We have attended hundreds of gutters on homes and businesses in the Nelson, Stoke and Richmond areas. Many of them have had gutter guards (which in itself might be a clue as to whether they are effective) so here’s our well-informed and honest view on what they do and don’t do.
Our starting point is that all gutters eventually attract debris that can impact on their job, which is to take water from your roof and get it to your downpipes. If that’s not happening you run the very real risk of water ingressing your house from above or below. Keeping you gutters running freely is probably the most fundamental maintenance issue for a dry, healthy home.
Plastic or Wire Mesh
We can state unequivocally that it’s a waste of time, effort and money putting these in your gutters. Though they are advertised as a fix for keeping debris out, they are actually a magnet for it. They form dams along their whole length and provide a nice resting place for material that might otherwise run along your gutters and into the downpipes. Putting these in your gutters is going to lead to the very thing you don’t want – blockage . AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Cat’s Whiskers
These have become increasingly popular and have some short term effect, particularly if your gutters are beneath large leaf trees. If those leaves sit on top of the whiskers they can eventually be blown off the roof instead of getting into the gutter. BUT…. If you are going to use them they have to be put around the whole circumference of your gutters, including over the downpipes, or the exposed end point will just become a dam and cause blockages.
At some point you will still need to get your gutters cleared. Even large items eventually break down and drop between the wickers and into the gutters. When you take them out you will usually find a thick coating of decomposed debris beneath them. It will also cost more to get the gutters cleared as it’s time consuming to remove, clean and re-insert them.
Fixed Fine Mesh Covers
These are definitely more effective at keeping out debris but as you can see from the pictures above……. There are some major disadvantages. The most effective installation is when they are siliconed to the roof as well as being screwed to the spouting. That makes them very expensive to install.
But don’t believe the marketing. You will still need to get your gutters serviced as decomposed organic matter will end up filling your gutters in time. At that point you are in for an expensive maintenance job. The mesh needs to be unscrewed, the gutters cleared and the mesh re-screwed. And with the best of care it’s difficult making the mesh as tight as it was before it has been bent back and fixed down again.
Overall our opinion is that at worst gutter guards damage your gutters and at best reduce the frequency of maintenance while adding to the cost of getting it done. Whether your gutters are below trees or not will largely determine the frequency of maintenance to keep them clear, so your decision on whether to use Cat Whiskers or Fine Mesh (don’t for a moment consider plastic mesh or wire) will be a calculation of installation cost v maintenance cost. And don’t forget that the whiskers or mesh don’t last forever !
Gutter clearing can cost as little as $200 so you might get a decade of annual maintenance for the cost of a guard installation. We always visit first to give an accurate quote for your individual property.
