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 house's foundation
- Visibly damaged, sagging, or misaligned gutters that no longer correctly direct rainwater
- Frequent clogs that cause overflow and water to spill over gutters
- Mold growth, peeling exterior paint, or interior water stains on walls near gutters.
- Leaky seams or joints where water leaks out of gutters
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 attach guards to your home’s unique dimensions. Reach out to these companies to get details regarding their experience and ask for local references.
Verify Proper Licensing and Insurance
When contacting potential installation providers, always verify that they are properly licensed, bonded, and insured with both general liability and workers compensation policies. This protects you if any injuries or accidents occur. Ask for current licensing and insurance papers from potential providers.
Choose Reputable Brands
Seek out companies that offer tenured and trusted gutter guard brands such as LeafFilter and Gutter Helmet. Be wary of companies that only carry generic no-name or their own off-brand guards, as these likely lack the rigorous testing of larger brands.
Seek Custom Fit Services
For top performance, guards should be measured and cut on your property to fit your gutters. Choose a company that specifically measures and trims guards for your home rather than using universal guards. Accurately fitted guards won't have any gaps where debris can get trapped.
Examine Warranties
Top gutter guard companies often offer 20-year or lifetime warranties for rust, clogs, leaks, and other issues. When picking a company, read through the warranty details for both workmanship and materials guarantees. Warranties offer the best protection for your gutter investment.
Check Reviews and Referrals
You should check 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, we'd recommend going for companies with a history of good reviews instead of just one or two reviews.
Types of Gutter Guards
There are six most common gutter guard types. These include the following:
- Foam guards are lightweight and easy to install. Debris collects on the foam instead of in your gutter. Foam guards cost roughly $2.47 per linear foot.
- Brush guards are made of large brush bristles that sit inside your gutters, allowing water to pass through while stopping debris. Brush guards cost around $4.05 per linear foot.
- Screen guards have large holes that let water through while stopping debris. On average, you can expect to spend $4.53 per linear foot for screen guards.
- Mesh guards stop debris but allow water to flow through. Mesh guards have even smaller holes than screen guards. They're durable and let debris slide off rather than sitting on top of the gutters. On average, you can expect to spend $4.24 per linear foot for mesh guards.
- Micro-mesh guards have even smaller holes than mesh guards and let even less debris through than mesh. They are very effective. Micro-mesh guards cost around $5.31 per linear foot.
- Surface tension guards, sometimes called reverse curve guards, use surface tension to let debris slide off while water flows into the gutter. They are normally visible from the ground. Surface tension guards cost roughly $3.33 per linear foot.