Fall ushers in one of the most beautiful seasons, with trees displaying their stunning colors and coating the ground in a rainbow of dazzling leaves. Those leaves, while beautiful on the ground, can play havoc with a home’s exterior by clogging the gutters and downspouts.
Birds also have a bad habit of nesting in gutters and pine needles and sticks can clog gutters during any season of the year.
There is a way to say goodbye to clogged gutters and protect your gutter system.
Gutter guards are a way to keep your gutters free of debris and ensure that water flows off the roof and away from the home’s exterior.
Keeping your gutters free of debris is important. If you collected two inches of rain that fell in one day from the roof of your 1,625 sq. ft. home you would have collected 2,025 gallons of water.1
If your gutters are full of debris, those 2,025 gallons of water would end up pooling at the foundation of you home, seeping into the foundation materials and possibly infiltrating your basement or crawl-space.
So Many Options for Gutters
Gutter guards come in a variety of materials including vinyl, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), steel, aluminum and copper.2 Gutter guards also come in a variety of configurations including screen, surface tension or reverse-curve, brush and foam.3
The screen type of gutter guard is just like the screens on your windows. Made of perforated plastic or metal, screens strain debris off and allow water to flow into the gutter below. The size of the holes in the screen dictate what is allowed to pass through to the gutter. Fine mesh does the best job of keeping pine needles, pollen and shingle grit out of the gutter. Screen gutters are the most affordable but last only about six years.4
Surface tension or reverse-curve gutter guards are shaped like a hood over the gutter with a small opening for water to enter. They are designed to allow debris to slide right off the top of the gutter guard. While more expensive than screen-type gutter guards, the surface tension guards can last up to 20 years.5
The brush gutter guard is less common. They look like baby bottle cleaning brushes when placed inside your gutters where the bristles catch debris so water can flow into the gutters. If kept clean brush gutter guards can last for 10 years.6
The rarest form of gutter guard is the foam gutter guard. They are similar to the brush gutter guards in that foam is installed inside the gutter with the foam acting as a strainer to catch fine debris. Foam gutter guards can last 5-10 years depending on the climate where they are installed.7
Gutter Installation, Maintenance, and Service
Most experts recommend that gutters without gutter guards be cleaned a minimum of twice each year. Installing gutter guards can cut the maintenance down to just a simple inspection twice a year. While basic gutter guards generally keep large debris like leaves and twigs out of your gutters, the screens in these guards still enable small dirt particles to enter the gutter.8
Over time these dirt particles accumulate and can clog the gutter. The more expensive micromesh style gutter guards are less likely to allow any debris to accumulate in the gutters. Micromesh gutter guards should be inspected every two years and cleaned if necessary.9
Get impeccable gutter installation and leaf protection from the home improvement services of Excel Home Improvement in Romulus. Your home’s exterior is our specialty which means that we install everything from gutters to siding and roofs.
Our roof installation and siding services are the best in Romulus and the surrounding areas due to our skilled and professional crew. We use the highest quality products that are built to last, and guarantee our work. We promise to exceed your expectations so that you can feel good about improving your home knowing it will last. If your Michigan home needs new siding, gutters, trim or a new roof, contact us today and schedule a Free Estimate.
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1 Ask the Builder: Are Gutters and Downspouts Necessary? by Tim Carter, 1/9/2021
Link: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jan/09/ask-the-builder-are-gutters-and-downspouts-necessa/
2 Benefits of Gutter Guards that Only the Pros Know About by Erika Cruz, 8/18/2017
Link: https://nedstevensli.com/gutter-guards-benefits/
3, 4, 5, 6, 7 How Long Do Gutters Last? (Expected Lifespan By Type) by Ben Esman, 1/18/2024
Link: https://mybackyardlife.com/how-long-do-gutters-last/#:~:text=Choosing%20the%20proper%20gutter%20guards%20is%20as%20crucial
8, 9 How to Clean Gutters with Gutter Guards by Jouviane Alexandre, 3/19/2024
Link: https://www.angi.com/articles/do-gutter-guards-mean-no-more-cleaning.htm