6October 2020
Debris in your gutters can cause unforeseen problems in other areas of your home such as rotting fascia and rust spots on your siding. Since most homeowner don’t want to get to the point where they have to put more money into other home repairs and they have gutters that keep getting full of debris, they may be looking at gutter guards as a possible solution to preventing these problems. Guess what, they will kind of solve your problem but will create other problems that for most are not worth the price or hassle.
So Do Gutter Guards Really Work?
First of all, there are many different brands, makes and designs out there. None of them are created equal and all of them perform a little differently.
Overall, however, they don’t solve the problem of gutters getting clogged or dirty completely. The problem with gutter guards, screens and covers is that they can’t keep everything out. Water carries dirt, granules from the roofing shingles, pine straw, and much more into the holes that are “supposed” to only allow water in them. In addition, the leaves, pine straw, sticks, debris, dirt, and moss can still collect on top of the gutter guards and screens. In fact, in some cases where a homeowner has gutter guards in place, a gutter cleaning company will charge more to clean the gutters.
Why the increase in price?
The price increase is mostly due to the fact that In order to do a thorough clean out, gutter cleaning companies have to uninstall all the gutter guards and then install them back (if the customer still wants them). If they don’t have gutter guards or screens, they can simply clean them and be gone but it takes 3 to 4 times longer if they have gutter guards.
The Truth About Gutter Guards
Since gutter guards have been introduced, 1,000s of homes have had them installed. However, there isn’t really a gutter cover product that can be recommended 100% from an honest contractor, at least with the promise that you will never have to clean out your gutters.
This means, therefore, that there are products that do keep debris out but when you take into account how much they cost, their maintenance cost, and other factors it really isn’t in the best interest of the home owner to get gutter guards. Of course all home owners have different scenarios they must take into account before making their final decision.