Gutter Guard/Leaf Filter

spinnerbaitor48

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
does anyone have a gutterguard type system that they would recommend?......I see all of these hype commercials, and i'm about done with ladders......except ladder stands….that's totally different...hehe......thanks
 

Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Can't recommend a brand but if you're gonna have gutters, install guards. I'm tired of replacing sheathing and fascia behind lazy people....
 

Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Lowes sell'em, they're not that tough to install, and if you've got the time a day on a ladder will save you a month's pay....
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
If you’ve got pines, spend the money on grading and ditch the gutters. Nothing works on pine needles.

Gutters are a bandaid for piss poor grading anyway, and they cause more problems than they solve.
 

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
Lowes has a mesh material that I installed in my cutters couple years ago....snaps in front of gutter and then slides up under the shingles and only water gets in. Only takes couple hours to install and cheap.
 

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
The problem with gutter guards is this...people think if you install them that you will never have to touch them again. I grew up in the gutter business (dad bought a machine in 1976/still running that machine today)and I have been making my own guards for over 15 years. Some guards shed leaves and some catch leaves. I have never seen one from lowes that I consider worth the money spent to install. They had a decent one at one time but the gutter must be lowered a inch to make it work proper(still yet it was plastic)....they didn't tell you that so it gets in stalled incorrectly all the time and causes more problems than its worth. A good guard will shed pine needles while a cheap one will catch them. Still yet with the best ones out there...sooner or later they will require some maintenance. These rolled front lip systems are great but sooner or later...you going have to wash them to keep them working proper. If you got valleys in your roof...leaves will collect in those areas on the roof and work their way down to your gutters...they have to be cleaned out even with the best systems. Sometimes you can run a extendable pole up and reach those areas but don't throw away your ladder. Every gutter man out there has the best system ever...just ask them. Some will tell you the hooded systems will over run on a steep pitch roof but for me I rather do a steep pitch roof because it will shed leaves a lot better than a flat one. I will even in stall my system on a tin roof...done a many of them. If you in the Cabarrus /Rowan/Stanly area...I would be glad to price you a system but I don't need to travel for work. I love what I do and I care about it. I've had one call back in this rain this week....it was a roofing issue but I fixed it. Lifetime warranty isn't worth the paper its wrote on. I have seen it too many times. Its just a sales pitch but its not worth anymore than the man selling it to you. If he goes out of business then your warranty is gone. If the business changes hands...your warranty is gone. New guy wont warranty the old guys work.
 

NCST8GUY

Frozen H20 Guy
Like someone else pointed out, this was just recently brought up in this forum.


2ish years ago I decided I was too fat and old to keep cleaning out my gutters 2-3 times per year under oak trees. I'd wait so long I had PRIME compost built up in my gutters! During a heavy downpour, both sides of my A framish roof would both overflow to the point of I had not functioning gutters.

I asked 3 different companies to bid my gutter guards.

All 3 of course, sent SALESMEN!!! Why wouldn't they? I expected this. The salesman who made this biggest impact had his pitch down perfect. He never came onto my property. We spoke in the culdesac. He displayed for me 7-8 different types of guards. Some sold at HD/Lowes, some by his competition, ONE by the company he worked for. He then asked me to "pick" if all were the same price, which one I would choose......Imagine which I chose?

We then price compared pricing. He was a masterful salesman! I bought hook line and sinker! This is 3 springs for me, and I got to say I'm impressed. I'm on the downslope of a hill, and when I approach my house, I can clearly see the W facing side of my house, under a large white oak. All of the debris I've seen so far, has been gone after the next hard rain (gone meaning I pick it up with a rake ;) )

I fully expect to go back onto the roof at some point, and the installer made me climb up there to show me how to disengage the guard in the event I needed to clean out the gutter fully.
 

specialk

Twelve Pointer
we put some on probably 12 years ago...can't remember the name brand but they look like these in the pic.....we went with 6 inch gutters and downspouts....all pines have been removed but still have a few hardwoods around.....so far no problems with failing to drain.....leaves stay out as well...untitled.png
 

Rescue44

Old Mossy Horns
Bought an adapter/attachment for my blower amd just blow them out occasionally. Nothing us bulletproof

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Told dad about the attachment years ago, have my own, too. Put on an old fire helmet and go to it. First time my dad used the blower and attachment, I saw it coming. He put the end on the gutter, turned the blower on, and what he wasn't ready for took over...torque. It was over with quickly since the attachment has a rather long moment arm. No damage done but I got a good laugh. Lol
 

ADogNamedDuke

Button Buck
I bought the LeafFilter system that you see in flyers everywhere. Spent nearly $5000 in 2017. Was a total waste of money. I have so much pine straw built up that we have weeds growing in the gutters. Been fighting to get my money back. They will only come clear it out for a $95 fee each time which they didn't tell me about at time of purchase. Stay away from this company!
 

roundball

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
FWIW, years ago I'd never heard of any fool proof brand of gutter guards that didn't still require some sort of occasional attention...which I didn't have the right ladder for this 2 story house and didn't want the risk either.
Given that, I started using a little outfit called 'Window Gang' to clean them out.....standing appointment the first week of December every year, $100, done.
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
This one was sure brought back from the grave. I never have problems with leaves or anything in gutters and haven't had to clean them in years. When I built this house, that was one of the things I wanted to take care of. At the front of the house, I don't have gutters. Rather, I dug a 12x12 trench under the drip , put in a french drain and covered it with gravel. on the garage entrance and at the back, above the A/C and hot water heater, I used a 4 in. round bottomed gutter and had it angled all it could stand. Left the low end open and put a rain barrel under the end. Get plenty of water for outside use and leaves wash right out.
 

Foothillsd1

Six Pointer
I had Gutter Rx Installed about 5-6 years ago. I was skeptical at first. However, I would totally recommend it. I have a number of tall elms and maples around my house and have not had any problems. Not very expensive either. I do go up and use the leaf blower to blow off anything that has gotten stuck on top of them about once a year or so. I removed a section last spring to check and there was nothing in there.
 
Top