While we sometimes overlook our gutters, they protect our homes from problems like water damage. Your gutter system’s main function is to redirect water from your roof. While gutter systems are highly effective, especially stainless steel, they can still suffer from blockages.
It’s best to pair your gutter system with gutter leaf protection, gutter guards, and covers. This guide explores these protection features in more depth.
Do Gutter Guards Work?
Installing gutter guards to your existing guttering system can provide many benefits. Unfortunately, gutters can quickly accumulate substances like:
- Dirt and grime
- Roof runoff
- Pine needles
- Leaves
- Twigs and small branches
Without regular gutter cleaning, this excess debris can cause your gutters to pull away, collapse, or create water damage. Clogged gutters can also be a hotspot for pests and mold spores.
Frequent gutter cleaning can become inconvenient, especially if your home has many trees around or you live in an area with a lot of rain. Fortunately, gutter covers and guards can provide gutter leaf protection. While they can’t fully prevent gutter damage, they definitely minimize risks.
How Do These Gutter Covers Work?
Gutter screens, helmets, or covers go over your gutters, preventing debris from entering. They also let your home drain rainwater better and can save you time and money in the long run.
While gutters won’t 100% prevent water damage or similar issues, they do provide far more protection than exposed gutters.
Ultimately, the only real drawbacks of gutter covers are that they’re not always the most attractive and are visible from the ground. They can also make cleaning your gutters harder.
Lastly, certain gutter guards can void your roof’s warranty, so you should consult with a professional before installation.
What Types of Gutter Guards Are Available?
Different gutter leaf protection systems exist, including the following:
Micro Mesh Gutter Guards
Micro mesh gutter guards come in various qualities. For example, at the lower end, you have soft vinyl plastic that holds a mesh cloth using glue. Unfortunately, this glue quickly separates, but higher-quality meshes feature hard plastic with metal inserts.
While cost-effective, these gutter guards aren’t the best solution, especially lower-end ones that you can find at your local hardware store.
Vinyl and Metal Gutter Screens
You can choose vinyl and metal gutter screens in different colors. Metal screens also feature galvanized steel or aluminum and can have a black rubber coating, making them more durable.
Surface Tension Gutter Guards
Reverse-curve or surface tension gutter guards use surface tension to transport rainwater over your curve and inside your gutters. They can also push out leaves and similar debris, preventing clogs. Unfortunately, these guards aren’t always best for very heavy rainstorms.
Gutter Foam Inserts
The two main advantages of gutter foam inserts are that they’re not visible from the ground and are very cheap. Unfortunately, its sponge-like material is highly ineffective, so we recommend a different option.
Call Custom Cut Gutters
Many gutter leaf protection systems exist, and our Custom Cut Gutters crew can help you pick the correct one.
NW Iowa and SW Minnesota residents can call our expert team today at 712-262-1013 to learn more about gutter guards!