Signs You May Need Gutter Guards
Gutter guards aren't required for all homes, but evidence of blocked gutters is clear. Signals of ongoing gutter troubles are:
- Soggy ground or visible erosion around your foundation
- Frequent clogs that cause overflow and water to spill over gutters
- Mold growth, interior wall stains, or peeling exterior paint on walls near gutters.
- Leaky seams or joints where water leaks out of gutters
- Visibly damaged, sagging, or misaligned gutters that no longer correctly direct rainwater
How To Choose a Gutter Guard Installer
Assess Their Experience
Providers with extensive 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 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 accidents or injuries occur. 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 that only carry generic no-name or their own off-brand guards, as these likely have not undergone the same rigorous testing as major brands.
Seek Custom Fit Services
For optimal performance, guards should be sized and trimmed on-site to fit your gutters. Select a company that specifically measures and trims guards for your home rather than using one-size-fits-all guards. Accurately fitted guards minimize gaps where debris can get trapped.
Examine Warranties
High-quality gutter guard installers normally have 20-year or lifetime warranties protecting against rust, leaks, clogs, and other issues. Before choosing a company, carefully read through the warranty terms for both materials and workmanship guarantees. Warranties are the best way to safeguard your investment into your gutters.
Check Reviews and Referrals
You should check online reviews on sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Yelp, or Google Reviews to learn 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
There are six typical types of gutter guards. These include the following:
- Brush guards are made of large brush bristles that partially obstruct your gutters, blocking debris and allowing water to pass through. Brush guards cost roughly $4.05 per linear foot.
- 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 $2.46 per linear foot for foam guards.
- Screen guards have large holes that allow water to pass through while keeping out debris. Screen guards cost around $4.39 per linear foot.
- Mesh guards have smaller holes than screen guards and similarly catch debris while letting water flow through. These guards are durable and let debris slide off rather than sit on your gutters. On average, you can expect to pay $4.13 per linear foot for mesh guards.
- Micro-mesh guards have even smaller holes than mesh guards and allow even less debris into your gutters than mesh. These guards are extremely effective. Micro-mesh guards cost roughly $5.21 per linear foot.
- Surface tension guards, sometimes called reverse curve guards, use surface tension to encourage debris to slide off while water flows through into the gutter. They are often visible from the ground. Surface tension guards cost around $3.23 per linear foot.
