When the winds and the rains begin, you know the season for perching precariously on your ladder has begun. Hauling out vegetation from your gutters is no glamorous job - but someone has to do it, right?

Unprotected gutters attract all sorts of debris, and if you don’t remove it, it can have a lasting impact on the structural integrity and attractiveness of your home. Blocked gutters can cause all sorts of problems such as flooding, roof leaks, pest infestation, damaged exterior, foundation damage, mold, and structural rot.

Since your home was built, technology and manufacturing have come a long way. Now there are proven ways you can protect your home from needing costly and time-consuming repairs. While regularly taking your bucket up the ladder is still a valid choice, you might also consider investing in gutter guards that take care of the problems at the source.

But do gutter guards really make that much difference?

What Are Gutter Guards - And Why Should I Invest?

Gutter guards are protective coverings inserted into your gutters. Gutters are renowned for accumulating all sorts of particulate matter - especially during windy and rainy seasons - but using gutter guards helps prevent this material (leaves, twigs, litter, etc) from causing drainage problems.

Coming in different shapes, sizes, materials, costs, and maintenance levels, gutter guards are effective at reducing the amount of debris that makes it into your guttering system.

There are homeowners in Wisconsin who face challenges with blocked gutters, particularly those living near deciduous trees or in areas prone to extreme weather. Gutter guards can significantly reduce debris build-up, minimizing the need for frequent manual cleaning and protecting against weather-related damage caused by heavy rainfall or temperature extremes. For those needing good roof repair in Racine , addressing debris-related issues can help maintain a sturdy roof and functional gutters year-round. Likewise, if you live nearby and need Kenosha roofing contractors , they can provide expert guidance on strategies to safeguard your home from seasonal wear and tear, ensuring long-term protection.

Is There A Downside To Gutter Guards?

Gutter cleaning is a necessary chore - and some may find they need to do it more frequently than others. It depends on the local environment - particularly the types of trees nearby, as well as local weather patterns. If you often experience high winds and frequent rainfall and also live near leafy trees you may find that your gutters become clogged more often than a house on the other side of town.

So you may well consider investing in a product that claims to do the job for you.

As seen in the Four Leaf Roofing & Windows reviews, many homeowners discover a significant difference once their gutter guards have been installed. Yet, there are several online claims that gutter guards are not particularly effective.

Gutter guards come in multiple different forms. Some are mesh screens that are particularly effective at blocking larger debris items but can become overwhelmed easily when smaller debris pieces accumulate. Foam inserts are among the cheaper options - and can be self-installed - but the downside is that they are excellent breeding grounds for bacteria, mold, and insects.

Reverse curved options are durable, with a high degree of success keeping debris away - yet they require a significant amount of maintenance. Brush inserts, on the other hand, are like large pipe cleaners that can capture pine needles but fail when it comes to smaller debris.

When you’re considering making upgrades to your home and investing your hard-earned money in both convenience and structural integrity, it’s wise to wonder “What is the downfall of gutter guards?”

There are many types of gutter guards available, and choosing the right one depends on your specific needs and the conditions around your home. For expert guidance, consulting professional local roofers can be invaluable. If you are in the city and need advice from a great roofing company in Franklin , we can help you explore the most suitable options for your home while offering personalized solutions to keep your roof and gutters prepared for seasonal challenges.

Which Gutter Guard Will Suit Your Needs Best

To find out which gutter guard is likely to serve you best, you can speak with a professional for guidance. But if you would like to make your own analysis, first you need to consider the type of environment that you live in.

Is it always raining? Are the winds particularly strong in your region? Are there lots of trees nearby that shed their leaves frequently? Or perhaps it’s pine trees that deliver lots of needles to your gutters regularly?

The best gutter guard available for you will also need to take your budget into consideration - and the number of times you need to do a manual clean-up throughout the year.

• Mesh screens are usually fine metal or plastic sheets that fit over your gutter, great for blocking larger debris, but not good for smaller debris. This finer material can accumulate in the gutter and drains, leading to clogs and the need to manually clean more often than with other types.
• Reverse curves are more expensive than other options but they are good at keeping out a variety of debris sizes - however, they aren’t compatible with heavy rainfall and will become much less effective.
• Foam inserts fit inside the gutter, they’re porous and allow water to easily pass through while filtering debris out and keeping it away from the guttering and drainage holes. While this is an upfront low-budget solution, the costs long term will accumulate rapidly. The foam needs to be regularly replaced, creating excess waste, while you will also need to periodically budget for a full replacement. This method requires more frequent and intense cleaning to prevent a build-up of bacteria, mold, and insects from forming.
• Brush inserts are like foam inserts but they resemble large pipe cleaners instead. This solution works great for removing pine needles from your guttering but fails at removing finer matter (similar to mesh screens). Brushes need to be periodically removed and cleaned for hygiene and performance reasons.
• Micro-mesh is often made of steel and utilizes an ultra-fine mesh pattern to capture even the small debris. It’s very durable and requires far less overall maintenance than the other guard types. It is a more high-end option - but its performance and reliability make it worthwhile in the long term.

Do I Need To Clean My Gutters If I Have Gutter Guards?

The short answer is, yes. Unfortunately, a fully automated gutter cleaning system is still beyond our abilities at this moment.

However, you will find that (depending on the gutter guard system you choose) you need to do this job on fewer occasions to maintain the system.

On top of that, less intense work is required to achieve the same results.

On occasion, we do witness claims online that gutter guards don’t work, or are not worth the investment, simply because they still require some maintenance to function properly. What gutter guards are doing, especially micro-mesh guards such as the GutterRx system, is preventing blown, wet leaves, twigs, grit, sand, and other materials from accumulating in your gutters.

This prevents problems such as blockages causing water to pour down your walls which can lead to dampness and mould, or cracked foundations and other structural impacts. It prevents ice dams from forming in colder climates that can crack and damage your guttering, leading to expensive repairs. It might also increase the value of your home, as new buyers would appreciate the convenience and reduced need to manually haul rotting debris from the gutter regularly.

Why Not Just Clean The Gutters, Without a Gutter Guard?

Of course, it may be that the idea of investing in a gutter guard system AND still having to get the ladder out for a trip to the roof is off-putting. So, if you still have to clean and maintain your gutters - what’s the purpose in investing at all?

If you do the gutter cleaning yourself at the moment, you’ll find that a professionally installed, good-quality gutter guard system will reduce the amount of maintenance overall. Instead of laying awake during a particularly hard storm, wondering if you’re going to end up with a costly blockage, you can rest peacefully knowing that blockages are highly unlikely.

Have you discovered a drip from your gutters causing mud splashes up the wall? A gutter guard will prevent that type of blockage and help avoid water overflowing at non-drainage points.

You’ll probably also be thankful that you don’t have to deal with slimy, smelly rotten materials - from removal to disposal, gutter cleaning is a messy business but a guard will make the process much easier.

If you pay for a professional to regularly clean and maintain your gutters, you’ll save money in the long term by reducing the length of visits, as well as reducing the number of times you need their services.

Investing in high-grade guttering, with professional installation and warranty, looks good to potential buyers should you intend to sell your home in the future. It’s an investment you can take advantage of now, and also benefit from later. If you’re unsure where to start, learning how to hire the right roofers can ensure your project is handled by experienced professionals who deliver reliable results.

Manual Gutter Cleaning Versus Gutter Guard Installation: What’s The Best Long-Term Solution?

Even if you’re happy enough in the short-term to clean the gutters (or pay someone to do it for you) on a regular basis - looking to the long-term, is this something you want to be doing in the decades to come?

When you look at it with an eye on the long term, you could potentially save yourself a lot of headaches and anxiety in the wildly cold winters and excruciatingly hot summers…there’s enough to be concerned about during these extremes of weather without adding clogged or cracked gutters into the mix.

While gutter guards still require some maintenance, it’s considerably less than unprotected gutters. Problems are fewer and further between, and while you can’t quite put the chore out of mind forever, you can noticeably reduce the frequency and workload overall.

Four Leaf Roofing & Windows is qualified, certified, and insured to install high-grade GutterRx at a professional standard. If you would like more information on how a good quality gutter guard can impact your life, please give us a call at (414) 455 7661.