Signs You May Need Gutter Guards
Gutter guards aren’t always necessary, but indicators of blocked and overflowing gutters are clear. Here are some signals of chronic gutter issues:
- Leaky seams or joints where water leaks from the gutters
- Mold growth, peeling exterior paint, or interior water stains on walls near gutters.
- Frequent clogs that cause overflow and water to spill over gutters
- Visibly damaged, sagging, or misaligned gutters that no longer direct rainwater correctly
- Soggy ground or visible erosion patterns around your foundation
How To Choose a Gutter Guard Installer
Assess Their Experience
Providers with years of gutter guard installation experience that have handled a wide variety of styles and models will know how to take accurate measurements and fit 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 speaking with potential installation providers, always make sure that they are licensed, bonded, and insured with both general liability and workers compensation protection. This protects you if any accidents or injuries occur. Ask for current licensing and insurance papers from potential providers.
Choose Reputable Brands
Look for leading gutter guard brands such as Gutter Helmet and LeafFilter when selecting an installer. Avoid generic no-name or off-brand guards, which likely have not gone through rigorous quality control testing.
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 minimize gaps where debris can get trapped.
Examine Warranties
Leading gutter guard companies typically offer 20-year or lifetime warranties against rust, clogs, leaks, and other issues. Before picking a company, carefully read through the warranty terms for workmanship and materials guarantees. Warranties are the best way to protect your gutter investment.
Check Reviews and Referrals
Be sure to check online reviews on sites like Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or Yelp to learn more about customer experiences. You can also ask neighbors who they would recommend for quality gutter guard businesses near you. When researching potential providers, you should choose companies with positive reviews consistently over time rather than just one or two reviews.
Types of Gutter Guards
The six most common types of gutter guards include the following:
- Foam guards are lightweight 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.
- Brush guards are made of large brush bristles that partially obstruct your gutters, stopping debris while allowing water to pass through. Brush guards cost around $4.04 per linear foot.
- Screen guards have large holes that allow water through while blocking debris. On average, you can expect to pay $4.33 per linear foot for screen guards.
- 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 your gutters. On average, you can expect to spend $4.09 per linear foot for mesh guards.
- Micro-mesh guards are usually the most effective. Micro-mesh guards have smaller holes than regular mesh guards, which lets even less debris through. Micro-mesh guards cost around $5.17 per linear foot.
- 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 usually be seen from the ground. Surface tension guards cost roughly $3.19 per linear foot.
