Gutter guards are an engineering marvel

If you’re sick and tired of your gutters clogging up just after they’ve been cleaned and aren’t looking forward to that long climb up the ladder to take care of it yourself, gutter guards might be exactly the solution you’ve been looking for.

These marvels of engineering are simple but effective at keeping your gutters free of leaves and debris that cause clogging, which in turn can lead to leaking gutters and a host of other headaches.

Let’s take a look at what gutter guards are, how they work, and why they might be perfect for your home.

What are gutter guards?

Though there are several different types of gutter guards, ranging from DIY guards made from chicken wire, to professionally installed seamless gutter guards that lay flush with your gutters, they all serve the same purpose: to keep leaves and debris out of your gutters. They accomplish this task in a variety of different ways. The most common types of gutter guards are metal mech, gutter brushes, and full surface tension covers. The premise is the same for all of these different types of gutter guards: They block leaves while letting water pass through them and into the gutter to be diverted away from your home.

Who would benefit from gutter guards?

People who live in heavily wooded areas usually find them to be a godsend. Especially come fall, many gutters are so quickly and regularly overwhelmed with leaves that they opt to have gutter guards installed. If you are finding yourself in a situation where you need to have your gutters cleaned every couple of weeks instead of every few months, gutter guards would probably pay for themselves pretty quickly.  If the amount of debris that clogs your gutters is out of control, gutter guards are likely right for you.

If you aren’t in a heavily wooded area but still have regular issues with clogged and leaking gutters you might have an issue with improperly pitched gutters. This means that your gutter might not have been installed properly or has shifted over time so that instead of being diverted with a slight slope, your gutter is more or less even and flush with the roof so that the water just pools there. This problem is only exacerbated by leaves and detritus, and a gutter guard could be a great way to prevent clogs.

Likewise, if you live in an area that gets a substantial amount of rain, gutter guards are likely a wise investment because it is in your best interest to keep water flow as unobstructed as possible.

They are also remarkably unobtrusive, usually being barely visible from the ground.

How much do they cost?

Gutter guards are nowhere close to the most expensive home improvement project. Metal mesh and slotted gutter guards are a great choice because they are not prohibitively expensive, and do a great job of stopping leaves. 

That being said, we don’t recommend this as a DIY project for a couple of reasons. First, anything having to do with your gutters is probably best left to a professional contractor. Climbing ladders and working with tools is dangerous and not worth risking injury. Second, properly measuring and cutting the gutter guard requires tools and experience that you likely don’t have. A single mistake could end up costing you way more than you would be saving on labor costs.

If you think that gutter guards might be just what you need, don’t hesitate to give DanDan the Gutter Man a call. We’ll have you set up in no time at all and at a rate that can’t be beat.