Do Gutter Guards Work Or Are They A Waste of Money?
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Written by: FTC Oury Group
If you struggle to maintain clean gutters at your house, gutter guards are designed to help. Gutter guards provide year-round gutter protection from pine needles and leaves, to help ensure a smooth flow through your gutters and into your yard. Gutter guards are an investment that can help homeowners avoid roof damage, attic leaks, and more.
If you're considering gutter guards for your home, it's important to understand how they work and what they do. Having all the information can help you decide if this is a good choice for you and your household. Here's what you need to know.
What Are Gutter Guards?
Gutter guards are a product that can be installed on gutters to prevent debris from entering the gutters and downspouts. Gutter guards can be installed by some gutter installation companies. These products are offered by different manufacturers and can take different forms. Here's what to know about your gutter guards.
Do Gutter Guards Make Homes Safer?
If you're a homeowner, you already know that gutter maintenance and roof health go hand in hand. Maintaining your gutters helps protect your roof. By installing gutter guards, you can help keep your gutters clear and avoid the inconvenience of cleaning your gutters one or two times per year. Gutter guards also serve some other important functions that make it easier to maintain your home.
Pest Prevention
Gutters can become nesting areas, drawing a variety of pests onto your property. They can also serve as a point of entry into your attic. Installing gutter guards prevents pests from accessing your gutters and can help stop pests from using your gutters as an access point into your attic.
Fire Protection
Gutters can accumulate a lot of yard debris that eventually dries out and becomes kindling in a fire. For homeowners who want to reduce their home's vulnerability to fires, gutter guards can keep gutters clear of debris.
Types of Gutter Guards
There are just as many gutter guard types as there are gutter styles. As a homeowner, this gives you choices and allows you to pick the type of gutter guard that is best for you.
Metal Screens
Metal screen gutter guards are easy to attach to gutters and can help keep the gutters clean. These metal screens can clog from time to time as debris gets caught in the mesh.
Micro Mesh
Micro mesh screens work like metal screens but with a much smaller mesh to prevent clogging. Micro mesh screens tend to work better than metal screens, but they're more challenging to install.
Sponge Guards
Sponge guards sit inside the gutters and prevent debris from entering the downspouts. Although easy to install, sponge guards can become clogged by small debris and can also harbor bacteria. Sponge guards can even act like soil, serving as a medium in which seeds can sprout.
Reverse Curve
Reverse curve and split gutters have an opening that allows water into the gutters. They're curved to prevent debris from clogging the slit, and the opening is small enough that debris can't make it into the gutters. Reverse curve gutters work well in normal rainstorms, but can't handle huge volumes of water.
Benefits of Gutter Guards
There are many benefits to gutter guards. They protect your home's gutters from many problems and can save you time and money.
Keep Gutters Debris Free
On many properties, gutters get clogged annually or even more often than once per year. Gutter guards can help keep gutters debris-free and can reduce the amount of maintenance that your gutters need. Instead of cleaning your gutters once or twice annually, you'll need to troubleshoot as needed, often less than every year.
Spend Less Time Cleaning
How many hours do you spend cleaning your gutters each year? You'll spend far less time cleaning your gutters when you have gutter guards.
Elevate Your Home's Curb Appeal
Overflowing gutters aren't just bad for your roof - they're also bad for your home's curb appeal. Installing gutter guards can keep your home looking its best, and can prevent the embarrassment of overflowing gutters during rain storms.
Prevent Costly Maintenance in the Future
Gutters can protect your home's attic and roof from water damage.
Drawbacks of Gutter Guards
Gutter guards aren't perfect. Below are some of the problems that people run into with the installation and maintenance of gutter guards.
Difficult & Costly to Install
The most effective types of gutter guards can be difficult to install, especially for DIYers. Many choose to pay a professional.
Many Don't Hold Up Well in Extreme Weather
Some types of gutter guards can't handle large volumes of water, which can lead to overflowing gutters.
May Void Roof Warranty
In some cases, installing gutter guards can void your roof's warranty. You may be able to avoid this problem by choosing the same company to install your roof and gutter guards.
Do Gutter Guards Completely Eliminate Maintenance?
Most gutter guards do not completely eliminate gutter maintenance. You can continue to reduce gutter maintenance by making other choices in your gutter installation. For example, seamless gutters require less maintenance than traditional gutters, because there are no seams in these gutters to cause clogs.
So, Are Gutter Guards Worth it?
Are gutter guards a waste of money? It's a question many homeowners ask themselves. Gutter guards that are properly installed can effectively keep gutters clear and can help your gutters continue to function for many seasons in a row. Choosing the right type of gutter guards for your home can help. It's best to hire professionals you trust to perform your gutter guard installation.
DIY or Hire Professionals?
Professional installation of your gutter guards helps ensure that your gutter guards will work well and do their job. Do gutter guards work? Yes. They do. Are they worth it? They can be if you hire the pros! Call FTC Oury Group to learn more about gutter guard installation for your home.
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