What are gutter guards?
Also known as gutter covers, gutter guards refer to devices that are fixed to a home’s gutter system and prevent dry leaves, dust, and debris from entering the gutter and blocking the same. If not used, gutters tend to break, clog, warp, bend, or malfunction.
Rain or storm gutters are designed to direct water flowing off the roof away from the home’s foundation, where it could cause structural damage. Almost anything can enter a rain gutter system and clog, break, bend, warp, or fail it.
The best gutter guards prevent this damage by covering the gutter openings, often with a mesh screen or a uniquely shaped cover that allows water to pass through while keeping leaves, debris, and wildlife out.
Benefits of using gutter guards
Many homeowners remain confused about the use of gutter guards in their homes. This is because they don’t think it would add up the expenses and efforts on them. Though gutter guards installation incurs an upfront cost, they provide a host of benefits to homeowners in the long run. So, here are some of the pros and cons of gutter cover installation.
Pros
- Prevent Debris – Their first and foremost job is to keep debris away from the rain gutter system like leaves, pine needles, gravel, twigs, pine cones, and other elements. This kind of debris making its way to the gutter can cause various issues, apart from just clogging the gutter.
- Fire Protection – Surprisingly, gutter guards can actually help homeowners protect their homes from fire, especially in areas that have heavy penetration of dry bush and wind.
- Reduced Gutter Maintenance – Since gutter guards keep debris out of the gutter system, they reduce the amount of time and frequency with which homeowners must clean them.
- Rust Prevention – Preventing debris buildup and water pooling in gutter systems also helps to prevent gutter deterioration. The use of gutter guards to prevent pools of water and moist debris buildup greatly reduces the risk of gutter rust and corrosion.
Cons
- Maintenance –Gutter guards reduce the frequency of necessary cleaning, but they do not eliminate it entirely. Gutter guards may still need to be cleaned twice a year, depending on the location of the home and the amount of debris that accumulates around the gutters.
- Installation – While some gutter guards can be installed simply by inserting them into the gutter, others require more effort and, in some cases, a professional installation by gutter guard installers.
- Up-Front Cost – The gutter guards installation cost would include the purchase and installation cost. Gutter guards, on the other hand, can cost less than $1 per foot for certain styles and brands, which means that homeowners don’t have to pay much if they don’t want to.
Gutter Guards Material
There are different types of materials gutter guards come in. Some of them are aluminium, steel, plastic, copper, and foam.
- Aluminium – It is the most commonly used material for making gutter guards. An aluminium gutter guard tends to be highly durable as compared to other options.
- Steel – Due to its improved sturdiness, steel is a better option thanaluminum. Though steel has better applicability as compared to aluminium, it tends to be expensive, stronger, and durable.
- Plastic – Plastic is almost always used in screen gutter guards that snap into the gutter system. Because plastic and vinyl are not as strong as aluminium or steel, they are poor substitutes for gutter guard structural elements.
- Copper – While screen-style copper gutter guards are the most common, copper mesh guards are only available from a few manufacturers.
- Foam and Brush – For foam-style and brush-style guards, respectively, foam and polypropylene brush materials are used. Refer to the section above that discusses the various types of gutter guards to learn more about how these materials perform in different conditions.
The Conclusion
When it comes to choosing the best-quality leaf solution gutter guards, there are different types of gutter covers for home from metal gutter guards to rain guard gutters. So, choose the one that can offer high levels of sturdiness, durability, and functionality.
To know more about gutter covers, consult the experts today.
