Gutter Guards / Covers

[Mike]

I was wondering for those of you that clean gutters, do you also install gutter guards / covers? Or is this taking money away from gutter cleaning?

If you do, what type do you useo and why?

How do you go about getting affiliated or certified to install them?

Thanks, Mike

[VanDiesel99]

I install the solid vinyl gutter gaurds by gutter world. They are a pain to get in the right colors because the Lowe's here only carries white and you now how it is trying to order something "unusual". They are very effective as gutter guards however and don't collect leaves and twigs like the mesh ones do. I would like to order bulk and just keep them in stock but I don't do enough houses to justify buying in bulk. Once you get the hang of installing these you can do them quite quickly and they can be quite a good money maker.

[Aplus]

I offer several models and styles, but I'm not going to mention them here. It's easy to do some research and determine what's best for your conditions.

[Mike]

I guess to me it just looks like all these gutter guards / covers apear to really block the flow of water from going into the gutters, causing alot of runoff problems. But then again I[m not experienced with them so thats why I'm asking.

Also, how would you become certified in installing them?

If you cant post it here, you can always email me with your comments as well. Thanks.

Mike
hoosiermike@hotmail.com

[VanDiesel99]

The solid gutter guards can actually handle large flow rates due to water adhesion. Someone posted a guard on another bbs that involved two slots instead of one, the water fall I think it was called. The single slot works very well however and are pretty sturdy.

[Mike]

How about the foam pieces you can put inside the gutters. They come in various shapes and sizes, depending on where you get them from, but the claim to wash away the leaves, but let the water soak through to the bottem and flow down the gutters. Does anyone have experience with these?

I'll take any information you want to give on these and ANY other gutter guards/covers.

Thanks!

[Henry B.]

Hey Vandiesel,

Your correct, they are called waterfall gutter guards. They just came out with an improved design also. I personally prefer these to many other brands out there that work through water adhesion. If anyone has any questions about gutter guards you can always ask me. I've been doing gutterwork for over 15 years now and I've tried just about every guard system out there.

Mike, the foam ones work just as well as plain old wire mesh screen types that come in rolls, Lousy. But that's just my opinion. Any type of screen that doesn't work on the water adhesion principle will usually hold debris and clog up or hold debris on top so water runs over the debris onto the ground. This can easily flood basements.
When temps get cold enough they will hold some moisture and freeze.

For more information on gutter guards, check out this page on my site.

http://www.henryshousework.com/HHW/gutter_guards.html

I don't distribute products, I only sell them and install them for my clients, so my comments are not biased to any particular product.

[Mike]

Henrey, Thanks for the input. I kinda figured the foam inserts may not work well, but it was a new product so I was looking more info on them. I've seen the gutter covers you install.

Is it a simple installation or complex?

Where can you get them from?

Thanks.

also any one else with information or comments on gutter guards / covers, I'm still looking for more info. Thanks!

[Henry B.]

Hey Mike,

They are too difficult to install at all depending on the design of the gutter system that is. I just like them because they are in a price range that normal people can afford and they work really well compared to the hardware store junk and the expensive high end systems. Some of those can run as much as $17 a linear foot.

[Crownroyal]

Guys I install LeafFilter gutter protection.
I have not had a problem with the product in 13 months of installing it and leaffilter has never had a call in 5 years of buisness to remove them. They have the best and only transferable, life time, money back warranty in the buisness. Your money back if your gutter evers clogs.
Take a look www.leaffilter.com or www.leaffilltersouth.com

[John Orr]

Crown,

Did you get set-up as a distributor? Just curious if they are OK to work with.