Your home’s gutters are its stormwater drainage system. Keeping gutters free of clogs to direct water away from your home is vital. Thankfully, gutter guards were designed to reduce or eliminate the debris that causes gutter clogs by preventing the debris from entering the gutter. Several types of gutter guards are available in varying designs, prices, and applications to suit any structure.
Clogs, damage, and other gutter defects also cause overflows when the gutters cannot empty before refilling. These overflows can cause erosion, wood rot, and mold growth, leading to even worse problems in the future if left uncorrected.
Gutter guards reduce the frequency of maintenance needed for your gutters, particularly during the autumn months when deciduous trees drop their foliage. While inexpensive gutter guards require regular maintenance, more expensive versions are virtually maintenance-free.
We’ll discuss gutter guards in-depth and learn more about them. Our guide will show the benefits of each type of gutter guard. This will help you select the most appropriate gutter guards for your home’s design, lifestyle, budget, and roof size.
What are the Different Types of Gutter Guards?
Gutter guards are available for any style of gutter, ranging from starter to luxury. The different types of gutter guards may look and work differently, but they do the same thing: prevent your gutters from clogging. Gutter guards also help prevent overflows that cause water to contact the soffit, fascia, and unprotected rafters. Prevention is key to avoiding water damage.
Also known as leaf guards and gutter covers, gutter guards keep leaves, cones, needles, and twigs from clogging your gutters and causing an overflow. Overflows that go undetected can cause various moisture problems, including mold and mildew growth.
Brush, foam, and screen-type gutter guards are affordable and easy to install. Reverse curve and mesh-style gutter guards are more sophisticated and require less maintenance.
Here’s a closer look at each type of gutter guard.
Screen Gutter Guards
Screen-type gutter guards usually clip onto the front and back of the gutter opening, completely covering the top of the gutter.
- Appearance and Style: Screen gutter guards can’t be seen from the curb, so curb appeal stays intact. Most screen guards are made from aluminum or galvanized steel.
- Durability and Maintenance: Screen-type gutter guards are durable as long as they are cleaned regularly. However, if allowed to sit in moisture, the galvanized coating will eventually wear off, allowing rust to form.
- Cost and Installation: Screen gutter guards are among the least expensive, especially if installed DIY. However, due to the required maintenance, many homeowners choose mesh or reverse curve gutter guards instead.
- Pros and Cons: The pros of screen gutter guards include low cost and durability. But having to regularly clean and maintain them can get old.
Foam Gutter Guards
Foam gutter guards are great for filtering out even tiny debris, like insects. They lie inside the gutter, as opposed to covering the top opening. Foam gutter guards are usually trimmed as needed to fit the gutters as snugly as possible.
- Appearance and Style: Like screen gutter guards, foam gutter guards are invisible from the street. Most are cut to size for a perfect installation, allowing them to remain unseen.
- Durability and Maintenance: Durability is excellent with foam gutter guards, but they will degrade over time from UV exposure. Regular cleaning is also required.
- Cost and Installation: Foam gutter guards are among the least expensive to both install and own. Installation, even by the pros, is often very affordable.
- Pros and Cons: Foam gutter guards fit well inside the gutter and have maximum effectiveness when it comes to keeping your gutters clear. They’re also a great cost-effective option. But they still need regular cleaning, and the foams will have to be replaced from time to time.
Brush Gutter Guards
Brush gutter guards have the advantage of easy cleaning. Like foam gutter guards, brush gutter guards lie inside the gutter and filter out debris. Brush gutter guards don’t fit the gutter as well as foam, but brush gutter guards are the easiest to clean.
- Appearance and Style: Brush gutter guards lie inside the gutter, so they are hidden from view. For this reason, brush gutter guards are usually a dark color, like black or charcoal.
- Durability and Maintenance: Brush gutter guards filter out large debris and are very easy to clean, but regular maintenance is required.
- Cost and Installation: Brush gutter guards are among the least expensive options. Installation is easy because most are not permanently mounted.
- Pros and Cons: Brush gutter guards are a breeze to install and clean and come at a low cost. But you’ll have to clean them regularly, and they may not fit precisely, which may allow small debris to pass.
Mesh Gutter Guards
Mesh-type gutter guards include a membrane that deflects large debris away from the gutter while allowing water to flow. Mesh gutter guards are usually professionally installed since the system relies on precise measurements.
- Appearance and Style: Mesh gutter guards are an upgrade from foam, brush, and screen gutter guards. Mesh guards are visible but not distracting or unattractive. Most mesh gutter guards go entirely unnoticed.
- Durability and Maintenance: Durability and easy maintenance are the benefits of installing mesh gutter guards. Most debris is deflected instead of filtered, so regular cleaning is often unnecessary.
- Cost and Installation: Mesh gutter guards rely on precise installation techniques and materials, so the cost and installation are often higher than screen, foam, and brush-type gutter guards.
- Pros and Cons: Mesh gutter guard pros are low maintenance, durability, and effectiveness. The only real disadvantage to using mesh gutter guards is the higher cost.
Reverse Curve Gutter Guards
Reverse curve gutter guards require the least maintenance, as the aluminum they are made from is very durable. Reverse curve gutter guards require professional installation, as the system only works when installed at a precise angle.
- Appearance and Style: Reverse curve are the only gutter guards that are easy to see after installation. For this reason, professional installers go to great lengths to ensure reverse curve gutter guards look good.
- Durability and Maintenance: Reverse curve gutter guards are very durable but are vulnerable to large impacts. They require very little maintenance except for an occasional inspection for damage.
- Cost and Installation: Reverse curve gutter guards are often the most expensive type to install but the least expensive to maintain.
- Pros and Cons: Reverse curve gutter guards offer low maintenance, maximum effectiveness, and durability. The only real con is the installation cost.
How to Choose the Best Type of Gutter Guard for Your Home
Choosing the best gutter guard for your home is best done by looking at your climate, roof size, and color your home needs. Gutter guards help reduce clogging, overflows, and erosion, so choosing the correct type of gutter guard for your gutters is crucial to their performance.
Here’s a handy checklist of factors to consider when choosing the best type of gutter guard for your home:
Climate and Weather Conditions
Look for gutter guards appropriate for drainage problems and situations specific to your home. A harsher climate will require more durability in your gutter guards, so consider mesh or reverse curve-type gutter guards.
Gutter guards help prevent ice dams by keeping the gutters ready to drain away the ice as it melts.
If low cost is a factor, brush-type gutter guards offer excellent performance, albeit their dependency on regular cleaning.
Roof and Gutter Size and Shape
If the roof area is large, opt for oversized gutters, downspouts, and gutter guards to avoid overflows. Unless the gutters are standard K-style, consider foam-type guards, as they are easily modified for a proper fit.
Debris and Pest Type and Severity
Consider reverse curve or mesh-type gutter guards if your roof experiences debris and pest infestations regularly. These are more impact resistant and are designed to deflect debris and pests instead of catching them.
Color and Texture Options
If you prefer a gutter guard with color options, consider reverse curve gutter guards, as they are paintable. If texture is needed, it can be added to the paint before application.
Water Collection
If you’re interested in collecting rainwater to conserve resources, some municipalities encourage the practice.
A free-flowing gutter system is an effective way to collect rainwater for tasks like washing cars, filling birdbaths, and watering your garden has no environmental impact.
Gutter guards help pre-filter rainwater that will eventually be collected, reducing the time spent filtering the water. Since rainwater doesn’t flow through the sewer system, you don’t have to worry about paying for that water.
Warranty and Guarantee
For a warranty and guarantee of performance, opt for professional installation. Most gutter guard companies are happy to install the type of gutter guard you request, but they may only offer warranties on the best products.
Often, the best strategy is to request help from a gutter guard expert. These pros can provide samples, references, and quality advice. Review online ratings for gutter guard companies in your area, and ask to see previous work.
How to Install and Maintain Your Gutter Guards
Generally, it’s best to leave gutter guard installation to the pros. Even DIY-friendly options, like brush and foam, can require working on ladders and moisture. Plus, professional gutter installers will offer maintenance, alleviating your need to climb a ladder.
Here’s another helpful checklist describing the steps required, as well as tips for installing and maintaining your gutter guards:
Choose a reputable and experienced gutter contractor who can provide references and warranties.
Purchase your gutter guard materials and products from a reliable supplier who can deliver your gutter guards on time and in good condition. The company you hire will install the materials as the manufacturer intended, maximizing their effectiveness.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper gutter guard installation and maintenance. The pros will take care of this part for you.
Inspect and clean your gutter guards regularly to remove dirt, debris, mold, or insects. Remember, reverse curve and mesh-type gutter guards will require less cleaning and maintenance.
Replace or repair damaged or worn parts of your gutter guards as soon as possible to prevent further damage. Damaged or leaking gutters cause most overflows, so get a pro involved as soon as you notice a problem.
Gutter Guards Are the Answer to Clogged Gutters
We can’t add hours to the day, but we can reduce the time required to keep gutter guards in good shape.
If you’re the DIY type, screen, brush, and foam gutter guards will work great with proper maintenance.
If your climbing days are behind you, reverse curve and mesh-type gutter guards are an excellent choice for their warranty, low maintenance, and durability.
Whichever type of gutter guard you choose should be based on what works best for you, your budget, and maintenance and style requirements.
To leave the job to the experts, contact one of our local gutter guard pros and ask for more information. We can save you time by helping you narrow your choices. In any event, don’t wait and allow damage to occur. We’re here to solve your gutter problems today.
