There has been a lot of debate among home maintenance experts regarding the use of gutter guards. Gutter guards are designed to protect your home from getting damaged by rainfall. When rainwater falls uninhibited on your walls and the floor surrounding your house, it can cause significant damage to your building. Such damage can include rotting wood, peeling paint and weakened foundation. Gutter guards help to prevent this.
What Are Gutter Guards?
To fully understand what gutter guards are and their functions, you need to understand what gutters are.
Gutters are plastic or metal structures that are attached to the roof of a building to redirect rainwater and prevent it from running along the walls or falling on the floor around that building. An efficient gutter system helps prevent soil erosion and stops rainwater from ruining the walls of your home.
Because they are open to receive water, gutters can get clogged by debris, including leaves, dirt and snow. Once debris clogs your gutter system, water begins to spill over the edges of the gutter. The weight of these clogged materials can also cause the gutters to collapse.
You can use gutter guards to protect your gutters from getting clogged with debris. Gutter guards keep your gutter systems from sagging by ensuring rainwater is not trapped due to blockage from leaves and dirt.
Depending on your preference and functionality, there are several types of gutter guards, including:
- Plastic gutter guard
- Aluminum gutter guard
- Micro-mesh gutter guard
- Steel screen gutter guard
- Foam inserts gutter guard
- Vinyl screen gutter guard
- Brush gutter guard
Do Gutter Guards Work?
As a homeowner, it can be challenging to maintain your gutters and keep them clear of debris. From getting a ladder for reaching your roof to manually clearing the waste, some convenience would help. With gutter guards, you can keep your gutters clear without any hassle.
Benefits of Using Gutter Guards
No one wants to spend their weekends clearing out gutters, but it can be a necessity unless you take the appropriate measures to keep your gutters clean. The best option by far is to invest in gutter guards. Here are a few of the many benefits of using gutter guards to keep your gutters clear.
Keep Debris Out
When keeping litter out of your gutters, gutter guards do the job efficiently.
Gutter guards are designed to have tiny pores or inlets. Most forms of debris are larger than what the inlets of the gutter guards can accommodate. The contrast in size prevents debris from getting into the gutters.
Reduce How Often You Clean Your Gutters
It would help if you cleaned your regular gutters at least once every month. Due to the amount of debris that can get into your gutter system, leaving it unattended can cause the water to flow over the sides and stain the walls of your house.
Cleaning gutters can be pretty tedious, not to mention quite expensive. Installing gutter guards helps to reduce the need for and frequency of this exercise. By keeping leaves and other large particles out, the gutter guards keep the gutters relatively free of debris and not in regular need of cleaning.
Prevent Pest Infestation
The crevices of a gutter provide the ideal nesting area for rodents. When leaves and soil settle inside your gutter system, they become a breeding ground for insect pests such as mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches.
You can solve this pest infestation problem by installing gutter guards. Because of the small size of the gutter guard’s inlet, rodents are unable to gain access to the gutter.
Act as an Effective Filtration System
Some homeowners construct their gutters in such a way that they can channel the rainwater they collect into tanks and wells. The water gathered can then be used for various purposes.
Gutters that have gutter guards can supply cleaner and safer water. Gutter guards act like filters by blocking large particles from entering the water containers through your gutter system.
Have High Durability
The problem of clogged gutters is not a seasonal issue. Every season, your gutters are at the risk of getting blocked. Should this happen, and your gutters cannot channel rainwater, your walls, basement and foundation are at the risk of getting ruined by the water.
Gutter guards solve this problem, not for a while, but for an extended period. They are waterproof and can withstand wear and tear without frequent maintenance. This resilience makes them a long-lasting solution to the issue of clogged gutters.
What To Consider While Using Gutter Guards
We would all love an ‘easy button’ when it comes to home and yard maintenance. While gutter guards provide significant benefits, they aren’t infallible. Keep these tips and situations in mind when making your decision to purchase.
Gutters With Gutter Guards Can Still Get Clogged
Gutter guards are not foolproof. Though they significantly reduce debris entering and clogging gutters, they cannot prevent all materials from entering the water channels.
Particles such as pine needles and seeds can pass through gutter guards because they are smaller than the gutter guards’ inlets. If such materials pass through frequently, they can accumulate and eventually block the gutters.
You Still Need To Maintain Your Gutters
Installing gutter guards doesn’t preclude the need for cleaning and general maintenance.
The leaves and other materials your gutter guard prevents from getting into the gutter can gather around its inlet. Without getting into your gutter system, the debris gathering around your gutter guard can stop the free flow of water. You can clean your gutters less frequently than if you did not use a gutter guard.
Gutter Guards Cannot Prevent Moss and Algal Growth
Though gutter guards can block a wide range of biological and non-biological materials from getting into the gutters, they cannot prevent microorganisms and tiny plant matter from getting in.
These matter, usually moss and algae, are thus able to increase within the gutter and, when they get large enough, can clog the gutters.
Not Sure How To Safeguard Your Gutter? Contact K-Guard Today!
When installing and maintaining your gutter, no one does it better than the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System team. Our friendly and knowledgeable professionals are dedicated to ensuring you have a problem-free experience with your gutters. Contact us today to get a free quote and learn more about our services.
Sources
https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/construction/materials/gutter-guards.htm
https://laborpanes.com/blog/do-gutter-guards-work-yes-and-heres-why-you-need-them/
