Signs You May Need Gutter Guards
Gutter guards aren't always necessary, but evidence of clogged gutters is clear. Signals of ongoing gutter troubles are:
- Soggy ground or visible erosion patterns around your house's foundation
- Mold growth, interior wall stains, or peeling exterior paint on walls near gutters.
- Leaky joints or seams where water leaks from the gutters
- Frequent clogs that lead to overflow and water spilling over gutters
- Visibly saggy, damaged, or misaligned gutters that no longer correctly direct rainwater
How To Choose a Gutter Guard Installer
Assess Their Experience
When selecting an installation company, look for one with extensive experience and knowledge about various brands and guard types. A company with experience will understand how to take measurements and fit gutter guards for your specific needs. Ask about a company's years of experience and request referrals from local customers.
Verify Proper Licensing and Insurance
When getting in touch with potential installation companies, always confirm that they are licensed, bonded, and insured with both workers compensation and general liability coverage. This protects you if any accidents or injuries happen. Ask for current licensing and insurance papers from potential providers.
Choose Reputable Brands
Look for installers that provide tenured trusted gutter guard brands such as LeafFilter and Gutter Helmet. Steer clear of companies that only offer generic no-name guards or their own off-brand products. These lesser-known products may lack rigorous testing.
Seek Custom Fit Services
For top performance, guards should be measured and cut on your property to fit your gutters. Select a company that takes specific measurements and does custom cutting for guards for your home rather than using generic guards. Correctly fitted guards won't have any gaps where debris can get trapped.
Examine Warranties
Leading gutter guard companies normally offer 20-year or lifetime warranties against rust, clogs, leaks, and other issues. Before choosing a company, carefully review the warranty terms for workmanship and materials guarantees. Warranties are an excellent means of protecting your gutter investment.
Check Reviews and Referrals
Take some time to look at online reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Yelp, Google Reviews, and other review sites to see customer feedback. Ask neighbors to suggest companies that provide quality local gutter guard installation. When researching, look for providers with plenty of satisfied customers rather than just a single recommendation.
Types of Gutter Guards
The six primary gutter guard types 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. On average, you can expect to pay $4.06 per linear foot for brush guards.
- Foam guards consist of pieces of foam that sit in your gutters to catch debris. They're lightweight and easy to install. Foam guards cost around $2.47 per linear foot.
- Screen guards have large holes that allow water through while stopping debris. Screen guards cost roughly $4.61 per linear foot.
- Mesh guards stop debris but let water through. Mesh guards have even smaller holes than screen guards. They're durable and let debris slide off rather than sitting on top of your gutters. On average, you can expect to pay $4.31 per linear foot for mesh guards.
- Micro-mesh guards have even smaller holes than mesh guards, letting even less debris through than mesh. They are very effective. On average, you can expect to pay $5.37 per linear foot for micro-mesh guards.
- Surface tension guards, sometimes called reverse curve guards, use surface tension to let debris slide off while water flows through into the gutter. They can typically be seen from the ground. Surface tension guards cost roughly $3.38 per linear foot.
