Posted: 6/28/2012 6:47:40 PM EDT
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I would like to be able to keep small trees from growing in my gutters!
I went to Home Depot and shopped for solutions. This one is interesting. It is called Gutter Stuff and is sort of like hard foam. http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/madgical/Gutter%20Solutions/IMG_20120624_144719.jpg Then there was an assortment of plastic and metal screens of varying size openings: http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/madgical/Gutter%20Solutions/IMG_20120624_145052.jpg http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/madgical/Gutter%20Solutions/IMG_20120624_145038.jpg http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/madgical/Gutter%20Solutions/IMG_20120624_145026.jpg Of course there is also the expensive and heavily marketed Gutter Helmet. If anyone has any experience with solutions that worked or didn't, I'd really appreciate hearing about it. Thanks! |
this is a good topic. let me preface this post with the fact that i am an OCD-burdened engineer. 
for that matter, when i built my workshop i installed 3 different types of covers to see which was best. 
in addition, the house we bought had the aluminum screen type covers on the gutters, via the prior owner. i have learned that the performance of the "gutter solution" is not only dependent on the product itself, but three other factors: (1) how steeply the roof is pitched, (2) the size/type/biodegradability of the debris getting into your gutters, (3) whether your gutters/downspouts are installed correctly in the first place. so... regarding (1) above: i have found the type of "solid" cover shown on the right in this pic (4' solid gutter cover), http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/madgical/Gutter%20Solutions/IMG_20120624_145026.jpg is completely useless if the roof is aggressively pitched. during heavy rain, the water will not "stick" to the surface and instead just flies past the aperture which leads to the gutter. the result is water streaming off the roofline, as if there were no gutters in the first place. the type shown on the left here ("3' snap-in gutter filter"), http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/madgical/Gutter%20Solutions/IMG_20120624_145038.jpg has far superior performance on steeply pitched roofs than the solid type i can't speak to the hard foam "gutter stuff" but i don't think it will have any bad effect no matter how the roof is pitched. regarding (2) above, i have beech, black walnut, maple, and oak trees around the house, and pine trees around the workshop. IMHO the pine needles are the worst from a gutter perspective, and next of course are the black walnut droppings. the pine needles decompose VERY slowly, and therefore once they are in the gutter they will stay there unless there is really hard rain to wash them across and down. they are also generally "waxy/sticky" which means they bunch and stay bunched. in areas that have lots of pine needles i suggest the solid cover type products, even if it means spill-over in heavy rain. i think the foam would be a disaster in this case, the needles are never going to "dry up and blow away", they are just going to fill up the foam. the beech, maple, and black walnut debris i get has been dealt with "ok" by the "3' snap in gutter filter" shown above. it is *almost* stiff enough to keep itself horizontal in the gutter top, and for the most part keeps debris out and allows it to dry and then blow off. i wish it was slightly stiffer, for my purposes that would be better. i hate the aluminum mesh stuff, in fact i have replaced 75% of what the prior owners left us with. IMHO it doesn't work well, collects sticks and leaves and allows needles through, is hard to clean, it bends out of shape, it is impossible to get back into good shape, i bleed every time i clean the gutters, etc etc etc. ar-jedi |
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The Gutter Stuff is probably the best choice both from ease of installation and replacement if needed. It allows rain to filter through but keeps leaves and other crap out.
The only thing I would suggest is buying GutterStuff Pro instead of the regular. They likely don't have this at Home Depot. |
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ar-jedi's experiment is correct. The solids are terrible and the plastics are worse, and that foam will be a night mare. Find a metal open top (small holes) with a lip that clips to the front of the gutter and the back will slide under the 1st or 2nd shingle and also screw the front down with a 1/4" hex head x 1/2" self taping sheet metal screw on both ends of the screen. You will have to clean it some, depending on the type trees you have, but you will only usually have to spray it off with a hose or push with a broom in spots every other year. Mine are galvinize with reinforced lip and butt, they are a bit expensive but well worth it. Tennison Brothers makes the here in memphis. I have yanked more of the crap in your pic out of gutters than I would like to remember and 90% would have wrotten wood on the facia or eve behind it.
http://www.tennisonbrothers.net/ |
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Note that madgical is from RI, where freezing rain/snow is common. I believe some comments here are more suited to other, perhaps warmer locales. From her locale, and by local code, her roof is almost certainly steeply pitched.
Also interested because of similar locale. |
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Quoted: ar-jedi's experiment is correct. The solids are terrible and the plastics are worse, and that foam will be a night mare. Find a metal open top (small holes) with a lip that clips to the front of the gutter and the back will slide under the 1st or 2nd shingle and also screw the front down with a 1/4" hex head x 1/2" self taping sheet metal screw on both ends of the screen. You will have to clean it some, depending on the type trees you have, but you will only usually have to spray it off with a hose or push with a broom in spots every other year. Mine are galvinize with reinforced lip and butt, they are a bit expensive but well worth it. Tennison Brothers makes the here in memphis. I have yanked more of the crap in your pic out of gutters than I would like to remember and 90% would have wrotten wood on the facia or eve behind it. http://www.tennisonbrothers.net/ I used this method. The plastic ones are junk. Once they heat up in the sun they start to warp, and dont stay on well. Bolt on metal is the way to go. I looked at the gutter stuff, but it seemed very expensive for a whole roofline. Also our oak trees drop a granular pollen like stuff everywhere. Im thinking the gutter stuff would clog solid after 1 season. As it is, its hard to keep out of the gutters. If there isnt a hard rain it solidified and I have to break up the new dam in my gutter. |
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Thanks for the feedback... all great information and opinions so far. I was actually leaning towards those plastic ones, so thank you for mentioning that they warp in the sun.
The guy who cleaned my gutters said it was all full of seeds from trees... mostly those seeds that look like wings that I used to put on my nose when I was a kid. Umm... yeah, from a BIG old maple tree in my other neighbor's yard. He said there were no leaves. The bolted solution sounds complicated. Still undecided. |
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Quoted:
Rather than trying to prevent the debris from getting in, would it be better to invest in a tool that facilitates cleaning them. Once clean, I bet keeping them clean is a lot easier. pressure washer and 100' high pressure line. it's still a pain in the ass and debris gets everywhere, so you are next going to have to power wash the house. ar-jedi |
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Gutter Helmet is the only type of gutter system I recommend to my customers up here. The rest of them are garbage in my AO.
GH is the only one that successfully prevents ice heaving in the winter. If you get snow on your roof, the rest of them will be destroyed within a few years. The mesh will not stop dirt and granular from getting in the gutter, only full leaves, so thats useless, the foam is just that. Gutter Helmet all the way. |
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I've tried various types. The best is a good gutter wand
that will reach from the ground and wash'em out. Just plan on a warm day to get wet and dirty and do it right. You won't melt from the work once a year. I do it and I'm on crutches all the time. You can figure it out. All the fancy guards will clog up in time. |
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Quoted:
Gutter Helmet is the only type of gutter system I recommend to my customers up here. The rest of them are garbage in my AO. GH is the only one that successfully prevents ice heaving in the winter. If you get snow on your roof, the rest of them will be destroyed within a few years. The mesh will not stop dirt and granular from getting in the gutter, only full leaves, so thats useless, the foam is just that. Gutter Helmet all the way. This. Although, the steep pitches can defeat them. The foam blocks are a problem in areas that have freezing temperatures. A little snow on the roof starts to melt because of the heat escaping the house, the water collects and freezes in the sponge, now the gutter and fascia are in your bushes. Also just gravel from the natural and gradual breakdown of the shingles will clog them up. Both the sponge and the screen guards can accumulate debris on the surface that will put water behind the gutter. This can cause a rotted soffit, or in cases with no dogfight, rotted walls. ETA: There is a 'Helmet' type system that, as well as attaching under the shingles to the sheathing, also physically attaches to the gutter. This will add strength to the whole gutter system. |
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A roof can carry a lot of water. It is smart to collect and carry that water away from your foundation. Often water problems in basements can be significantly improved by just offering the water another route. |