If you are frequently faced with the hassle of getting your gutters cleaned, then you must have already heard of the gutter guard systems. The gutter guard system is supposed to be a preventative solution for homeowners to help them avoid the clogging and blockage of gutters. These systems are supposed to save you money on gutter cleaning. Theoretically, they are specially constructed to aid in keeping your drainage gutter system flowing freely. They are made out of a mesh that doesn’t allow leaves and large debris to build up in the gutter. But in reality, how effective are gutter guard systems? In this short summary, you are going to understand exactly why gutter guard systems often cause more harm than good.
The Real Harm of Installing Gutter Guards
If you already have gutter guards installed, then perhaps you might think that it’s a great idea to have them. That’s because to some extent, they keep the leaves out of the gutters but then there’s a flip side to that, which is a lot more trouble than is worth keeping off the leaves. So, here’s a breakdown of the disadvantages of the installation of gutter guards.
- For you to get premium quality ‘permanent’ gutter guard systems installed, you might have to spend thousands of dollars. The regular mainstream gutter guards may cost you nearly $2,000 to install in a home that has about 200 feet of gutter. It costs a lot more for more installation of more complex gutter guards.
- There is no such thing as gutters that are 100% maintenance free. Even with gutter guards, you will need to clean your gutters and maintain the gutter guards themselves.
- Leaves that fall on top of the gutter guards may build up and block water from flowing through the gutters. Leading to water overflowing and leeching into your home’s walls and foundations.
- Gutter guards may significantly contribute to the premature failure of your roof as they create an optimal environment for the growth of moss at the edge of your roof
- Due to their weight, some gutter guards may add excessive weight to the currently installed gutters and this may lead to damage and breakages.
- Since some gutter guard systems cover your gutter completely, they may prevent the escape of moisture by evaporation. This accelerates the growth of thick mold and mildew that hold potential for more risks.
- Why they may prevent leaves and larger particles from accumulating into your drainage, gutter guards still won’t prevent finer debris from getting into the gutters.
As you can see, installation of gutter guards does not necessarily make gutters low maintenance. It is not just a fit and forgets solution to keeping your gutters clean. Yes, they might prevent the leaves from landing into the gutters, but at what cost? Do the math and you’ll discover that the amount of cash that you may spend on installing these ineffective gutter guards. You would be better off spending that money to hire professional Gutter Cleaning Auckland team to inspect and clean your gutters on a regular basis. As gutter guards may prevent leaves building up in the gutters, but they make way for a raft of other problems due to their design and installation.
Author: Shannon Hibbard
