Signs You May Need Gutter Guards
Gutter guards aren’t always necessary, but symptoms of overflowing and clogged gutters are clear. Signals of chronic gutter issues include:
- Mold growth, peeling exterior paint, or interior water stains on walls near gutters.
- Soggy ground or visible erosion patterns around your home's foundation
- Frequent clogs that lead to overflow and water spilling over gutters
- Visibly saggy, damaged, or misaligned gutters that no longer correctly direct rainwater
- Leaky joints or seams where water leaks out of gutters
How To Choose a Gutter Guard Installer
Assess Their Experience
Providers with extensive gutter guard installation experience that have worked with various styles and models will know how to measure accurately and install guards to your home’s unique dimensions. Get in touch with these providers to find out about their experience and ask for local references.
Verify Proper Licensing and Insurance
When getting in touch with potential installation providers, always verify that they are properly licensed, bonded, and insured with both general liability and workers compensation protection. This protects you if any injuries or accidents happen. Request current licensing and insurance papers from potential providers.
Choose Reputable Brands
Seek out companies that offer tenured and trusted gutter guard brands such as Gutter Helmet and LeafFilter. Be wary of companies only offering generic no-name or their own off-brand guards, as these likely do not have the same rigorous testing as reputable national brands.
Seek Custom Fit Services
For superior performance, gutter guards need to be measured and fitted on-site to match your gutters. Choose a company that takes specific measurements and trims guards for your home instead of using one-size guards. Well-fitted guards prevent debris-trapping gaps from forming.
Examine Warranties
Top gutter guard installers typically offer 20-year or lifetime warranties that cover leaks, rust, clogs, and other defects. Before choosing a company, carefully read through the warranty terms for both materials and workmanship guarantees. Warranties are the most effective way to safeguard your gutter investment.
Check Reviews and Referrals
It's a good idea to research online reviews on sites such as Yelp, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or Google Reviews to read about customer experiences. You can also ask neighbors to suggest quality local gutter guard companies. When researching providers, you should opt for companies with consistently positive or good feedback instead of just one or two reviews.
Types of Gutter Guards
The six primary types of gutter guards are as follows:
- Foam guards are lightweight and easy to install. With this type of guard, debris lands on the foam instead of in your gutter. Foam guards cost roughly $2.45 per linear foot.
- Brush guards are what they sound like: large brush bristles that sit in your gutters to block debris but let water through. Brush guards cost roughly $4.04 per linear foot.
- Screen guards have large holes that allow water through while keeping debris out. Screen guards cost around $4.16 per linear foot.
- Mesh guards have smaller holes than screen guards and similarly stop debris while letting water filter through. These guards are durable and encourage debris to slide off rather than sit on your gutters. On average, you can expect to spend $3.96 per linear foot for mesh guards.
- Micro-mesh guards are typically the most effective. They have smaller holes than standard mesh guards and allow even less debris through. On average, you can expect to spend $5.05 per linear foot for micro-mesh guards.
- Surface tension guards, also called reverse curve guards, use surface tension to allow water to flow into gutter system while debris slides off. Normally, they are visible from the ground. On average, you can expect to spend $3.07 per linear foot for surface tension guards.
