Signs You May Need Gutter Guards
Gutter guards aren’t always necessary, but symptoms of overflowing and clogged gutters are clear. Here are some signals of chronic gutter issues:
- Frequent clogs that cause overflow and water to spill over gutters
- Soggy ground or visible erosion patterns around your house's foundation
- Visibly saggy, damaged, or misaligned gutters that no longer correctly direct rainwater
- Mold growth, interior wall stains, or peeling exterior paint on walls near gutters.
- Leaky joints or seams where water leaks from the gutters
How To Choose a Gutter Guard Installer
Assess Their Experience
When choosing an installation company, look for one with extensive experience and knowledge about various brands and guard types. An experienced company will understand how to take measurements and fit gutter guards for your specific needs. Ask about a provider's years of experience and request referrals from local customers.
Verify Proper Licensing and Insurance
When speaking with potential installation providers, always make sure 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
Look for installers that carry tenured trusted gutter guard brands such as LeafFilter and Gutter Helmet. Steer clear of companies that only install their own off-brand products or generic no-name guards. These lesser-known products may not have the same level of rigorous testing as major brands.
Seek Custom Fit Services
For top performance, guards should be sized and trimmed on-site to fit your gutters. Select a company that takes specific measurements and does custom cutting for guards for your home rather than using one-size-fits-all guards. Correctly fitted guards minimize gaps where debris can get trapped.
Examine Warranties
Top gutter guard installers typically offer 20-year or lifetime warranties that cover leaks, rust, clogs, and other defects. 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
It's a good idea to look at online reviews on sites like Google Reviews, Yelp, or the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to learn more about customer experiences. You can also ask neighbors to suggest quality gutter guard businesses in your area. When researching potential providers, you should choose companies with consistently good reviews rather than just one or two reviews.
Types of Gutter Guards
The six typical types of gutter guards include the following:
- Brush guards are exactly what they sound like: large brush bristles that sit in your gutters and block debris while letting water through. Brush guards cost around $4.04 per linear foot.
- Foam guards are large pieces of foam that rest in your gutters to catch debris. They're lightweight and easy to install. Foam guards cost roughly $2.46 per linear foot.
- Screen guards have large holes that let water through while blocking debris. Screen guards cost around $4.22 per linear foot.
- Mesh guards have smaller holes than screen guards and similarly catch debris while allowing water to filter through. Mesh guards are durable and encourage debris to slide off rather than sit on top of your gutters. On average, you can expect to pay $4.00 per linear foot for mesh guards.
- Micro-mesh guards are normally the most effective. Micro-mesh guards have smaller holes than regular mesh guards and allow even less debris through. On average, you can expect to spend $5.09 per linear foot for micro-mesh guards.
- Surface tension guards, also called reverse curve guards, use surface tension to encourage water to flow into gutters while debris slides off. Generally, they will be visible from the ground. Surface tension guards cost roughly $3.11 per linear foot.
