Why LeafFilter is the Worst Performing Gutter Guard [S1 E18]
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- Опубликовано: 18 июн 2024
- This week's Episode 18 shows leaves and debris during the early-Fall season, after a recent storm. Leaves and pine needles are falling at a fast clip from all the trees surrounding our test site. Some leaf guards are managing the onslaught, while other covers for gutters are buckling under pressure.
MasterShield continues to lead the pack with its ability to shed leaves and debris regardless of the conditions outside. LeaFree and CleanMesh also performed well in this test with a few caveats. LeafFilter, on the other hand, landed at the bottom of our test list for both the north and south sides of the garage.
Ratings for this week on the South Side:
1. MasterShield (Winner)
2. LeaFree
3. Gutterglove Pro
4. GutterLove/LeafLock
5. HomeCraft / HydroShield
6. LeafFilter
Ratings for this week on the North Side:
1. MasterShield (Winner)
2. CleanMesh
3. Gutterglove Easy-on
4. LeafSolution
5. GutterLove/LeafLock
6. LeafFilter
To see all of our gutter guards reviews and testing videos, visit @gutterguardsdirect .
Need gutter guards that do the job? If you live in Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, or Pennsylvania, Gutter Guards Direct can get your gutter system to work the way you’ve always wanted it to. Contact us for a free assessment.
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[00:00:00] Intro
[00:00:20] Hurricane
[00:01:02] MasterShield South
[00:01:53] LeafFilter South
[00:02:46] LeafLock/ Gutter Love
[00:03:47] HydroShield South
[00:04:36] Gutterglove Pro
[00:05:14] LeaFree
[00:07:36] South Ranking
[00:08:22] MasterShield North
[00:08:44] Leaf Solution
[00:09:17] LeafLock / Gutter Love
[00:10:29] Gutterglove Easy-on
[00:11:27] Clean Mesh MicroScreen
[00:13:00] LeafFilter North
[00:13:27] North Ranking
[00:13:34] Outro 
Хобби
Glad I found this video. Rep came by my house today and tried to upsell me on Leaf Filter. When a company has sales reps that are super pushy that’s a huge red flag for me so I declined stating that I would do my own research first before proceeding. Looks like my instincts were right to research before pulling the trigger.
Yep. Leaf Filter is a huge scam. Wish id seen the tons of bad reviews before being ripped off. The really go after the older folks!! Way overpriced, do nothing but lie. Weve had more problems since installation. Im still sick that i fell for these scammers. Dont believe a word they say. Thanks for your video!! Much appreciated.
I fell for the scam, too. Wish I had seen this vid. They are overpriced and I'm underwhelmed with their "performance" if you can call it that.
Do not buy any system that has a screen over top. Those screens will clog with sap and green mold. And if you have pine trees, forget it.
Leaf filter does the job.....kept the leaves out....what's the big problem
Leaf Filter screens were the most expensive mistake I've made in years. Not only do the not let a heavy rain through, they become clogged within a few months from fine particles of something which does not dissolve like dirt would. When I complained they mailed me a special brush to clean their filters. Without a handle. I had them replaced with standard gutter screens a few months later.
That's just not true.
Were you able to get your money back and if so how
Me too. Leaf Filter is the worst gutter protection system EVER. Mine continue to clog and are all warped and uneven. Also a bad installation. They are terrible !
I got new seamless wide gutters along with the leaf filter system. They installed both. I live under an oak tree which covers the roof. I would have to take bags of leaves and debris out every year but not anymore!!. These have been a God send to me. Yes, I have to sweep them once a year but so what. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I haggled the price in half. Just do it. Whatever the quote cut it in half. Worked for me. I'm very happy with this system.
That’s a fair point. Haggle and be willing to clean off the surface as needed. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Been seeing their adds on instagram and was about to pull the trigger. Thanks for this review 💯
Yeah, they’re everywhere. Take a look at more of the testing videos and factor that into your environment and situation. If you like the micro mesh concept, look for MasterShield. It was the 2nd generation micro mesh invented by the same guy who created LeafFilter. It’s much improved and was the top performer in our tests. Visit MasterShield.com to get more info.
I wish we had known of the Leaf Filter lawsuit. They wanted $300 to come out and clean the screens off. I honestly hope they go out of business.
We thought part of the class action lawsuit was providing 2 or 3 free cleanings as the payout to customers. Attorneys made a couple of million bucks on the lawsuit and homeowners get free cleanings! Seems like a reasonable trade.
Leaflifter lies,scam ,I wish they go out of the business.
Wow! Ok thats good to know. Just had a rep try and set up a day to come out and give me an estimate. Will flat out tell them no.
When they say CLEAN the screens off, they will brush them with a broom...not CLEAN them with water and a brush because the screens are clogged....and they won't admit they are faulty.
Thanks for your efforts.
Thanks, Tina. We hope you found the videos helpful!
Even these, like leaf filter, aren’t that great the only ones that work wonderfully are the gutters that have a smooth top, rounded front top edge and a small opening in the front of the gutter that allows the water to run down over the top and around the front curved lip via capillary action into the gutter. That is the only style that really works wonderfully and I’ve had them installed on my house for over 15 years and never had a clog and I have plenty of trees in my area. It’s called the leaf guard gutter system… no filters…no screen…. No mesh…. No clogs!
Just a better engineered design.
Unfortunately, many companies don't give realistic expectations for their products. A homeowner should always be told the limitations of all gutter covers. Some do work better in certain situations and trees than others, as shiwn here. An honest company will let owners know minimal maintenance is required on all gutter covers, especially valley area. Homeowners need to be told this before a sale is made,
To be fair, most homeowners have the memory of a fly. Over the years, had customers confuse multiple sales rep pitches, and swear it came from me. I had to shut them down, and correct them, but they still feel they are right
How much water sledded off each gutter system though? That is the first thing that matters. Next is how much debris gets IN the gutter. 3rd would be how often you need to clean the top.
We have performed a series of water tests. Not sure it’s out there yet, but we also have a video or two that shows the debris that was inside the gutters at the conclusion of the testing.
I appreciate the comparison videos. Every homeowner first needs to know the slope of their roof and the material (locust, pine, sticks??) that ends up in their gutters. These things need to be identified before selecting an option. Something that does well with maple leaves on a steep roof might not do well with locust detritus on a shallow roof etc.
True!
I got scammed with leaf guard. I live in the townhome. The corner of my roof is always packed with garbage. They just come to sell it to you, but have no remedy for the problem. They’re expensive garbage. Do not put yourself in debt with the company is horrible. I wish I would’ve went with another company. I have to get up there every month almost every week. They only cover the install for one year. I regret getting leaf guard.
Best review of the different systems. Do you have any comments on pollen build up and what does the best?
Thanks for your comment and question. I think MasterShield would be the best bet in the micro mesh category. There are different factors that impact pollen. If it’s dry and breezy, then pollen isn’t a problem. But if rainwater combines with pollen, things can get sticky, and it can and will adhere to stuff. I’d probably buy a gutter guard that will best handle leaves and debris and know that you may have to wash pollen off a gutter cover at some point.
And that takes me back to MasterShield. It has a very fine screen. Pollen can’t really penetrate it or cling to the screen, but you might find spots here and there where it mats down on the screen.
Valleys might be one of those areas. Also areas protected from wind. Otherwise, you should be good. A leaf blower or good nozzle attached to a hose may be all you need to remove it from the screen.
If you opt for a solid gutter cover, you may have to hose off the nose where pollen will stick.
If you go with a perforated panel, such as Gutter Rx, then you may or may not have to blow off the tops of the covers.
No system will be perfect. Buy for your environment and budget and know that pollen can be easily dealt with if and when it settles in.
In any of these scenarios, most water should still pass through into the gutter, and it may resolve itself without intervention.
Did you notice these products are installed under the shingles? Voiding the warranty to your roof? A very Brad practice when installing gutter protection!
There’s no truth to that claim. If you’ve been told that, whoever shared that information with you either doesn’t know what they’re talking about or lied to you.
In most cases with screen type gutter guards the same thing will happen: the rainwater just flows over the top of the screen without penetrating through it to the gutter.
David, if by screen you mean an expanded metal screen, you're absolutely right. If noting is on top of the screen, then most water should go inside the gutters. However, this type of screening does a poor job keeping leaves, pine needles and seeds/flowers out of the gutters. Not only will the gutters fill with debris, but once enough debris is sitting on top of the covers, you'll see more water spill over the top than normal.
Mine was installed about a month ago and it Sucks! now not catching water and it is now dripping behind the gutter probally rotting the Soffet. "leaf filter once they are paid you on your own!
Thanks for your comments and sharing your experience working with LeafFilter.
Oh yeah..they guarantee the gutters won't clog....but the screens clog and don't even allow the water to get in !!!! TERRIBLE warranty and a rip off
Where are you located?
Visit us at www.gutterguardsdirect.com for our locations.
Anything with a screen on top will eventually clog with sap or mold in time, especially if you have pine trees. I bought the cheap plastic type with just holes in it from Home Depot, installed them myself 20 years ago, and have never had a major problem, I only had to clean one elbow once when my red maple had a lot of little "helicopters" that made it through the slots. Do not buy anything with screens covering the holes.
That's a pretty generic statement that hasn't borne out in our testing. Anyone who has trees that produce sap would be subject to it landing on their roof, gutters, gutter guards and vehicles. In some cases it may wash off with the help of rain, but in other cases, you may have to wash it off with a pressure washer, good nozzle on a hose or a car wash. In the case of gutter guards, sap is just as likely to stick to solid and perforated metal as some type of metal or fiberglass screen.
@gutterguardsdirect You ever try to get dried pine sap off of anything, let alone, to clean it off a screen with tiny holes. Good luck with that. You think a homeowner is going to get up a ladder every so often to clean those screens because he "may have to wash it off with a pressure washer." If someone was going to tell me that, I'd tell them to stick it. What about green moss? I have a little of that in one corner it didn't completely block the openings, but I had to scrub that off two sections. Rain didn't wash that off, and it certainly would have clogged a screen with tiny holes. I say, if you want to buy a gutter guard with a screen on top, go for it, for some people, it might work out, but if you have a pine tree near your house I'd say good luck.
Moss can be a problem with LeafFilter. It can also be a problem with any other gutter guard that sits relatively flat inside the gutter.
If a gutter guard sits flat inside the gutter like LeafFilter does, then it’s more likely to experience the issues you’ve described.
If a gutter guard has a generous forward slope, then you’re much less likely to experience these issues because gravity helps shed whatever lands on top of it.
The material isn’t the issue. It’s how the product is installed that’s the issue. Many gutter guards are designed to install flat or relatively flat inside the gutter. Those gutter guards are more susceptible to the issues you’ve described.
Unfortunately, the product may be okay or appropriate for your situation, but the installer doesn’t know what he or she is doing. In that case, the gutter guards may fail simply because it was installed incorrectly. This article will explain: www.gutterguardsdirect.com/customer-case-studies/what-gives-good-gutter-guards-a-bad-name/
Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@gutterguardsdirect I think it really doesn't matter at what angle it sits or who installed it if you have a gutter guard that has a screen on top especially a screen that has tiny holes it's going to clog up with pine sap, if you have pine trees near it, and if you get green moss over top, that will definitely clog it up. In any case every so often if you have issues like that on your roof, you're going to have to climb on a ladder to clean it, or pay someone to clean it. Unfortunately many people think if they get gutter guards, no matter what type, their gutter problems will disappear forever. Some work better than others. If you don't have any pine trees near your house or trees that don't produce much sap, then the type that have screens over top may be fine and do the job for many years, if as you said are installed correctly. The other issue I've seen is ice jams, but I won't get into that, that's a whole other issue. That has more to do with correct installation, and how well your roof was installed. Most roofers install roofing with ice backing up in mind, and install ice/water shielding, but I use the word most.
I'd attach a photo if I could, but we looked at a home the other day that has Leaf Relief installed. Leaf Relief is designed to sit flat in the gutters. It's a perforated metal panel with lots of small holes. The homeowner moved into the house in late summer and thought that he didn't have any gutter guards installed on his house because his gutters were such a mess. He received quotes from LeafFilter and another company selling a virtually identical gutter guard to what he had installed on his house. Neither rep told him that he had gutter guards installed already. Why would they? They might lose a sale! Or, perhaps, they didn't know enough to know what they were looking at.
Something told me there was a gutter guard installed on the house, so I climbed the ladder to look. That's when I discovered lots of leaves and debris and a massive amount of green moss growing on top of the perforated aluminum panels. Since Leaf Relief is designed to sit flat in the gutter, it's more like a shelf than a deflection device. Flat = no good. A forward slope is required for any gutter guard to work properly -- micro mesh, solid gutter cover or perforated aluminum panel.
Your version of LeafFilter sits virtually flat. It has a nominal slope because the rear of the frame is taller than the front of the frame. But it sits on the hangers, so the slope may be more or less depending on the position of the hangers. Debris is more likely to sit on LeafFilter and Leaf Relief than MasterShield and GutterHelmet. However, pine sap and other sticky substances will stick equally to all the above. The pitch of the gutter guard is going to dictate how well it sheds anything, be it pine sap, leaves or pine needles.
LeafFilter used to incorporate a much tighter woven screen than they do today. The pine sap would not have gotten stuck in the screen of old, but it may because the screen weave is more porous.
As you point out, most homeowners are told and believe that whatever gutter guard is being installed on their home will solve their problems once-and-for-all. However, as you've learned, that's not the case. What works well for you literally may not work well for your next door neighbor. And while the goal would be installing something that you'd never have to maintain, there are very few gutter guards that meet that stringent criteria.
I would argue that micro mesh gutter guards are the best gutter cover for your pine trees; however, the way in which those gutter guards were installed put you at an immediate disadvantage because the slope is not adequate to fend off the pine sap that falls from the trees. Even if it were installed with a good forward slope, there's always a chance that the amount of sap would overwhelm your gutter guards. Unless you swap one out for the other, you won't know.
Our approach is to assess your situation and environment up front so that you would select the best gutter guard for the job. Most companies in our space just want to sell the one thing that is in their bag regardless of how effective it might be.
I told the homeowner referenced above that he had 2 choices: He could keep what he has and clean off the covers a couple of times a year, or he could install a gutter guard that would deflect the leaves and debris and take in the water. We showed him 4 types of gutter guards, talked about the pros and cons of each, + the option of keeping what he had.
He didn't buy on the spot, but called within an hour to move forward with MasterShield, which we agree is the best solution for his environment.
Came here because of the clickbait title, but why did you have the leaf filter ones installed flat? Even in their own install video from years ago they show it being installed at an 11 degree pitch. Every other system you’ve got on that demo structure is at the same pitch. But not the one you’re ranking last.
Back in the day, we were a LeafFilter dealer. Not an installer. A dealer. We understand this product, which means we know how to install it. If you look at the videos, it does appear that LeafFilter is sitting flat, but that's impossible to do because LeafFilter's frame is taller at the back than the front. It's just that is sits flatter in the gutter than some of the other systems because many of those systems install under the first course of shingles. The garage roof has a 12/12 pitch, which is quite steep. Since LeafFilter installs on top of the hangers, in side the gutter, it cannot take advantage of the roof slope like the other systems do. As a result, leaves and debris are more likely to sit on top of it, making it the worst performing system for this particular test.
Does your company work on commercial buildings?
If the building has traditional k-style and box gutters. Where are you located?
Don’t go with Leaf Filter, and I’m here to say why. I had them installed only on my back patio gutter, and it was $3,000. That was just a year ago this past March, and the gutter is already clogged. So I called them to have someone sent here to fix that. They said it would cost me $97, because my one year warranty was up. So much for their so called “Lifetime No Clogs Guarantee” 😑
They cost very high , but FIRST THING I TROUGH OF IT IS FLAT AFTER A SLOPPING ROOF . GEOMETRY PROPERTY'S SAY THAT WILL NOT WORK
Just hire someone to clean gutters out when needed. Pine needles, sweet gum trees with those terrible spike-type balls, maple tree flying seed pods, none of these guards will work. "Buyer beware". Cheaper to hire someone to clean out them! Oak trees are another problem in spring when long seed pods are enerywhere. Or move to a desert! Lol
The leaf filter did the job. Kept the leaves outof the gutter....
Please dont fall the leaf filter scam they are criminals the way they prey after seniors. Biggest mistake I have ever made. And they wont take them off and return your money. Now I have to go to court unfortunately
I'm not a fan of leaf filter but this video is misleading
Leaf filter installer has more than one option when installing gutter guards on any home
They are put together on site
It depends on the gutter size they encounter
In the video it looks like they used the smaller wire mesh guard
If they had used the bigger one it wouldn't be so flat
It would be just like the others.
I was an installer but for them but the guy who gives work is a pos gave one install a week so obviously I'm not a fan of theirs but I'm a fan of calling out false or misleading videos.
Interesting perspective. Curiously, what specifically are the installation options you were instructed to follow by LeafFilter?
This is the worst investment I have ever made. The system keeps trapping debris. I have to keep calling them to clean them out. Now I have water spouts on the front and back of my house. I am now noticing mildew around my porch. Please don't put this crape on your gutters. I wish I had never wasted my money.
All these systems are worthless.
Yes...clean them. The only way
@@colettejaques2559 Actually, if you look around a city of any size, you will find many nice homes that are owned by brilliant people who never drank the gutter kool-aid in the first place and never installed any gutters on their houses, never mind gutter guards. An honest engineer will tell you that it is a myth that having no gutters on a house will damage foundations, etc. I have spoken to many owners of homes with no gutters in my city, and all of them told me that having no gutters have caused them no problems at all. The only difference between them and folks with gutters is that they save a ton of money, both initially and long term, as well as a lot of work and aggravation. Houses do NOT need gutters. Rain is water, and mother nature distributes it everywhere. Your property is does better if you just let mother nature distribute the water evenly. No muss--no fuss. However, not many roofers and builders realize this, as they have all been brain washed for years. And no gutter company or gutter guard company will tell you this, because they would rather make money than tell the truth.
There are houses that can get away without gutters and there are houses that need gutters. A lot depends on the overhangs on the houses. If a house has a wide overhang -- 2 to 3 feet -- and the earth slopes away from the house, then it may not need gutters. On the other hand, if the house has no overhang, which is more common than you'd think, you'll have nothing but water problems by not installing gutters.
Yes they are.