Do Gutter Guards Really Work?
Keep Rain Water Flowing Away From the Home through Downspouts
Aug 17, 2008
This is the dilemma and the design challenge – allow rain water to be properly routed, while keeping out leafs, tree flower buds, evergreen pine needles, and seed pods. An additional concern is snow and ice build-up in the winter.
Common Gutter Designs, What Works and What Doesn't - Big Holes
One popular design uses round holes while another uses diamond shaped knockouts. Both of these are reasonably effective although they still demand cleaning four times a year or so. The debris that accumulates on top of the guard should be able to be blown off by the wind.
So what this boils down to is this: which shape of hole is better at not snagging and “trapping” leafs? This interesting geometry question in turn depends on the nature of the debris. A maple leaf is much different than a pine needle.
The Micro-Mesh Approach
The micro-mesh approach does a better job overall. The basic theory is the same but smaller holes allow for less trapping and better cleaning by the wind. A company called Gutter Glove makes this type of product.
The mesh itself is stainless steel and the frame itself is aluminum, so rust isn't an issue.
Slotted Systems
These systems use a slot rather than holes or a mesh. The idea is that the water flows across the surface and enters the gutter via a slot. The problem is that this doesn't really exclude debris as well as a mesh; it just alters the shape of the entry point.
Once again, whether these house gutters will work well for a homeowner depends on the debris that is likely to accumulate. Waterloove is one manufacturer of this style as is Gutterguard.
Buyer Beware
Many of these companies will advertise their products as being maintenance-free but common logic dictates that this cannot be so. If that claim is made, credibility suffers. Gutter guard systems are not a total solution, they're a labor reducer.
Pay Attention to the Downspout
Don't neglect the rain gutter downspout. If it clogs up (and it will), it doesn't matter what technology is installed on the fascia; the thing will overload and massive damage is possible. It's easy to flush out a downspout with a high pressure garden hose sprayer or a plumbing snake in a real problem situation.
This is not something to be tackled on the fly, when a tropical storm or hurricane blows through it's too late to get things moving.
The choice of gutter style, gutter leaf guard, downspout, and rain water routing should all be considered together if possible.
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