Gutter guards prevent clogging by keeping leaves, pine needles, twigs, sweet gum balls, seeds, and other debris from entering your gutters. They also help to direct rain away from your home.
Before installing your gutter guards, ensure that your gutters are clear of debris by carefully running a garden hose up and down your gutters. Then, read the manufacturer’s instructions and gather the appropriate tools. Read on to learn more.
Preparation
Whether homeowners opt to install their store-bought gutter guards themselves or hire gutter professionals, they need to prepare for this project by cleaning out the existing debris in their home’s gutter system. This is an important step that prevents standing water, blockages, and other problems that can damage the house’s roof, foundation, walls, and basement.
Homeowners should also read the instructions that come with their chosen type of gutter guards to learn how to correctly and efficiently install them. This typically involves climbing a ladder, so homeowners must be comfortable with heights and take the necessary safety precautions.
Depending on the product, installation may require cutting end pieces with a tool such as tin snips or a saw to ensure they fit inside the gutters. Gutter guards have a screen or micro mesh on the top that keeps most debris from entering the gutter while allowing rainwater to flow through. They are available in a variety of materials and styles to suit any home’s exterior.
Installation
Gutters are responsible for directing rainwater away from the house but often become clogged with leaves, twigs, and outdoor debris. Cleaning gutters is a necessary chore that should be done twice a year. Gutter guards and screens prevent clogging by eliminating the opportunity for large objects to enter the gutters.
Homeowners can purchase gutter covers from many home improvement stores and install them themselves. The installation process usually requires a ladder, tape measure, screwdriver, hammer, and saw to cut the guards to size. Homeowners should follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, enlist help, and practice ladder safety.
After installing the gutter guards, homeowners should test them with a garden hose to ensure that they work. If they do, they should remain clean and clog-free, and water should flow easily through the gutters and downspouts. However, they may still need to be cleaned annually or after heavy rainfall. Depending on the type of gutter guards, some are more effective at keeping out debris than others.
Cleaning
Gutter guards can save homeowners from the dangerous task of climbing ladders to clean clogged gutters, as well as protect the home’s siding and roof from damage. Unclogged gutters can also invite pests like birds, squirrels, and rodents into the house.
Depending on the type of gutter protector installed, it’s important to follow cleaning and maintenance recommendations. Foam and brush gutter guards are easily cleaned by removing them from the gutters, shaking off the debris, and rinsing them with a garden hose. For micro-mesh gutter guards, a gutter cleaning brush is necessary to help remove twigs and pine needles that are unable to be rinsed off with the hose alone.
In-gutter screens and grates are more difficult to clean as they must be removed from the gutters themselves. However, these types of gutter guards can prevent clogs much more effectively than standard mesh or screen guards. Gutter covers are a wise investment as they reduce the frequency of gutter cleaning, make the process less arduous, and extend the life of the gutters themselves.
Maintenance
Gutter guards prevent debris from entering gutters, allowing water to flow freely. However, they still need regular cleaning to perform optimally.
Foam and brush gutter guards are the least expensive options, but they aren’t capable of blocking large debris from entering your home’s gutters. They also degrade quickly and may cause seeds to sprout. Screen-style gutter guards slide underneath the first row of shingles or attach to the gutters with clips. They block most debris from passing, although small particles like pine needles and shingle grit can still make it through.
Micro-mesh gutter guards have smaller holes than screens and block most twigs from entering the gutters, but they can become clogged with mall debris. All types of gutter guards and screens reduce the need for cleaning, but they do not eliminate it. Homeowners should plan carefully, enlist help, and practice ladder safety. They should also check for other factors unrelated to debris that affect gutter performance. Click here for the next blog post.