Do Gutter Guards Work?

Q: We’re getting new gutters for our home. They’ve given us pricing on a gutter-guard system so we’ll never have to clean our gutters again. Do these work?

A: Yes and no. Like mousetraps, everybody has tried to design the perfect gutter-guard. Many do a pretty good job, but I have yet to find one that’s totally maintenance free. Each design has a strength, but then has a condition or situation they don’t handle so well. Guards designed to keep small stuff (like roof granules) out of the gutter are not porous enough to allow heavy rains thorough, and the gutters overflow at times.

While they can greatly reduce your maintenance requirements, don’t expect them to be totally maintenance free. And, given you will need to service them occasionally, only gutter guards that allow for ease of access beneath them when needed.