Why You Shouldn’t Buy Expensive Gutter Protection Systems
Fall season is here and it’s that time of the year again. Time to climb that ladder and scoop all those slimy leaves out of your gutters and downspouts. Getting stormwater off your roof and away from your house is necessary to prevent foundation and landscape damage. Additionally, basements can flood and black mold can grow.
Have you ever considered trying one of the new fancy gutter guard systems? And do any of the gutter protection systems available even work? How much do gutter guard filters cost per linear foot? Are they worth the money? Or will I still end up needing to drag out my ladder?
Gutter Protection: Pros and Cons of LeafFilter and LeafGuard
There are two major products on the gutter protection market, LeafFilter and Leaf Guard. These products offer a solution to your clogged gutter issues. Both being uniquely designed to fit your specific specifications, LeafFilter and Leaf Guard is the front line defense to any and all debris that would clog your open faced gutters up. Below we compare and contrast the two different product designs:
What are LeafFilter gutter guards?
LeafFilter is a micro-meshed designed filter gutter protection system that is made from stainless steel that prevents your gutters from filling up with leaves, pine needles and other forms of debris. This gutter guard is manufactured with a PVC frame that is resistant to low and high outdoor temperatures and will not warp or deteriorate over time. The structural support hangers fasten directly onto your shingle roof while also being hidden inside the gutter system itself, not interfering with the aesthetic of your home.
Efficiency of Leaf Filter Gutter Protection
Being composed of stainless steel calls for better resistance against rust and corrosion. LeafFilter is designed in a way to avoid large openings or gaps, it can filter any type of debris that comes off your roof. Whether that be dirt, leaves, pollen, see pods, pine needles, and even pests and insects. As advertised, LeafFilter will eliminate and get rid of the dirty and dangerous chore of cleaning your gutters forever.
How LeafFilter works: https://youtu.be/c_PbwyiOXe0
Advantages of LeafFilter Gutter Guards
Being one of two top gutter protectors on the market, there are many advantages of installing LeafFilter on your home.
- Installs directly onto existing gutters.
- Keeps out all types of debris from your gutters.
- Installations take less than a day!
- Compatible with every type of existing gutter.
- Eliminates the need for you to clean the gutters yourself.
- Comes with a lifetime warranty
- Made from durable materials.
Disadvantages of the LeafFilter GutterGuard
While the LeafFilter gutter guards bring advantages to your home such as stopping the finest forms of debris from clogging your gutter system, the efficiency is often questioned by customers and contractors.Here are some disadvantages of installing a LeafFilter guard:
Heavy amounts of rainfall will not be able to filter through the mesh and continue through your gutters but instead run down the side of your home and down to the base eliminating the entire purpose of a gutter system, let alone a gutter protection system.- Leaves and debris will pile up at where the water is supposed to be filtered and get clogged. Which will either cause water to either sit on your roof and potentially cause a leak or it will runoff down the side of your home into your yard causing your grass to be a swamp whenever it rains.
What are LeafGuards?
Unlike LeafGuards single piece design, other gutter systems are constructed of multiple pieces with seams that will form leaks and cause rust to form. With a seamless one-piece design, LeafGuard makes for a stronger and more durable gutter protections system. LeafGuard is designed to keep pine needles, leaves, and all other debris types out of your gutters. With over 650,000 ladder related injuries alone last year, LeafGuard will ensure that you never have to dangerously climb another ladder to clean your gutters again.
How does the LeafGuard Gutter System Work
With a seamless one-piece design, LeafGuard is stronger and more durable than any other gutter system on the market. This gutter system can handle over 32 inches of rain per hour! Which is over 4 times the record rainfall according to the US Weather Bureau. The aluminum used to manufacture LeafGuard is 20% thicker than industry standards and the downspouts are 30% larger compared to other guttering systems. Also, the gutters are supported every two feet which is double compared to the industry standard as well.
Advantages of the LeafGuard Guttering system
LeafGuard is the first and only gutter design that is one single piece. There is not another guttering system on the market that can compare. Lets go ahead and look at some of the advantages of buying and installing LeafGuard on your home:
- Keeps out debris from clogging your gutters.
- Eliminates leaks due to its seamless one piece design.
- Can be customized to fit your home and the style of roof.
- Never have to climb to dangerous heights to clean your gutters again.
- Can withstand 32 inches of water per hour, which is triple the national average.
- Easy installation and can take less than a day!
- Provided with a lifetime warranty.
- Extremely durable and secure.
Disadvantages of LeafGuard
While Leafguard is manufactured and designed to make the lives of homeowners easier, it can also cost you loads of money if a problem occurs. Lets look at some of the disadvantages of installing LeafGuard on your home:
- Expensive to install
- Does not keep 100% of debris out at all times
- When it comes to having to clean these gutter systems it will be 5 times the expense compared to a regular open gutter.
- Extremely heavy, if not installed correctly it could rip right off your home cause thousands of dollars in damage.
- During winter months ice will form inside the gutters again causing extra strain on the installation and could potentially fall directly off your home.
Are these gutter protection systems worth the cost?
The question is which gutter system is going to perform efficiently and not cause issues. The honest answer is neither. Both gutter systems have endless flaws that could result in paying thousands of dollars to fix. You will be better off maintaining the open gutter system on your home currently by not climbing dangerously yourself on a ladder but rather someone else do it for you. The average amount of money spent on purchasing and installing these high quality gutter systems is around $1500-$2000 or around $8 per linear foot. If you keep up with professional regular maintenance it will cost less than $400 a year, ensuring your gutter system is up to par. Here at premier roofing solutions we not only specialize in all aspects that are roofing but also we have a stormwater management team ready to assist you at any time. If you see leaves cluttering your gutters don’t go and grab the ladder and do it yourself. Give us a call and our service team will keep you and your home safe.
Cleaning and maintaining gutters is among the least desirable home chores you have to keep up with but it is very crucial that you do so. Unclogging your gutters can be an uncomfortable task due to having to get your hands dirty and at the same time balancing on a ladder. Not only is pulling the ladder out of the garage a hassle, it’s very dangerous and unsafe.