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:
- Frequent clogs that lead to overflow and water spilling over gutters
- Soggy ground or visible erosion patterns around your house's foundation
- Mold growth, peeling exterior paint, or interior water stains on walls near gutters.
- Leaky seams or joints where water leaks from the gutters
- Visibly saggy, damaged, or misaligned gutters that no longer correctly direct rainwater
How To Choose a Gutter Guard Installer
Assess Their Experience
Providers with years of gutter guard installation experience that have worked with many different styles and models will know how to measure accurately and install guards to your home’s unique dimensions. Reach out to these companies to find out about their experience and ask for local references.
Verify Proper Licensing and Insurance
When getting in touch with potential installation companies, always verify that they are properly licensed, bonded, and insured with both general liability and workers compensation coverage. This protects you if any injuries or accidents occur. Ask for current licensing and insurance papers from potential providers.
Choose Reputable Brands
Look for reputable gutter guard brands such as Gutter Helmet and LeafFilter when selecting an installer. Avoid off-brand or generic no-name guards, which likely lack thorough testing.
Seek Custom Fit Services
Gutter guards should be measured and trimmed on-site to match your gutters. Pick a company that custom measures and trims guards for your home rather than using generic guards. Guards fitted for your home leave no gaps for debris accumulation.
Examine Warranties
High-quality gutter guard companies usually offer 20-year or lifetime warranties that cover rust, clogs, leaks, and other issues. Before selecting a provider, carefully read through the warranty terms for both workmanship and materials guarantees. Warranties are the best way to safeguard your gutter investment.
Check Reviews and Referrals
Be sure to check online reviews on Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Yelp, and other review sites to read customer feedback. Ask neighbors to suggest companies that provide quality local gutter guard installation. When researching, look for providers with consistently good feedback rather than only one or two sporadic reviews.
Types of Gutter Guards
There are six most common gutter guard types. These include the following:
- Foam guards are light and easy to install. With this type of guard, debris lands on the foam instead of in your gutter. On average, you can expect to pay $2.44 per linear foot for foam guards.
- Brush guards are exactly what they sound like: large brush bristles that sit in your gutters to block debris but let water through. Brush guards cost around $4.01 per linear foot.
- Screen guards have large holes that allow water to pass through while keeping out debris. Screen guards cost roughly $3.62 per linear foot.
- Mesh guards have smaller holes than screen guards and similarly catch debris while letting water flow through. Mesh gutter guards are durable and encourage debris to slide off rather than sit on top of your gutters. On average, you can expect to pay $3.54 per linear foot for mesh guards.
- Micro-mesh guards are generally the most effective. Micro-mesh guards have smaller holes than regular mesh guards, which lets even less debris through. On average, you can expect to spend $4.67 per linear foot for micro-mesh guards.
- Surface tension guards, sometimes called reverse curve guards, use surface tension to encourage debris to slide off while water flows into the gutter. They can usually be seen from the ground. Surface tension guards cost roughly $2.70 per linear foot.
