Rain gutters are so important to keep clean of debris which is why having a gutter leaf guard installed is such a wise idea. All sorts of debris can cause your guttering to become blocked such as leaves, pine needles and seeds. If you allow the guttering to get clogged you will end up with a number of problems such as the water flowing out the wrong way which can lead to rotting wood, rising damp and it’s generally just annoying.
The problem is that there are so many other things in life that are more fun that cleaning out your guttering and if your gutters are high up, it can be potentially a dangerous job too. The job can involve climbing up a very tall ladder with you having to stretch out to scoop all the leaves out. Sometimes a plumbers snake is also needed for the down pipes.
Typically it’s advised that guttering should be cleaned of leaves at least twice a year however this number could be greater depending on where you live. If there are a lot of trees near your home that drop leaves then the frequency should be increased.
In order to save you a lot of time and hassle, you should instead think about buying a gutter leaf guard. And the great thing is that one you have it installed you won’t need to be risking your life climbing up ladders.
Basically a gutter leaf guard works by allowing water to get in but it keeps all the other debris such as pine needles and leaves out. There are of course a number of different styles of leaf gutter guards including foam guards, surface tension systems, screen and also hybrid systems.
If you choose to buy a foam gutter guard you will find that foam is used to fill your gutter. This might sound strange but the foam is actually water-permeable meaning that the water can get through. The foam works well in protecting the guttering from debris however you should ensure that the foam has been treated so that it can resist mold and insects along with some fire retardant.
Surface tension systems are basically caps that you place on to of your gutter and there is a slot round the edge which allows water to flow up and over. Water flower into it but not the debris.
A gutter screen can be made from mesh or vinyl and work effectively at keeping out the larger items of debris from getting stuck in your gutters. These are very easy and cheap to have installed but you need to be aware that they aren’t always that great at keeping out smaller items of debris such as seeds. However the mesh can vary in size so be aware that they aren’t all the same.
There are even hybrid systems that take the best elements of different systems and add them together. Normally you will have either a screen or tension system but with a fine mesh. Bare in mind that these are good systems but you will have to pay more for it.
Along with protecting your gutters, you should have some protection for your down spouts and wire strainers will do this job well. You really don’t want to have to deal with leaves clogging up your down spout or drainage system.
What system you end up buying will depend on how much money you have to spend and whether or not you are happy scaling ladders at high heights. It might be that you’d rather have someone out to clean your getters a couple of times a year.
Also, you need to think about what types of trees you have around your property. If you have pine trees then you should avoid a mesh screen because the needles will probably get though. You also need to consider the compatibility of the guard to your gutter. Unfortunately these systems are also not guaranteed to work 100%, especially with smaller leaves.
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