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That’s the sound of your gutter guards failing to protect your home during a rainstorm. At Ned Stevens, we’ve done countless hours of gutter cleaning on homes with and without gutter guards, and and we’re here to tell you:
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Gutter guards and screens are a poor replacement for gutter cleaning and maintenance but are often sold like the miracle cure. If you want gutters free of debris that protect your home and foundation from water damage, there’s no substitute for gutter cleaning.
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We’re all about keeping gutters clean and clear of debris. To understand more about these systems, we’ve tested a lot of them on our own homes. Believe us… if there was a product out there that worked and would make life easier for our customers, we would offer it!
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In this Article:
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Gutter Guard Myths Busted
The importance of clean gutters can’t be underestimated. Gutters are responsible for safeguarding so many aspects of your home’s health from the roof all the way to the basement and foundation. The problem with keeping gutters clean is that it’s not an easy task. As gutters are attached to the roof of a home, they are almost always out of reach of any kind of servicing without the help of a ladder and working with ladders can be tricky and very dangerous.
Because of the known effort and high degree of difficulty it takes for owners to clean gutters without the help of a service, many products have come to market that claim to make the task of gutter cleaning easier or even eliminate gutter cleaning altogether. You may have seen ads for various kinds of gutter guards that make a lot of claims but can they be true? Read on as Ned Stevens busts several myths promoted by the gutter guard industry.
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The main selling point of gutter guard systems is that they eliminate the need to clean your gutters. The unfortunate hard truth is that no matter what the gutter guard system you might read about or see advertised, there is no way to keep debris out of your gutters. A gutter guard will never save you from having to clean your gutters, which is bad enough in its own right since that’s the gutter guard’s main purpose. On top of that, since gutter guards companies give the impression that guards give you peace of mind from dealing with clogs and obstructions, you may be less likely to regularly check your gutters, not to mention having them cleaned, leading to debris build-up over time and eventual gutter failure. Your gutter guard purchase meant to give you peace of mind when it comes to your gutters has instead lead to an expensive headache.
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Gutter guard companies make the claim that since gutter guards protect your gutters from clogs, there will be no possible or actual damage to your gutter system and your home. As we’ve stated above, since there is no way to keep pine needles, small twigs and leaves from falling into your gutters, there will be clogs and eventual gutter failure. With this will always come the possibility of damage to your home’s walls, roof, siding, basement and foundation. On top of this, some gutter guard systems actually create overflow in heavy rain with or without clogs. Now the expensive system you’ve purchased and installed for the only purpose of making your gutters work efficiently has rendered them totally ineffective.
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Despite claims made by gutter guard companies, gutter guards can in fact impede water flow, backing up your gutters and causing water to possibly spill down your home’s walls. While gutter guards may filtering out most large debris, they often leave behind small needles, leaves and seeds which can, over time, collect to form a thick layer of mud and muck at the bottom of your home’s gutter. For this reason, gutter guards can make your gutters more susceptible to rotting and even mold. This smelly, unhygienic mess then has to be cleaned out, defeating the purpose of having a preventative system in the first place. What’s worse is that gutter cleaning, even by professionals, becomes a much more difficult, dangerous and arduous task with gutter guards in place as they need to be removed in order to restore your gutters to their proper working condition.
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Gutter guards offer an attractive solution to the problem of having to pay for a service to regularly maintain and clean your home’s gutter system. Over time, however, the failure of gutter guards to keep out debris and clogs making regular service a necessity anyway means that you will have incurred unnecessary expenses. Additionally, gutter guards themselves often need to be installed by dealers which can run 8 to 10 dollars a foot and may need to be replaced every few years. Compared to employing a gutter guard cleaning company that knows your home’s needs and regularly takes care of and maintains your gutters, guards can be a much more expensive route to take when protecting your home from the elements.
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Aside from the fact that no gutter guard can protect your gutters from having to be regularly cleaned and maintained, gutter guards can’t offer a permanent solution to debris getting into your gutters because they can be damaged and break. Many so-called gutter guard solutions are made with materials that do not hold up in extreme temperatures and may have to be repaired or replaced with some frequency.
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Gutter Guards and screens are no substitute for a gutter cleaning plan. Get a FREE Quote today.
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Types of Gutter Guards
Every type of gutter guard, no matter what type, works under the same principle that their device creates a physical barrier that blocks debris from getting into your gutters. Each system claims to have a different approach to keeping debris out of your gutters, yet remains just one more variant on the same barrier idea that attempts to keep debris out of your gutter so you won’t have to clean your gutter system. Ultimately, each system has its own drawbacks and will never be able to keep your gutters completely free of debris and clogs.
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Brush guards, sometimes called bottle brush guards, quite literally look like the circular bristly brushes you use to clean your water bottles. Heavy bristles set in a circular shape are sized to fit your gutters such that they fill the entirety of your gutters and allow water to free flow around and through them. Bottle brush guard companies claim that leaves and other larger debris will pass over the brush profile while smaller debris is broken down by the bristles which allows this debris to either blow off the top of your gutter or get washed away with the runoff.
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Similarly, foam or sponge guards also fill your gutters to block debris, however these guards are shaped to conform to the inside of each gutter. Made of an open-cell polyurethane or foam insert, these guards are not always flame retardant which can pose a serious threat if you live in a fire-prone area. This type of gutter guard typically only lasts 1-2 years, which means that you may have to have them replaced every year which can be quite costly. Additionally, this type of gutter guard both attracts and retains oils and tar drawn from your roof which can build up in the foam or sponge material and can eventually turn from a porous material which allows water to flow through your gutters to a solid material which then acts as one large gutter obstruction.
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Reverse curve gutter guards are said to use the principles of surface tension and gravity, alongside a textured outer surface that compels rainwater cling to its surface around a curved nose which extends past the edge of the gutter. In this way, water will be forced into the drain through a thin opening while other material and debris that is not constrained by surface tension or is too big to enter the opening will fall to the ground or blow away. Reverse curve gutters collect oil, tar and dirt from your roof along the outside of your gutters which can make them unsightly. Additionally, once the curves are covered with this oil and dirt, it renders the system’s use of surface tension to collect water wholly ineffective. These systems don’t catch all the water running off your roof which can create icicles in the winter, which can create damage by becoming too heavy for your gutter system to hold, and negates the purpose of a gutter in any season.
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Mesh guards typically cover your gutter, and are made up of a plastic, aluminum or stainless steel mesh. This mesh, which covers the whole gutter like a roof, is meant to trap debris on the top of your gutters while allowing water to run through the small holes. While often touted as the easiest and most reasonably priced options of all the gutter guards, they have their own problems like all the other gutter guard options. Plastic versions of mesh gutter guards are very prone to UV damage, while other high profile gutter mesh styles are often damaged by the very things your gutter is supposed to protect your home from, including damage from branches, snow, ice and even strong winds.
Micro-mesh guards are often said to provide better protection than mesh guards because their mesh is a finer density and are mounted in a frame so they seem less flimsy. However, they fall prey to the same drawbacks as other mesh guards and can clog more easily with small granular debris. They are typically more expensive than other gutter guard options.
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Screen guards, similar to mesh guards, fit on top of your gutters. Typically made with aluminum, these guards are large pieces of metal in which holes have been drilled or punched. They often snap or fasten into place and are sometimes more expensive than other gutter guard options. Plastic screens don’t hold up well in extreme temperatures and metal screens are susceptible to rust and corrosion.
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Gutter Guard Materials
Many gutter guard companies focus on the implementation of the system as the main aspect of its effectiveness, but they often also talk about the material from which the system is made as another selling point, often regarding the longevity and performance of each system. Just as each company uses material composition as a way to promote the efficacy of their system, so too does each material have its own drawbacks and issues.
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Many types of gutter guards come in plastic versions: curves, sponges, louvers and micro-mesh. Plastic gutter guards can be a particular problem for homes with asphalt roofing products like shingles. Shingles made of asphalt leach this asphalt onto all gutters and gutter guards. If your guards are made from plastic, the asphalt oozing from your shingles can stain the plastic making it difficult to clean, but can also soften the plastic, weakening the fundamental structure of the plastic guard. Additionally, oil that comes off your roof in the rainwater runoff is attracted to plastic, permanently coating any plastic that it comes into contact with. In hot weather, plastic can expand as much as 4 inches, meaning that your plastic gutter guards aren’t guaranteed to stay in place and may even buckle or bend depending on how they are affixed to your gutter system. This can not only cause damage to the guard system, but to your entire gutter system as well. UV light can render plastic brittle, eventually causing cracks and weakening of your guard system.
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Aluminum is one of the most commonly used materials for gutter guards due to the fact that it is lighter and stronger than other materials, and it is easily shaped during manufacturing. Aluminum holds up well in both hot and cold environments due to the fact that it resists warping and cracking and isn’t damaged by sunlight. If it’s not treated, aluminum can oxidize over time which changes its appearance, but does not affect its structural integrity. Gutter guards made with aluminum can expect a 10 to 20 year performance out of the material, though other aspects of the guards may still fail.
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Stainless steel is another commonly used metal in gutter guard manufacturing. Heavier and stronger than aluminum, stainless steel is used for many of the same types of gutter guards. Stainless steel is corrosion and rust resistant, thus working to maintain the appearance and integrity of any gutter guard for many years. Like aluminum, stainless steel also holds up in extreme heat or cold and is also resistant to warping or cracking and isn’t damaged by sunlight. Because it is heavier than aluminum, however, it is not the best option for certain gutter systems, and can be more costly than other gutter guard materials. Gutter guards made with stainless steel should be installed by professional installers due to the fact that the heaviness of the material can actually bring the gutters themselves down if not properly secured. Additionally, extra weight of snow or ice might add strain to gutters with stainless steel gutter guards.
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Copper is a material that is sometimes used in gutters themselves and occasionally offered as an option in gutter guards, but typically only for aesthetic reasons to match copper gutters. Copper lasts much longer than other materials and this is reflected in its much higher price. Copper takes more time to install versus other materials and as a result, makes it quite an expensive material. There are more steps to install copper, including soldering and hand cutting. Then there are extra steps involved in cleaning the copper after the installation is finished. Then there is the material itself which on its own is much more costly than any of the above materials, making copper about 5 to 8 times higher than something like aluminum. Copper does last much longer than other forms of materials
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Gutter Guards and screens are no substitute for a gutter cleaning plan. Get a FREE Quote today.
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Gutter Cleaning with Gutter Guards
You’ve just spent thousands of dollars on a guaranteed gutter guard system, now what? No gutter guard system can eliminate the need to regularly maintain and clean your gutters, and eventually, your gutters will begin to overflow due to obstructions in your gutters caused by the build-up of dirt and debris.
How is this Different from Gutter Guards?
As much as gutter guard companies claim that guards are great at keeping leaves, twigs, and other debris out of your gutters, they do a better job of keeping your gutter cleaning service out. In order to properly clean out your gutters, any gutter cleaning service will need to remove your guard system in order to properly remove any clogs, obstructions, mold, algae, and even pest nests that may have taken up residence in your gutters. In some cases, gutter guard systems are installed in such a way that makes it quite difficult to get at the gutters causing possible damage to your guard system and even to your gutters as well. In some cases, screens and other systems may not be able to be removed at all. In this scenario, the only option is to clean or flush out any clogs or debris with pressure and hope for the best. Sometimes whole portions of your guard and gutters may need to be replaced. If your gutter guards are easily removed in sections, cleaning your gutters is much easier, but more time-consuming meaning that even if you have to have your gutters cleaned less frequently, it will still be much more costly.
Regular Cleaning is THE Best Solution
The importance of making sure that your gutters are clear of any obstructions cannot be overstated. The extra hassle of having to remove gutter guards from the gutter and the added time and expense it causes aren’t worth it. Getting on a regular maintenance plan with a company like Ned Stevens who will regularly maintain and clean your home without you having to think or worry about any build up or damage greatly outweighs any supposed relief that gutter guards could bring. We even offer programs where we will repair or replace your existing gutters should they incur damage during the life of your service plan.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#5bb95b” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|30px|true|false” border_radii=”on|4px|4px|4px|4px”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Gallery Header” module_id=”gallery” _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_text_align=”center” header_2_text_color=”#ffffff”]
Gutter Guard Fails
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Just take a look at these examples of some of the debris we’ve come to expect when cleaning a gutter system with gutter guards or screens. If having gutter guards or screens means your gutters have gone unattended, it might be time to schedule an appointment for cleaning.
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Gutter Guard FAQs
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Gutter guards are products that are offered as an addition to your existing gutter system whose purpose is to keep debris and dirt out of your gutters. The expectation, and sometimes assurance, of any gutter guard system is that it will keep your gutters free of clogs and obstructions such that you no longer have to worry about cleaning your gutters. Each gutter guard system works in different ways to keep debris out of your gutters, but no system, no matter what the method or material, will conclusively be able to keep your gutters clean and free of debris.
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Ultimately, gutter guards and screens do not work. While gutter guards may work for a time to keep large debris out of your gutter system, they can never fully protect your gutters from collecting dirt and debris. This dirt and debris will inevitably build up over time and eventually lead to clogs and gutter failure. Then, the very thing that guards claim to protect against will be the thing that they cause.
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The cost of gutter guards can vary wildly depending on the type of guard you intend to use and whether or not you have to install it yourself. Some of the cheaper options available only last 1 or 2 years which may give you an inexpensive option in the short term, but can be costly in the long run. Some of the more “effective” options will need to be installed by a dealer at cost-per-foot bids which can be astronomical. If you plan to live in your home for 10 years or less, it makes better financial sense to have your gutters serviced regularly by a reputable gutter cleaning service than to have any gutter guard system installed, not just because the guard systems are expensive, but you’ll have to have them cleaned and maintained anyway.
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If your interest in gutter guards is the supposed peace of mind that guard companies promote that comes with not having to clean your gutters, then no, gutter guards will never be worth it. Even with gutter guards, you will always have to have your gutters cleaned, at the very least 2 to 4 times a year. Professional gutter cleaning services will need to remove these guard systems in order to clean your gutters which costs them time. There is always the extra possibility of damage to your gutter guard system with this removal and reinstallation, as well as the possibility of damage to your gutters with the initial guard installation and the necessary removal during regular maintenance.
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The best guard for your gutters is not a piece of metal, plastic, or foam that you can add to your gutters. The best way to really protect the health of your gutters and, by extension, the health of your home and family is to find a trustworthy, knowledgeable gutter cleaning service and maintenance plan.
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