Even gutter guards made of fine stainless steel mesh will eventually become clogged. LeafGuard features an ingenious design that takes advantage of the principle of surface tension. When water meets the hood of the system, it flows around the curved edge and enters the gutter channel. Meanwhile, leaves and debris meet the hood and bounce, leaving the gutters free of obstructions.
Installed correctly, an effective gutter protection option such as LeafGuard eliminates the need to clean gutters by preventing clogs from forming in the first place. We sell and install gutter screens, but stopped selling a top-of-the-line solid deck gutter guard. These systems allow debris to be in the gutters, allow water to spill out the top of the gutters when it rains heavily (which could cause water in the basement), and allow for blockages. The screens we sell will prevent large debris from entering, but will allow a significant amount of small debris to enter the gutters.
This debris will cause clogs over time and can even grow plants in gutters. As such, even with screens, gutters should be cleaned regularly. After cleaning the gutter, they also clean the area under the gutters to make sure there is no dirt left. Spring cleanups help remove any debris in gutters from winter storms, while fall cleanups remove fallen leaves and debris that might have accumulated in summer storms.
If you've never installed a gutter guard before, it can be a time-consuming process that can take hours, if not an entire weekend, to install it on your property. Gutter guards that attach to roof shingles with nails or other accessories may void the roof warranty, meaning you risk covering any damage to the roof. Fortunately, a set of products known as gutter guards can reduce or almost eliminate your need. Gutter guards and similar products provide a convenient way to prevent some debris from entering the gutters, but do not prevent you from having to clean them.
A brush gutter guard, for example, works like a giant pipe cleaner, trapping the leaves in the brush so they don't get stuck in the bottom of the gutter. As gutters become clogged, water can build up under the shingles and cause roof leaks and damage. These solid or “round nose” systems work on the principle of operating voltage, but once the dirty water simply flies out of the system, not into the gutter. My first experience with Ned Stevens after using another gutter cleaner for years that wasn't doing a good job, so I looked for a change.
While you may think that you won't need to re-clean the gutters when you have them installed, keep in mind that this is not accurate.
