretically end the need for gutter maintenance forever. Sound too good be to true? Well, it kind of is. A high quality gutter guard can absolutely reduce the number of cleanings necessary, but it's important to know from the beginning that some maintenance will always be required and that there are drawbacks — and most importantly, that you get what you pay for.
First and foremost, know that whatever our local hardware store sells is junk. Every week, we remove crappy broken guards that someone spent hard earned money on the year or two before but that have quickly collapsed and become not just ineffective but often have caused additional issues that weren't there before. If you're serious about purchasing gutter guards, be sure to go through a reputable provider or one of the major national brands. Avoid plastic like it's a plague; all plastic guards will photodegrade and break in a few years time.
Secondly, understand that nearly all gutters with gutter guards will still require maintenance eventually. Shingle grit, which falls from your roof, is one of the primary causes of clogs in our area and very few guards can prevent this from accumulating. Shingle grit is difficult for gutters to clear themselves of even without guards, but it's nearly impossible with the massively reduced flow underneath covered guards. This debris can and will eventually build up to a point where it impedes flow on its own, and it can even provide a bed for plants to grow out of. The guards will also collect debris on top that needs to be cleared — especially helicopter seeds and pine needles. The work required to service gutters that have guards installed is likely to cost more than it did prior to installation, due to the extra work required to remove, stow, and replace the guards.
Third, keep in mind that your gutters are there for a reason. Each year here in Indianapolis, even a moderately sized 1700 square foot roof will be blasted by well over 52,000 gallons of water. That's a ton — actually it's 220 tons — of water that you really, really don't want to end up anywhere but way the heck away from your house. Your gutters are meant to collect and divert this water safely away so that it doesn't rot the structure of your home. When you add covers of any kind to the gutters, you are impeding this collection process and there's a good chance that water may flow over the entire gutter in the heaviest storms.
Lastly, there's the cost. Gutter guards are not likely to generate a financial return for you. They are an investment in convenience and will very likely reduce the number of times you need to hire a gutter cleaner or get up on your roof yourself, but the high cost of quality gutter guards is so much higher than simple cleaning that the payoff will be many, many years away. A home where a gutter cleaning costs less than $150 could easily spend $3000 or more on quality gutter covers. That's potentially 20+ years worth of gutter cleanings! The likelihood they'll go maintenance-free that long is very slim, and many homeowners will need to clear the tops of the guards each and every year. Those costs, even just a couple of times, could stretch your return on investment to decades. Will you even still live there in 20 years, let alone 30 or more?
So do recommend them, or not? If you have a bottomless bank account, or you already need more than three gutter cleanings per year, gutter guards are worth taking a look at. For most of the rest of us, they're probably not worth the investment. Our general recommendation is to simply stick with an inexpensive gutter cleaning once or twice a year.
There are many lovely, professional gutter guard companies out there. Their products serve a purpose, and do reduce the need for routine gutter cleaning. It's just important to realize that they rarely eliminate it altogether, and most homeowners won't see a return on investment for decades or more…if ever. It's an investment in minor convenience, not one that shows a worthwhile return. Guard installation is hugely profitable, and honestly, if we believed in them we'd be selling them ourselves. But we've seen too many fail to feel comfortable putting our name behind them. They're not junk — they're just overpriced and a bit overhyped for what they actually deliver.
But hey, of course we'd say that, right? Thanks for reading!