Dirty, disgusting, decomposing debris.
That’s what’s sitting in your gutters right now. If left alone, besides being a smelly mess, it can cause your gutters to clog and overflow, and when gutters can’t do their job properly, that is, move water away from your home, it leads to a multitude of expensive problems such as mold, foundation cracks, leaky doors and windows, flooded basements, and more.
Your gutters need to be cleaned often, to remove the muck and leaves and sticks and whatever else makes its way up there. So you drag your rickety ladder out of your garage, prop it up against the side of your house, put on some work gloves that are waterproof (hopefully!), and climb…
Your life doesn’t have to be this way.
Not only is having a gutter professional clean out your gutters a less smelly and less dangerous way to go, but also a gutter technician can install gutter guards, or leaf protection, that can keep debris from building up in the first place, making your life a heck of a lot easier.
There are several styles of leaf protection to choose from, each with their own pros and cons:
Perforated Aluminum Guards
For leaves, these are a good solution. Perforated Aluminum Guards are sheets of aluminum punched with holes to let water come through and keep leaves out. They sit flat in the gutter and allow water to run down the roof and into the gutter.
Solid Gutter Covers
Also called Reverse Curve Gutter Guards, this type of guard goes above the gutter and its unique curved design allows water to flow over and into the gutter as any debris falls to the ground below. They work very well for homes where trees don’t hang over the roof shedding a lot of leaves. “Tassels” that oak trees shed and pine needles may stick to the surface area of the water and make it into the gutter opening instead of falling off. If the gutter becomes clogged, the water will flow over the gutter guard and directly onto the siding or the ground where it will puddle and cause damage. These types of solid guards are installed under your roof shingles so if you don’t like them, you’ll have to have them professionally removed. Additionally, if you have your gutters cleaned, these covers will need to be removed which makes the process more time-consuming.
Micromesh Gutter Guards
Michromesh guards work well to keep nearly everything out of your gutters. They use a fine, stainless steel mesh that is installed on top of the gutter like perforated guards. The fine screens keep out even small material like pine needles from clogging the gutters. The micromesh is attached to a PVC or aluminum frame. The aluminum framework works better because PVC has a tendency to expand and contract during extreme periods of heat or cold.
Foam Guards
Foam guards are a cheaper leaf protection solution. They are long foam inserts that are set inside the gutter allowing water to flow in while keeping debris out. Installing them is simply a matter of cutting them to the length of your gutters and dropping them in the gutter. The foam material often deteriorates relatively quickly in the beating sun and freezing temperatures.
Brush Guards
Brush guards are another inexpensive, yet ineffective type of leaf protection. They consist of long tubes of brush bristles that are placed in the gutter. Debris tends to stick to the bristles which is the opposite of what you want in leaf protection.
GutterPros is a full-service gutter company that specializes in commercial gutters, copper gutters, and leaf protection. Our technicians can clean and inspect your gutters and install the right leaf protection that will make your life easier. Call Gutter Pros at (314)656-7195 and schedule an appointment today.