Decisions...Decisions...Decisions...

Gutter protection systems run the gamut in price from pennies per linear foot to nearly $30 per foot and all price point in between. Even the most expensive systems don't work in all situations. Some of the cheaper systems are such poor quality that we won't clean gutters with them installed unless the owner explicitly agrees to have us remove them. Consider, if you will, that we encounter many of these protection systems regularly. If they really worked, then we it seems that we should never encounter them! Below are some thoughts about the most common ones:

Roll style plastic or wire mesh screening.

• Pros: Cheap
• Cons: We have never seen these work and they are so flimsy that even if a bird lands on the material, then it gets mashed into the gutter and serves as a water dam. We will not reinstall this material and decline jobs in which the client wants it reinstalled.

Plastic covers with diamond shaped openings.

• Pros: Inexpensive
• Cons: Lets a lot of debris through. Fragile. Appearance.

Plastic covers with diamond shaped openings plus plastic screening.

• Pros: Does a good job of keeping debris out.
• Cons: Screening clogs up and causes the water to entirely overrun gutter. Fragile. Appearance.

Wire mesh screens, hinged.

• Pros: Does a fair job of keeping deciduous leaves out.
• Cons: Allows fir needles and seeds in. Bends. Unatractive.

Wire mesh screens, stapled, etc..

• Pros: None.
• Cons: These are self styled, homemade and usually cannot be serviced without destroying them.

Plastic gutter covers with slots in formed surface.

• Pros: Good at keeping deciduous debris out.
• Cons: These are a poor attemtp at mimicking the working theory of gutter covers. However theyaccumulate debris and the slots clog, causing water to overrun the edge.

Gutter Helmet and similar styles.

• Pros: These keep all debris out except for fir needles.
• Cons: Edge needs to be kept clean. Let fir needles in. Somewhat fragile. Sticker shock.

Leaf Guard and similar styles.

• Pros: These keep all desbir out except for fir needles.
• Cons: Edge needs to be kept clean. Let fir needles in. Somewhat fragile. Sticker shock.