Don't waste your money or time with the Huxley plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and actually fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...
That broom hack was worth the watch. Thanks for that tip. The mesh version are the gutter guards I have used for years. My first install lasted almost ten years.
I bought the black metal gutter guards from Lowes and installed them on my two story house and my garage gutters.I also used small aluminum screws to secure the gutter guards to the gutters. They have been installed now for over 4 years and not problem with clogged gutters or down spouts. Thanks for the video
Those are the same ones I bought and use. I find them to be the best for my conditions. Overall they have been troublefree and do not warp from the sun nor easily get blown off.
I had the plastic gutter guards installed. Installed easily. Pretty easy to keep cleaned off. The problem I found is that anything more than a light rain and the rain can’t make it into the gutter even on a brand new gutter guard. The water just flows right over the gutter and straight down to about three feet from the house. On a hard rain the water turns into a waterfall that shoots out 5-6 feet from the gutter. Basically the gutter is doing very little collecting and taking the water to the downspout.
Same Took them off and into the trash Gutters work best without guards ez to clean without guards and junk stuck to or dropped inside like roof granules or dirt getting thicker
Don't waste your money or time with the Huxley plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and actually fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...
You better have a nail puller if you expect to slide those plastic snap-ins under the nailed-down shingles... Be prepared to replace several dozen shingles or more during the installation. Don't waste your money, or time with the Huxley or Amerimax plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and actually fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...
Two of my neighbors installed the plastic gutter guards, but they both had terrible trouble with Maple tree seeds sticking in all the holes. The holes are too big to prevent this. I’ve tried some options, but finally decided that standing on my roof (not a steep slope) and running with a leaf blower around the gutters every fall after the leaves have fallen and possibly again in the late spring works best. It only takes ten minutes to blow out the debris.
If you have a one story house, you can operate a back-pack, or hand held leaf blower on the ground to clean out the gutters. Simply extend the blower outlets with some straight PVC pipe, so that when you hold either blower on the ground, the PVC points straight up to the gutters. Extend the PVC about 1 to 2 feet above the gutter and then add one 90 degree fitting and one 45 degree fitting, so that your angle approaching the gutter when you clean it out will be approximately 45 degrees. You are basically walking underneath and along the gutters while you clean them out. Depending on what schedule (wall thickness) of PVC you use, will determine how heavy the unit will be to operate. Now you can safely do on the ground what you risked doing on top of your roof.
I use a gas powered leaf blower to clean out the gutter. A leaf blower gets the gutters squeaky clean and is fast (about 20 minutes). The only drawback is you have to go on the roof but if you're careful it's not a big deal.
Something I've used to help clean my gutters is a small gardening shovel that fits inside the gutter. If you have a metal one that's great but a cheap plastic one will work too. Very helpful if the material being removed is damp or soaking wet. Also, if there's a large build up of granules or dirt it makes it easier to remove it and not clog the downspout
I have one that was accidentally run over with the lawn mower a couple decades back. Bent it perfectly to hold at a comfortable angle while scooping out gutters! (I do not recommend running over gardening shovels or any other tool with a lawnmower - it's hazardous and I was extremely lucky!)
One of the downsides of the plastic ones you recommend is that if you have a steep pitched roof and a hard downpour rain, the water will run so fast that it runs over the guard past the gutter. That's why they didn't work for me.
Possible answer might be to tilt the gutter up toward the roof to catch the rain better yet that then may create other problems..another thought might be to extend the edge of the roof more like a Frank Lloyd Wright design to do better creating ideas that would work in your neck of the woods. Me ditto of creating improvements for my home on a semi-off-grid terrain. Good luck
Same scenario with my house. I switched them out with the the black metal mesh ones. After a few years, so far so good. I live in the Midwest, with four season weather, and they hold up well. Armor guard is the product name. The are three foot sections like what the host of this channel put in (not like the first piece he took out). They are a heavy weight tringular mesh, no screen. I have a very large Silver Maple Tree that hangs over the roof, and have very little issues with leaves and seedlings getting stuck. The wind usually takes care of them.
This is exactly what I was wondering. I live in Southwest Florida and the rain gets brutal in season. Seems like it would just spill right over with these guards which is what I'm trying to avoid so it doesn't spill over onto my Lanai
Great content Scott. Two drawbacks: 01. Here in southern California our sun will degrade the plastic in a few years. 02. The joints between the panels do not seem snug enough and over time due to the elements the plastic will warp at which point the joints will become little gutters holding twigs, leaves, dirt etc. Thanks for a great video.
I have a huge oak tree right next to my house. I had to clean my gutters a minimum four times a year. I put the steel mesh gutter guards in and never had any problems with them. Now I only clean my gutters out every 3 years by removing one 3 ft section gutter guard and flushing it out. Plastic works fine but they degrade over time. But I do see the added benefit of having those built-in screens.
Over time the metal ones will resist the elements better, especially if you get a lot of storms. Not to mention regular sunlight exposure over time will degrade the plastic guards, and they will become brittle and crack/break. You may save a few bucks now, but you will have to replace those cheaper ones eventually
Agree 100%. I installed cheap plastic ones (no fine mesh). Over a couple years, the plastic decayed (broke, collapsed). I replaced them with metal ones recently. These should last a decade at least.
@@1776Based Yeah, I hear this a lot Kimberly. "It's so cheap, when they break I will just buy new ones." Hummm, but you aren't the one climbing the ladder every year. Re-Doing the work, over and over again. Replacing the inferior sun-damaged junk every year. So, who in your home is the sucker risking their life every 12 months?
Bucket on a hook so not dumping the mess on the sidewalk. Great idea! The broom trick is good but I've got a 2 story bldg. I use the foam, and it keeps me off the ladders for 4 years w/o doing any cleaning. They are great also because of the black color which keeps the ice/snow melted. My area gets a LOT of freezing rain/sleet during winter. The foam will fill up with dirt, get heavy, and not pass water very well. The foam can be removed and knock the dirt out
I just had a new roof installed using owens-Corning glass shingles. Roof company had to remove my aluminum gutter guards because they were the under shingle design. OC will void the warranty if this design is used. Great video! Thanks
Thanks for the great video! My dad is in his late 60s and we dont want him on the roof anymore, so I am looking to install something like this since the professional ones are just WAY too expensive. I love the broom hack at the end as well. I am personally afraid to get up on the roof myself, so something like that would help both me and my dad to maintain them without having to get onto the roof.
Great video and perfect timing- I am just in the process of installing new gutters all around my house so this information is especially appreciated. It would have been good for you to clarify how the guards attached to the front edge of the gutters but near the end I could see how they snap on.
I installed this type of gutter guards in 2013 and they're still there working fine. But some of the mesh is gone from the element and i need to replace them this summer. Thank you for all the info.
In Florida, the starter shingle edge is required to be embedded in mastic to prevent lifting during high winds. I personally would not want to weaken the edge by inserting the guard. I'm looking for other options. Nice presentation!
@@Keifsanderson Sorry, no. I've been preoccupied with other activities. I suppose one could lift the shingles, then apply roofing mastic over the guard to reseal. It might take heat to loosen the shingle edge.
That broom hack is so good it should be illegal, lol. I live in a 3-street subdivision, in a really small town in Georgia, and I've noticed none of the houses have gutters at all. I've never seen that before. The houses in the area all have really steep pitches to account for the amount of rain we get, so maybe that's why. It could also be the fact that our area is loaded with pine trees, and with pine trees comes pine needles that love to clog everything they touch. The truth is I'd only have to setup two runs in order to keep water away. One for the front, and one for the back with downspouts on either end. All I'd have to do is make sure there's gutters under the gables because we got rain the other night, and witnessed a literal fountain coming off the roof where the gables, and roof met. Doing the entire area of the house wouldn't make sense though, because the pitch is steep enough to cause such a flow that the gutters would essentially overfill at the bottoms of the runs.
I installed gutter guards for a major company. I removed lots of these plastic guards. They work good for a while. Over time the screen starts to separate from the plastic. Often times they were so overloaded with leaves they had fallen into the gutter and allowed debris in. Try out different guards. The commercial ones I installed are stupid expensive, I cannot believe the price some people paid was over $25 per foot. Maintenance is the biggest tip I can give. Keep them cleaned out. Hire someone if you need to.
@@krisannekey3218 either the mesh covered with leaves ( they don't tell you that you have to clean them off), or your filters are not sized properly. I've seen a metal roof with old screens that was running over. I had to replace them with the new style that was more efficient.
@@sixfourlonley there are no leaves or debris on them. I literally just put them up earlier this morning. Should I just go back and take them all down?
Those mesh LB Plastics guards are brilliant. I live in a pine forest where a ton of crap fall off these trees all year long. From long pine needles to little specks of pine cones. And the inverse broom trick is epic. Thanks.
6:41 - true on the spot "testimonial"!😆 That's an awesome "hack" with the broom. 🤦♂️ 50 yrs in, never seen that...probably woulda never thought of it. This'll help me narrow down selection.👌
Had tried these same gutters plastic screens , they last maybe 2-3years, sun exposure breaks them down they become very brittle ,crack, split, and are blown off by strong winds. I replaced them with stainless steel mesh gutter guards, which are installed the same way except they are screwed to top of gutter lip. Sold at Home Depot, they cost more but will last the life of your house. Had a hail storm, had to replace entire roof, but not the stainless steel gutter guards. Garage still has plastic screened gutter guards,(2yrs old), they were shredded. Replaced with stainless steel mesh gutter guards.
You mentioned wiping down the gutters to get them cleaner. Just to add on to that, if your gutters have the grey “tiger stripes” I learned that Totally Awesome gets rid of those really well. Got my gutters nice and white again. Great stuff….
"Awesome" is Awesome!! Pick it up at the Dollar store. Great for cleaning everything, including under the cars hood. Best ever for hardwood/veneer floors, tile, etc.
I installed the mesh gutter guards on my house. Major difference. I just get up there every little while with my leaf blower and blow them off. Easy job
I have the recommended ones with the screens. The screens peeled off and now maple tree seeds (helicopters) get thru the holes and fill the gutters. Now it's harder to clean on the spring because I have to peal back the guards to clean. They still work well for the big leaves in the fall.
I was just thinking about gluing a screen over the downspout holes, And taking off the end caps. That way the junk will get pushed on off to the ground, and heavy rains will keep it clear.
Already been there...one that you pop out easily is recommended...I'm in rain/winter/leaf/needles/helicopter/whirlygig/cone country...put contractor aluminium grade gutter guards on - each piece just over 7' with silicone gasket...they seem to be okay but now better check them and put the ones I bought two yrs back on my garage LOL
I have the punched hole plastic guards on my home. They work great, never need to do any maintenance in the gutters, but they fill up with those helicopter seeds that fall out of the trees, and you see hundreds of them sticking up until they decay and shrivel up enough to fall through and wash out when it rains hard.
Hardware cloth, Aluminum pop rivets and a bit of care when installing for the win. Been using the system for years, very cheap and looks just as good if you use common sense when installing.
I just had some installed. Didn't want to bother doing it myself. Cost was $1,200 and they used PlyGem Leaf Relief Gutter Cover System. It's very hard to get to some of my gutters so I just bit the bullet and got it done.
As much as I want to have a "maintenance free" house, especially the roof (inaccessible for me), we have a neighborhood handyman who charges $40 to clean gutters. 2x per year: $80.... not too bad and you KNOW the gutters are clean, AND he tells you if there's a problem up there.
That was my go-to move but the rooftop services will be getting their calendars filled for months this Sunday. The first strong winds of October blow all the dead needles out of the pines. The cost for our 350 feet of gutters is about $200 but not everybody gets their gutter cleaned before the freeze sets in. I had to do it myself the last five years or so before getting gutter guards professionally installed. A lot more expensive, and truly dangerous, but a lot less frustrating. People who are good with lotteries are able to time their call to be put on the list (no appointment dates, just "next!") but I failed on the last 3 years before I had gutter guards installed.
Great video. 2 follow-up questions though. 1) How well do these kinds of guards work with pine needles, which are more common than leaves at my Colorado home? 2) How do gutter guards effect ice damns? I have heat tape in my gutters to keep the water flowing in the winter, and I'd be worried that there would be an ice layer on top of the gutter guard that would never fully melt.
One thing anyone installing gutter guards should keep in mind. Regardless of what design in moderate to heavy rainfall a lot of water is going to flow over the gutter guards and onto the ground. Not into the gutters and down the downspout. Something that might be a concern if there are drainage issues or problems with moisture in basements or crawlspaces. Good video but having used plastic gutter guards previously I would not go back to them. Prefer the stainless steel and aluminum ones like Gutterglove. The plastic ones are very thin. After a couple of seasons of exposure to the sun they become very brittle and crack easily. Since we live in the northeast we also have to deal with ice and icicles. The plastic doesn't handle either well. They needed to be replaced after a couple of years.
Have had one that is very similar (diamond shaped openings) but minus the wire mesh. Has worked very well and I'm probably into the tenth year, but not a lot of sun beating directly down on it. Good job on the video.
i have a 12/12 roof, been using the screened plastic ones, as well as the wedge inserts, for years, been a HUGE time saver for not having to clean gutters, highly recommend.
I am 73 and bought an extendable aluminum nozzle jet that you can twist almost any angle So i connect my hose extend it up and stand on lawn while cleaning out my gutters fast Home depot in the garden section I put those cone shaped wire guards in the downspouts and have to go up and clean them out of leaves stuck but use a 12 foot alum folding light ladder feel very safe on just stay mindful and always always realize its that last step down that caues most accidents My ER doc agreed after i fell years ago but luckily only bruised my shoulder
I don't have gutters. I got a flyer in the mail and called to get a quote. Crazy money! He lowered his price some, but it was more than I would pay. I'm going to search your channel for a DIY gutter install and price the materials. If I decide to do it, I'll get these gutter guards, too. I have a tin roof, so I'll have to deal with that, but it shouldn't be a warranty issue. The previous owner and a neighbor installed it themselves about 7 years ago. Wow! I have a big push broom like that. Super easy! Thank you, Scott. You always cover every detail.
Always try to negotiate to *half* of the initial estimate, unless there's something particularly difficult or unusual about your project. That's a general ballpark for an acceptable project cost.
@@YouveBeenMiddled Thanks. There is nothing particularly difficult about my house where gutters are concerned. It has a tin roof and requires extensions, I'll call it, to be installed to get the gutters out far enough for the roof's rain runoff to fall in, but that's really it. I could DIY them with a helper and some video guidance, but getting to it is the thing.
I installed the vinyl mesh a couple of years ago (Southern California) and they lasted through one winter. When summer hit, and I'm in a moderate temperature zone (90°F), they softened enough to droop, and many fell into the gutter. I have 6" gutters, so maybe the 5" is not as susceptible...
Gutter guards work for the leaves and sticks, but unfortunately my spouts still get clogged with Pine needles and mapleseed helicopters. And we have plenty of downpours that would overrun the mesh-style. Other than regular cleaning, I keep a long pole with hooked wire at the end handy so if a spout is plugged up during a storm I can chop up the sludge and wash it down the spout.
I bought the white vinyl guards with mesh for my garage. It took me about an hour to clean the gutters and install the guards. The total cost was about $32.00. Now for the rest of the story: We called a gutter leaf g guard company that advertised on TV a couple weeks back to install leaf guards on our house and garage. Their estimate was $11,000 for the cleaning and guards with the garage costing $3,000. When they called to ask if we were ready to install the guards I couldn’t stop laughing cause next spring I will install the guards myself by renting a cherry picker since the house is two stories tall. Total cost to me will be less then $600. This leaf guard is a game changer.
I've had similar experiences with trades work. Like $10,000 quote for a pergola which ended up costing &3,000. How is this any better than criminal theft?
I agree (Ha, Ha, Ha on the price from Professional Installers.) I think that if you already do a little "around the house" maintenance, the DIY approach should be pretty much a piece of cake. Especially with the tutorial from this Great Video!!
@@trackdustyIt is theft. It’s also theft when corporations raise prices just to gouge people. We need new laws that throw executives in prison when they raise prices like the monopolized oil companies do.
I needed some minor repairs to some gutters as well as some repairs to some fascia boards. Called a company that specializes in gutters and they wanted $2k. Yeah no. My handyman (who charges $75 an hour) knocked it out for $400 including materials.
Thanks for video. I use those plastic guards also. they are junk. However if used with zip ties and an occasional heat gun to flatten them back out , they work ok for the price. The screens fall off of them almost immediately.
I just installed the same gutter guards you recommended. I used them on my last home and they really worked great and a good value too. The only problem was it is sometimes hard to clip them to the gutter but I usually overlap them, so there's enough connected to hold them in place. Good tip about the warranty. I bought my house with a five year old roof, so I don't know if the warranty stays with the house or is only with the old owner.
I use a Kobalt 80 volt leaf blower with an extension and a U shaped tip at the end, allowing you to walk under the gutter. The leaves blow out in mere minutes. The only cons with this method is, the gutter must be completely dry and you have to rake the leaves afterwards.
The person who lived in our house before us installed some helmet style gutter guards. Talk about expensive AND ineffective, when we replaced the roof we went with something similar to what you suggested in this video, but metal instead of plastic.
We have the same thing (Gutter Helmet) but it works perfectly on our pine needles. I was concerned at first about mud buildup but here in Arizona the monsoon rains seem to do a good job of clearing it out.
I’ve found cleaning any sticks or pine needles is worth the trade off. The water flow is much better with no mesh. Which is the point of gutters to channel water. If any debris is covering the top it will just flow over the gutter. I’ve cleaned a few hundred homes with both. I can quickly take a soft or hard bristle brush and break off the sticks or pine needles into the gutter or off the top. And because there is no mesh using a hose with a gilmour gun is a breeze. But to each there own
I've had gutter guards for a few years now. My problem was leaves. That solved the big headache. There is still shingle residue but that is minimal. Only trouble is during a heavy rain (which is common here in Hawaii) By covering any portion of your gutter with anything, it restricts the amount of water that can pass through. Weigh the pros and cons. In my case I'd rather have them than not
considering I was just quoted $800 for a contractor to do a 12 foot run of a gutter guard on the front of my sunroom, I will be DIYing it myself! Thank you for the video :0)
Costco makes a 6” metal version that I like, for about $2 a foot. I don’t trust my balance enough to install myself, so I’m looking for a handyman to do it for me. P.S. the Menards description for the product you used says to install with screen side up.
That is correct. If you have the screens on the bottom debris, granules fill the little circle and the debris starts to form a clogs. With the screen on the topside, the debris washes off better from rains. No 1005 perfect as it will also eventually fill with dirt and debris. I clean gutters and see this issue often here in SW Michigan.
This past summer I installed Raptor gutter guards bought off Amazon... no where as easy to install as the slip on plastic stuff, but I'm sure they'll far outlast them. Cost ran around $80 for 48 feet (more expensive now), but for me they're worth it.
I think anything is better than nothing aside for those foam inserts but plastic has it's downfalls as well, I give plastic guards about 3 years before having to replace them due to Sun UV's causing breakdown and brittle cracking, not counting large branches breaking them.
I'm getting brand new gutters installed on my house for the first time next week and the quote was right at $1,200. They added an additional $800 if I wanted to get gutter guards installed along with them. Seeing that that would be too much, I decided to do it myself wants the gutters are installed and will most likely go with the plastic guards that have the mesh screen on them. My mom used those without any problem for many years. I do plan on overlapping Mine by about an inch though.
We bought high-end gutter guards and quickly wished we'd just left things alone, because instead of having open tops to the gutters, there were now millions of tiny perforations, the things that kept out leaves and other trash, and in freezing weather they would ice up way before anything else did. The result was that whatever ran off the roof went straight over the iced-over gutter guards and straight down over the edge to the pavement below. When the ground was below 32 degrees F, this produced sheets of ice where we'd never had any before. So instead of having to clean gutters once a year, we now had to salt our sidewalks and front stoop every few days during the winter, and the runoff when that stuff melted was murder to our grass and flower beds adjacent to the sidewalks. No way we'd every do the gutter guards again. In a hot climate this might not be a problem, but for us it's been a dangerous and expensive nightmare.
This. All the recommendations for gutter guards overlook many of the pitfalls -- and for those with colder winters, ice damming is a big problem with gutter guards.
I have a Craftsman shop vac that has a gutter cleaning tool, a sort of U shaped thing, plus extension pipes. I can clean the gutters on our 1700 sq ft bungalow in about 2 hours without climbing a ladder.
I tried that out with the pine needles here. The inlet just jams with the needles - timing to prevent them from getting wet would be great but impractical with our weather. The windstorm that knocks the needles down is often accompanied by monsoon rain.
Welcome from Flagstaff, in the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the world! I researched for years to find a gutter guard that would completely take care of pine needles and ice. Even the mesh type gradually collects the splintered ends of pine needles and have to be maintained, but parts of our roof are almost 20 feet above the ground and I am 70 years old. I know me - the time would come when I would be on the ladder, on uneven ground, and take a fall. I went with Gutter Helmet, a solid metal plate system with a bullnose on the outer edge. Water flows across, washing the top and following the bullnose into the gutter. The same water washes pine needles over the side. It is a rather precision fit so it has to be professionally installed (about $7000 for our 350 feet of roofline, including initial cleanout and repair of the gutter), but it also has a warranty for as long as the structure is standing. If the roof has to be replaced, the owner - the warranty is transferable - calls to have the material removed and reinstalled after the roof replacement is done, part of the warranty. My wife cringed at the price but it is a permanent solution to a worsening problem for us.
I have used all the type of guards you show over the years. The wire type are a real pain, they catch everything... the plastic guards will sag, forming a slight dip that will clog up more. The plastic with netting are no good either, still sag and the net comes loose clogging the gutter even more. I am now going to the metal (high price) type guards. They keep out the shingle gravel and very small items. The problem is see with this type is a heavy rain overrun them. The good is once and done! The cheap options are not the best.
This is a great video thanks. I watched and was pleasantly surprised to see you recommend the very kind of Garuda that I used on my last house. I Installed them and three years later they were still in very hood condition and worked great. Honestly I wasn’t sure if the sun would make the guards brittle but it didn’t. I’ll be using them again in the house I’ve just purchased. Thanks for the great video
I had leaf filter installed. Back of house seems fine but I wasn't crazy about the front. Couple issues that I never had before. I removed the ones in front. Looking to put something in front. I like what you recommended. Thanks.
Thanks for the options...I have the ones you put in last..the mesh does come loose after a while. As for warranty issues on shingles, I can't imagine something as less intrusive as those guards having an affect on warranty. Let's just say if you have defective shingles under warranty, you have the rest of the roof to complain about rather than just the first row! LOL
You have been an EXCELLENT source of home maintenance responsibilities resource for me. Truthful comments along with common sense tidbits so uplifting for my plans for improvements of my home. Certain plastics exposed to direct sunlight deteriorate over time yet the price/materials of the screened panel does seem best! Excellent tidbit of reposition broom handle to clean top of gutter!!! This educated Army veteran with Industrial Design, B.S. degree does appreciate and stand firm ground attention behind all these "Everyday Home Repairs" website!!! Much gratitude for your info that confirms and/or uplifts projects at my residence. Thank you for your time.
Great idea, but I just go on the roof and use a strong blower and blow them clean. Takes about 5 minutes and I know the are clean. Only issue I do have to do it before any heavy rain.
Another method I personally use for cleaning gutters from the ground is purchasing an extension for your pressure washer ( mine extends to 24ft ) and add a "U" bend attachment then your nozzle , with the widest spray setting ( 40° or greater ) You can easily clean out your gutters or clean off your gutter guards from the ground even to a second story gutter. Thanks for the great info on the gutter guards 👍 Edit: I must say though that the 24ft extension will be a bit of a handful when you squeeze the trigger.
Yet another method is to use a shop vac from the ground. Make an extension using plastic vacuum cleaner tubing, including a 'U' at the top. Use a hose clamp and no glue on a couple of the corners as you want to be able to adjust the angle of the U, plus to take it apart if things get plugged. Get real fancy and mount a Go-Pro on the top so you can see how you're doing!
I've had the ones you chose on my gutters for over 10 years and never had to do any maintenance. However, the birds pulled off about 10 feet of one gutter in the last year, and I've replaced them. I assume I will replace all of them eventually, but at that price I can do it every 10 years and be ahead of the other types in cost.
i recently installed them on my gutter and I love them. Only problem I've run into is when I had to replace one recently I couldn't remove it without completely destroying it! Were you able to remove your old ones easily?
@@dcccaldyou987 It was fairly easy. My original set were all four feet long, and the new ones that I bought as replacements were three feet. So I replaced 3 of the four footers with 4 of the three footers. I was planning to throw out the old ones, so I didn't worry about how they came off. I got underneath the end of one of them with a small tool and flexed it in the middle until the upper edge came off. Then I pulled backward and upward on the front of the cover which locked onto the front of the gutter. The rest were easy since the first one was gone and I could just maneuver the cover with my hand.
Any chance you could do a quick test regarding how well the gutter guard allows water to flow in (i.e. how much does it restrict water or will the water just over flow)? Nothing fancy, maybe as simple as placing a hose on the roof and seeing if there's any overflow. That's one thing I always wondered about w/the fine mesh screen.
You better have a nail puller if you expect to slide those plastic snap-ins under the nailed-down shingles... Be prepared to replace several dozen shingles or more during the installation. Don't waste your money or time with the Huxley or Americax plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and actually fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...
Where it snows, wire mesh freezes causing overflow and damming. If you live where it snows, be sure to get these (less expensive) nylon mesh guards. They don't freeze up and lasted me for 7 years in cold Wisconsin. And make sure to install with the mesh side UP. You are welcome...
In the south most people don't use gutters and the few places where there are gutters they're installed often only over driveways, entryways and where the house touches pool cages. That's it.
Down here in florida the starter course is glued down with tar. So getting anything under there is a no no. It would take longer to pry up the shingle and would void the warranty
The plastic ones he recommended are not good for neighborhoods with lots of trees. Mine were overwhelmed with leaves and I had to clean them off regularly. Eventually they collapsed into the gutters. I replaced them
We've had the metal mesh guards for 10+ years. It's very tough but it does clog with leaves. The shingle grit falls through and I have to use the power washer to push it towards the drain. About half didn't do well for the egg + size hail we had last month. I was able to bend the other sections back into place. Still pricy to replace.
the problem i have with the ones i put on my house is that i own a cape cod with a good pitched roof. The plastic ones were cheap and easy but the water rolls right off my one side of house and both sides of the connected garage in which totally defeats the purpost of having gutters to push the water away from your foundation. The barrier just cant handle the water flow. Not sure what the answer is with a steep pitched roof.
That broom hack is brilliant!
🤓👍
Yeah, I nvr thought about putting the handle through the bottom. Awesome.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs If you were to do this as a business, what would you charge per house?
Don't waste your money or time with the Huxley plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and actually fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...
That broom hack was worth the watch. Thanks for that tip. The mesh version are the gutter guards I have used for years. My first install lasted almost ten years.
I bought the black metal gutter guards from Lowes and installed them on my two story house and my garage gutters.I also used small aluminum screws to secure the gutter guards to the gutters. They have been installed now for over 4 years and not problem with clogged gutters or down spouts. Thanks for the video
Those are the same ones I bought and use. I find them to be the best for my conditions. Overall they have been troublefree and do not warp from the sun nor easily get blown off.
I had the plastic gutter guards installed. Installed easily. Pretty easy to keep cleaned off. The problem I found is that anything more than a light rain and the rain can’t make it into the gutter even on a brand new gutter guard. The water just flows right over the gutter and straight down to about three feet from the house. On a hard rain the water turns into a waterfall that shoots out 5-6 feet from the gutter. Basically the gutter is doing very little collecting and taking the water to the downspout.
5 or 6 feet water shed from house is probably more than most homes have for downspout run off pipe ...least of my concerns with gutters
Did you find a way to fix this. I am having this issue as well
Did you find a solution for this. This is what is happening with mine
@@krisannekey3218 I removed mine.
Same
Took them off and into the trash
Gutters work best without guards ez to clean without guards and junk stuck to or dropped inside like roof granules or dirt getting thicker
This is great advice... It keeps the pro's busy replacing the plastic ones with real ones...
Don't waste your money or time with the Huxley plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and actually fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...
You better have a nail puller if you expect to slide those plastic snap-ins under the nailed-down shingles... Be prepared to replace several dozen shingles or more during the installation.
Don't waste your money, or time with the Huxley or Amerimax plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and actually fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...
White vinegar cleans the gutters really nice good job it does
Two of my neighbors installed the plastic gutter guards, but they both had terrible trouble with Maple tree seeds sticking in all the holes. The holes are too big to prevent this. I’ve tried some options, but finally decided that standing on my roof (not a steep slope) and running with a leaf blower around the gutters every fall after the leaves have fallen and possibly again in the late spring works best. It only takes ten minutes to blow out the debris.
As the owner of two silver maples that were planted way too close to the house, I agree. An electric blower's even better.
Did you know peoples are injured a lot going on to roofs.. read see data..
If you have a one story house, you can operate a back-pack, or hand held leaf blower on the ground to clean out the gutters. Simply extend the blower outlets with some straight PVC pipe, so that when you hold either blower on the ground, the PVC points straight up to the gutters. Extend the PVC about 1 to 2 feet above the gutter and then add one 90 degree fitting and one 45 degree fitting, so that your angle approaching the gutter when you clean it out will be approximately 45 degrees. You are basically walking underneath and along the gutters while you clean them out. Depending on what schedule (wall thickness) of PVC you use, will determine how heavy the unit will be to operate. Now you can safely do on the ground what you risked doing on top of your roof.
I have had problems with the plastic gutters warping from the sun's heat. I live in St. Louis.
@@Peter-td3yk yep, lots of people are terribly injured driving cars too. We all stop doing that as well. C’mon man. 😏
I use a gas powered leaf blower to clean out the gutter. A leaf blower gets the gutters squeaky clean and is fast (about 20 minutes). The only drawback is you have to go on the roof but if you're careful it's not a big deal.
I agree. I can clean my gutters in minutes with my leaf blower and do not ever have to deal with the problems of gutter guards.
Something I've used to help clean my gutters is a small gardening shovel that fits inside the gutter. If you have a metal one that's great but a cheap plastic one will work too. Very helpful if the material being removed is damp or soaking wet. Also, if there's a large build up of granules or dirt it makes it easier to remove it and not clog the downspout
I have one that was accidentally run over with the lawn mower a couple decades back. Bent it perfectly to hold at a comfortable angle while scooping out gutters! (I do not recommend running over gardening shovels or any other tool with a lawnmower - it's hazardous and I was extremely lucky!)
One of the downsides of the plastic ones you recommend is that if you have a steep pitched roof and a hard downpour rain, the water will run so fast that it runs over the guard past the gutter. That's why they didn't work for me.
I'm wondering how the high end aluminum guards would work in those conditions?
Possible answer might be to tilt the gutter up toward the roof to catch the rain better yet that then may create other problems..another thought might be to extend the edge of the roof more like a Frank Lloyd Wright design to do better creating ideas that would work in your neck of the woods. Me ditto of creating improvements for my home on a semi-off-grid terrain. Good luck
Same scenario with my house. I switched them out with the the black metal mesh ones. After a few years, so far so good. I live in the Midwest, with four season weather, and they hold up well. Armor guard is the product name. The are three foot sections like what the host of this channel put in (not like the first piece he took out). They are a heavy weight tringular mesh, no screen. I have a very large Silver Maple Tree that hangs over the roof, and have very little issues with leaves and seedlings getting stuck. The wind usually takes care of them.
Same thing happened to me. Not happy.
This is exactly what I was wondering. I live in Southwest Florida and the rain gets brutal in season. Seems like it would just spill right over with these guards which is what I'm trying to avoid so it doesn't spill over onto my Lanai
Great content Scott. Two drawbacks:
01. Here in southern California our sun will degrade the plastic in a few years.
02. The joints between the panels do not seem snug enough and over time due to the elements the plastic will warp at which point the joints will become little gutters holding twigs, leaves, dirt etc.
Thanks for a great video.
New Jersey sun do the same with plastic screeners.
He did say that you can trim the locking edge or gutter side of the guards, then you are able to overlap them.
Remember when you've finished and your on the ladder don't step back to admire your work.
...or if you do, be sure somebody is recording it.
*You're
I have a huge oak tree right next to my house. I had to clean my gutters a minimum four times a year. I put the steel mesh gutter guards in and never had any problems with them. Now I only clean my gutters out every 3 years by removing one 3 ft section gutter guard and flushing it out. Plastic works fine but they degrade over time. But I do see the added benefit of having those built-in screens.
Over time the metal ones will resist the elements better, especially if you get a lot of storms. Not to mention regular sunlight exposure over time will degrade the plastic guards, and they will become brittle and crack/break. You may save a few bucks now, but you will have to replace those cheaper ones eventually
Agree 100%. I installed cheap plastic ones (no fine mesh). Over a couple years, the plastic decayed (broke, collapsed). I replaced them with metal ones recently. These should last a decade at least.
It's pretty much a guarantee that the plastic ones will degrade over time. Sunlight will weaken it.
I've installed professional gutter guards. You don't want to install plastic gutter guards, they do not work.
So what, they're a buck fifty!
@@1776Based Yeah, I hear this a lot Kimberly. "It's so cheap, when they break I will just buy new ones."
Hummm, but you aren't the one climbing the ladder every year. Re-Doing the work, over and over again. Replacing the inferior sun-damaged junk every year. So, who in your home is the sucker risking their life every 12 months?
Boy,!! am i glad I found your webpage"!! your saving me money and I for one am very grateful"!! thank you, Patrick.p
Bucket on a hook so not dumping the mess on the sidewalk. Great idea! The broom trick is good but I've got a 2 story bldg.
I use the foam, and it keeps me off the ladders for 4 years w/o doing any cleaning. They are great also because of the black color which keeps the ice/snow melted. My area gets a LOT of freezing rain/sleet during winter. The foam will fill up with dirt, get heavy, and not pass water very well. The foam can be removed and knock the dirt out
0:00 6:39am 0:00
Clean the gutters
I just had a new roof installed using owens-Corning glass shingles. Roof company had to remove my aluminum gutter guards because they were the under shingle design. OC will void the warranty if this design is used.
Great video! Thanks
Thanks for the great video! My dad is in his late 60s and we dont want him on the roof anymore, so I am looking to install something like this since the professional ones are just WAY too expensive. I love the broom hack at the end as well. I am personally afraid to get up on the roof myself, so something like that would help both me and my dad to maintain them without having to get onto the roof.
LIKING that reversing the broom to sweep off the debris on top
Great video and perfect timing- I am just in the process of installing new gutters all around my house so this information is especially appreciated. It would have been good for you to clarify how the guards attached to the front edge of the gutters but near the end I could see how they snap on.
I installed this type of gutter guards in 2013 and they're still there working fine. But some of the mesh is gone from the element and i need to replace them this summer. Thank you for all the info.
In Florida, the starter shingle edge is required to be embedded in mastic to prevent lifting during high winds. I personally would not want to weaken the edge by inserting the guard. I'm looking for other options. Nice presentation!
I just moved to Florida. Thanks for the info. Have you found any products that won't compromise the first row of shingles?
@@Keifsanderson Sorry, no. I've been preoccupied with other activities. I suppose one could lift the shingles, then apply roofing mastic over the guard to reseal. It might take heat to loosen the shingle edge.
@@justdon5378 Thanks for the reply.
That broom hack is so good it should be illegal, lol. I live in a 3-street subdivision, in a really small town in Georgia, and I've noticed none of the houses have gutters at all. I've never seen that before. The houses in the area all have really steep pitches to account for the amount of rain we get, so maybe that's why. It could also be the fact that our area is loaded with pine trees, and with pine trees comes pine needles that love to clog everything they touch. The truth is I'd only have to setup two runs in order to keep water away. One for the front, and one for the back with downspouts on either end.
All I'd have to do is make sure there's gutters under the gables because we got rain the other night, and witnessed a literal fountain coming off the roof where the gables, and roof met. Doing the entire area of the house wouldn't make sense though, because the pitch is steep enough to cause such a flow that the gutters would essentially overfill at the bottoms of the runs.
I installed gutter guards for a major company. I removed lots of these plastic guards. They work good for a while. Over time the screen starts to separate from the plastic. Often times they were so overloaded with leaves they had fallen into the gutter and allowed debris in. Try out different guards. The commercial ones I installed are stupid expensive, I cannot believe the price some people paid was over $25 per foot. Maintenance is the biggest tip I can give. Keep them cleaned out. Hire someone if you need to.
Do you have any tips on what to do if the water runs over the mesh and drips from the bottom of the gutter?
@@krisannekey3218 either the mesh covered with leaves ( they don't tell you that you have to clean them off), or your filters are not sized properly. I've seen a metal roof with old screens that was running over. I had to replace them with the new style that was more efficient.
@@sixfourlonley there are no leaves or debris on them. I literally just put them up earlier this morning. Should I just go back and take them all down?
Those mesh LB Plastics guards are brilliant. I live in a pine forest where a ton of crap fall off these trees all year long. From long pine needles to little specks of pine cones.
And the inverse broom trick is epic. Thanks.
6:41 - true on the spot "testimonial"!😆
That's an awesome "hack" with the broom. 🤦♂️ 50 yrs in, never seen that...probably woulda never thought of it.
This'll help me narrow down selection.👌
Had tried these same gutters plastic screens , they last maybe 2-3years, sun exposure breaks them down they become very brittle ,crack, split, and are blown off by strong winds. I replaced them with stainless steel mesh gutter guards, which are installed the same way except they are screwed to top of gutter lip. Sold at Home Depot, they cost more but will last the life of your house. Had a hail storm, had to replace entire roof, but not the stainless steel gutter guards. Garage still has plastic screened gutter guards,(2yrs old), they were shredded. Replaced with stainless steel mesh gutter guards.
You mentioned wiping down the gutters to get them cleaner. Just to add on to that, if your gutters have the grey “tiger stripes” I learned that Totally Awesome gets rid of those really well. Got my gutters nice and white again. Great stuff….
"Awesome" is Awesome!! Pick it up at the Dollar store. Great for cleaning everything, including under the cars hood. Best ever for hardwood/veneer floors, tile, etc.
I installed the mesh gutter guards on my house. Major difference. I just get up there every little while with my leaf blower and blow them off. Easy job
I have the recommended ones with the screens. The screens peeled off and now maple tree seeds (helicopters) get thru the holes and fill the gutters. Now it's harder to clean on the spring because I have to peal back the guards to clean. They still work well for the big leaves in the fall.
Did you install with mesh side UP?
That makes a huge difference and is actually the recommended install from the manufacturer, LB Plastics.
I was just thinking about gluing a screen over the downspout holes, And taking off the end caps. That way the junk will get pushed on off to the ground, and heavy rains will keep it clear.
Already been there...one that you pop out easily is recommended...I'm in rain/winter/leaf/needles/helicopter/whirlygig/cone country...put contractor aluminium grade gutter guards on - each piece just over 7' with silicone gasket...they seem to be okay but now better check them and put the ones I bought two yrs back on my garage LOL
I have the punched hole plastic guards on my home. They work great, never need to do any maintenance in the gutters, but they fill up with those helicopter seeds that fall out of the trees, and you see hundreds of them sticking up until they decay and shrivel up enough to fall through and wash out when it rains hard.
Hardware cloth, Aluminum pop rivets and a bit of care when installing for the win. Been using the system for years, very cheap and looks just as good if you use common sense when installing.
I just had some installed. Didn't want to bother doing it myself. Cost was $1,200 and they used PlyGem Leaf Relief Gutter Cover System. It's very hard to get to some of my gutters so I just bit the bullet and got it done.
As much as I want to have a "maintenance free" house, especially the roof (inaccessible for me), we have a neighborhood handyman who charges $40 to clean gutters. 2x per year: $80.... not too bad and you KNOW the gutters are clean, AND he tells you if there's a problem up there.
Oh man, that is a great rate. Keep that guy happy 😁
That was my go-to move but the rooftop services will be getting their calendars filled for months this Sunday. The first strong winds of October blow all the dead needles out of the pines. The cost for our 350 feet of gutters is about $200 but not everybody gets their gutter cleaned before the freeze sets in. I had to do it myself the last five years or so before getting gutter guards professionally installed. A lot more expensive, and truly dangerous, but a lot less frustrating.
People who are good with lotteries are able to time their call to be put on the list (no appointment dates, just "next!") but I failed on the last 3 years before I had gutter guards installed.
Great video. 2 follow-up questions though. 1) How well do these kinds of guards work with pine needles, which are more common than leaves at my Colorado home? 2) How do gutter guards effect ice damns? I have heat tape in my gutters to keep the water flowing in the winter, and I'd be worried that there would be an ice layer on top of the gutter guard that would never fully melt.
One thing anyone installing gutter guards should keep in mind. Regardless of what design in moderate to heavy rainfall a lot of water is going to flow over the gutter guards and onto the ground. Not into the gutters and down the downspout. Something that might be a concern if there are drainage issues or problems with moisture in basements or crawlspaces.
Good video but having used plastic gutter guards previously I would not go back to them. Prefer the stainless steel and aluminum ones like Gutterglove.
The plastic ones are very thin. After a couple of seasons of exposure to the sun they become very brittle and crack easily. Since we live in the northeast we also have to deal with ice and icicles. The plastic doesn't handle either well. They needed to be replaced after a couple of years.
Thanks, Scott. FYI, the link to the site where you bought the guards no longer works. Great video and demo!
Have had one that is very similar (diamond shaped openings) but minus the wire mesh. Has worked very well and I'm probably into the tenth year, but not a lot of sun beating directly down on it. Good job on the video.
Love the broom hack!
i have a 12/12 roof, been using the screened plastic ones, as well as the wedge inserts, for years, been a HUGE time saver for not having to clean gutters, highly recommend.
I am 73 and bought an extendable aluminum nozzle jet that you can twist almost any angle
So i connect my hose extend it up and stand on lawn while cleaning out my gutters fast
Home depot in the garden section
I put those cone shaped wire guards in the downspouts and have to go up and clean them out of leaves stuck but use a 12 foot alum folding light ladder feel very safe on just stay mindful and always always realize its that last step down that caues most accidents My ER doc agreed after i fell years ago but luckily only bruised my shoulder
I don't have gutters. I got a flyer in the mail and called to get a quote. Crazy money! He lowered his price some, but it was more than I would pay. I'm going to search your channel for a DIY gutter install and price the materials. If I decide to do it, I'll get these gutter guards, too. I have a tin roof, so I'll have to deal with that, but it shouldn't be a warranty issue. The previous owner and a neighbor installed it themselves about 7 years ago. Wow! I have a big push broom like that. Super easy! Thank you, Scott. You always cover every detail.
Always try to negotiate to *half* of the initial estimate, unless there's something particularly difficult or unusual about your project.
That's a general ballpark for an acceptable project cost.
@@YouveBeenMiddled Thanks. There is nothing particularly difficult about my house where gutters are concerned. It has a tin roof and requires extensions, I'll call it, to be installed to get the gutters out far enough for the roof's rain runoff to fall in, but that's really it. I could DIY them with a helper and some video guidance, but getting to it is the thing.
I installed the vinyl mesh a couple of years ago (Southern California) and they lasted through one winter. When summer hit, and I'm in a moderate temperature zone (90°F), they softened enough to droop, and many fell into the gutter. I have 6" gutters, so maybe the 5" is not as susceptible...
Thank you for the broom trick. I am delighted to know it.
This is the exact information and price I wanted to see for my gutters. Hell yeah.
Gutter guards work for the leaves and sticks, but unfortunately my spouts still get clogged with Pine needles and mapleseed helicopters. And we have plenty of downpours that would overrun the mesh-style. Other than regular cleaning, I keep a long pole with hooked wire at the end handy so if a spout is plugged up during a storm I can chop up the sludge and wash it down the spout.
Thanks for sharing very informative
The broom hack is ingenious !!!
I bought the white vinyl guards with mesh for my garage. It took me about an hour to clean the gutters and install the guards. The total cost was about $32.00. Now for the rest of the story:
We called a gutter leaf g guard company that advertised on TV a couple weeks back to install leaf guards on our house and garage. Their estimate was $11,000 for the cleaning and guards with the garage costing $3,000.
When they called to ask if we were ready to install the guards I couldn’t stop laughing cause next spring I will install the guards myself by renting a cherry picker since the house is two stories tall. Total cost to me will be less then $600. This leaf guard is a game changer.
I've had similar experiences with trades work. Like $10,000 quote for a pergola which ended up costing &3,000. How is this any better than criminal theft?
I agree (Ha, Ha, Ha on the price from Professional Installers.) I think that if you already do a little "around the house" maintenance, the DIY approach should be pretty much a piece of cake. Especially with the tutorial from this Great Video!!
@@trackdustyIt is theft. It’s also theft when corporations raise prices just to gouge people. We need new laws that throw executives in prison when they raise prices like the monopolized oil companies do.
@@trackdusty ,
I needed some minor repairs to some gutters as well as some repairs to some fascia boards. Called a company that specializes in gutters and they wanted $2k. Yeah no. My handyman (who charges $75 an hour) knocked it out for $400 including materials.
Thanks for video. I use those plastic guards also. they are junk. However if used with zip ties and an occasional heat gun to flatten them back out , they work ok for the price. The screens fall off of them almost immediately.
Great video. just saved me a crap load of money. going to be doing this next weekend. broom hack was genius!
I put some up. They are good for light rain, but heavy rain the rain goes right over the gutter guard , never makes it into gutter.
I just installed the same gutter guards you recommended. I used them on my last home and they really worked great and a good value too. The only problem was it is sometimes hard to clip them to the gutter but I usually overlap them, so there's enough connected to hold them in place. Good tip about the warranty. I bought my house with a five year old roof, so I don't know if the warranty stays with the house or is only with the old owner.
I’ve had ones similar to this on my gutters for about 5 years with no issues. Highly recommend.
Thanks for the feedback Dave 👍
I use a Kobalt 80 volt leaf blower with an extension and a U shaped tip at the end, allowing you to walk under the gutter. The leaves blow out in mere minutes. The only cons with this method is, the gutter must be completely dry and you have to rake the leaves afterwards.
Thank you so much. an absolute perfect video for info on gutter guards.
No Menards in North Carolina so it looks like a close option is some made by Amerimax and sold at lowes and home depot.
The person who lived in our house before us installed some helmet style gutter guards. Talk about expensive AND ineffective, when we replaced the roof we went with something similar to what you suggested in this video, but metal instead of plastic.
We have the same thing (Gutter Helmet) but it works perfectly on our pine needles. I was concerned at first about mud buildup but here in Arizona the monsoon rains seem to do a good job of clearing it out.
@@flagmichael maple seeds get stuck in the rain channels and they don't allow the water to drain properly.
Thanks!
I’ve found cleaning any sticks or pine needles is worth the trade off. The water flow is much better with no mesh. Which is the point of gutters to channel water. If any debris is covering the top it will just flow over the gutter. I’ve cleaned a few hundred homes with both. I can quickly take a soft or hard bristle brush and break off the sticks or pine needles into the gutter or off the top. And because there is no mesh using a hose with a gilmour gun is a breeze. But to each there own
The broom hack was the bomb
I've had gutter guards for a few years now. My problem was leaves. That solved the big headache. There is still shingle residue but that is minimal. Only trouble is during a heavy rain (which is common here in Hawaii) By covering any portion of your gutter with anything, it restricts the amount of water that can pass through.
Weigh the pros and cons. In my case I'd rather have them than not
considering I was just quoted $800 for a contractor to do a 12 foot run of a gutter guard on the front of my sunroom, I will be DIYing it myself! Thank you for the video :0)
Thank you for educating us all. 🙏🙏
Thanks for the informative, quick and to-the-point vid. Love you!
Costco makes a 6” metal version that I like, for about $2 a foot. I don’t trust my balance enough to install myself, so I’m looking for a handyman to do it for me. P.S. the Menards description for the product you used says to install with screen side up.
Yes I also noticed that too, about the install position of the screen on the Menards website.
That's a big Tip!!
That is correct. If you have the screens on the bottom debris, granules fill the little circle and the debris starts to form a clogs. With the screen on the topside, the debris washes off better from rains. No 1005 perfect as it will also eventually fill with dirt and debris. I clean gutters and see this issue often here in SW Michigan.
This past summer I installed Raptor gutter guards bought off Amazon... no where as easy to install as the slip on plastic stuff, but I'm sure they'll far outlast them. Cost ran around $80 for 48 feet (more expensive now), but for me they're worth it.
I think anything is better than nothing aside for those foam inserts but plastic has it's downfalls as well, I give plastic guards about 3 years before having to replace them due to Sun UV's causing breakdown and brittle cracking, not counting large branches breaking them.
I'm getting brand new gutters installed on my house for the first time next week and the quote was right at $1,200. They added an additional $800 if I wanted to get gutter guards installed along with them. Seeing that that would be too much, I decided to do it myself wants the gutters are installed and will most likely go with the plastic guards that have the mesh screen on them. My mom used those without any problem for many years. I do plan on overlapping Mine by about an inch though.
We bought high-end gutter guards and quickly wished we'd just left things alone, because instead of having open tops to the gutters, there were now millions of tiny perforations, the things that kept out leaves and other trash, and in freezing weather they would ice up way before anything else did. The result was that whatever ran off the roof went straight over the iced-over gutter guards and straight down over the edge to the pavement below. When the ground was below 32 degrees F, this produced sheets of ice where we'd never had any before. So instead of having to clean gutters once a year, we now had to salt our sidewalks and front stoop every few days during the winter, and the runoff when that stuff melted was murder to our grass and flower beds adjacent to the sidewalks. No way we'd every do the gutter guards again. In a hot climate this might not be a problem, but for us it's been a dangerous and expensive nightmare.
This. All the recommendations for gutter guards overlook many of the pitfalls -- and for those with colder winters, ice damming is a big problem with gutter guards.
I'm also going to get rid of the S curve in the downspout and fix it to a post at the ground level for stability.
I have a Craftsman shop vac that has a gutter cleaning tool, a sort of U shaped thing, plus extension pipes. I can clean the gutters on our 1700 sq ft bungalow in about 2 hours without climbing a ladder.
I tried that out with the pine needles here. The inlet just jams with the needles - timing to prevent them from getting wet would be great but impractical with our weather. The windstorm that knocks the needles down is often accompanied by monsoon rain.
@@flagmichael If you use the gutter cleaning tool it does jam, what I found worked was using a full size u-bend without the tool.
Welcome from Flagstaff, in the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the world! I researched for years to find a gutter guard that would completely take care of pine needles and ice. Even the mesh type gradually collects the splintered ends of pine needles and have to be maintained, but parts of our roof are almost 20 feet above the ground and I am 70 years old. I know me - the time would come when I would be on the ladder, on uneven ground, and take a fall.
I went with Gutter Helmet, a solid metal plate system with a bullnose on the outer edge. Water flows across, washing the top and following the bullnose into the gutter. The same water washes pine needles over the side. It is a rather precision fit so it has to be professionally installed (about $7000 for our 350 feet of roofline, including initial cleanout and repair of the gutter), but it also has a warranty for as long as the structure is standing. If the roof has to be replaced, the owner - the warranty is transferable - calls to have the material removed and reinstalled after the roof replacement is done, part of the warranty. My wife cringed at the price but it is a permanent solution to a worsening problem for us.
I have used all the type of guards you show over the years. The wire type are a real pain, they catch everything... the plastic guards will sag, forming a slight dip that will clog up more. The plastic with netting are no good either, still sag and the net comes loose clogging the gutter even more. I am now going to the metal (high price) type guards. They keep out the shingle gravel and very small items. The problem is see with this type is a heavy rain overrun them. The good is once and done! The cheap options are not the best.
This is a great video thanks. I watched and was pleasantly surprised to see you recommend the very kind of Garuda that I used on my last house. I
Installed them and three years later they were still in very hood condition and worked great. Honestly I wasn’t sure if the sun would make the guards brittle but it didn’t. I’ll be using them again in the house I’ve just purchased. Thanks for the great video
I had leaf filter installed. Back of house seems fine but I wasn't crazy about the front. Couple issues that I never had before. I removed the ones in front. Looking to put something in front. I like what you recommended. Thanks.
Thanks for the options...I have the ones you put in last..the mesh does come loose after a while. As for warranty issues on shingles, I can't imagine something as less intrusive as those guards having an affect on warranty. Let's just say if you have defective shingles under warranty, you have the rest of the roof to complain about rather than just the first row! LOL
You have been an EXCELLENT source of home maintenance responsibilities resource for me. Truthful comments along with common sense tidbits so uplifting for my plans for improvements of my home. Certain plastics exposed to direct sunlight deteriorate over time yet the price/materials of the screened panel does seem best! Excellent tidbit of reposition broom handle to clean top of gutter!!! This educated Army veteran with Industrial Design, B.S. degree does appreciate and stand firm ground attention behind all these "Everyday Home Repairs" website!!! Much gratitude for your info that confirms and/or uplifts projects at my residence. Thank you for your time.
Great idea, but I just go on the roof and use a strong blower and blow them clean. Takes about 5 minutes and I know the are clean. Only issue I do have to do it before any heavy rain.
Another method I personally use for cleaning gutters from the ground is purchasing an extension for your pressure washer ( mine extends to 24ft ) and add a "U" bend attachment then your nozzle , with the widest spray setting ( 40° or greater ) You can easily clean out your gutters or clean off your gutter guards from the ground even to a second story gutter.
Thanks for the great info on the gutter guards 👍
Edit: I must say though that the 24ft extension will be a bit of a handful when you squeeze the trigger.
Yet another method is to use a shop vac from the ground. Make an extension using plastic vacuum cleaner tubing, including a 'U' at the top. Use a hose clamp and no glue on a couple of the corners as you want to be able to adjust the angle of the U, plus to take it apart if things get plugged. Get real fancy and mount a Go-Pro on the top so you can see how you're doing!
@@jaysee5688 I like it 👌
Very helpful advices
🙏👍👷♀️❤
Thanks!
So How does the guards handle snow. Snow will build up on guards and then when it does thaw and refreeze you will get ice build up
Most of those won’t stop cedar needles.
I've had the ones you chose on my gutters for over 10 years and never had to do any maintenance. However, the birds pulled off about 10 feet of one gutter in the last year, and I've replaced them. I assume I will replace all of them eventually, but at that price I can do it every 10 years and be ahead of the other types in cost.
i recently installed them on my gutter and I love them. Only problem I've run into is when I had to replace one recently I couldn't remove it without completely destroying it! Were you able to remove your old ones easily?
@@dcccaldyou987 It was fairly easy. My original set were all four feet long, and the new ones that I bought as replacements were three feet. So I replaced 3 of the four footers with 4 of the three footers. I was planning to throw out the old ones, so I didn't worry about how they came off. I got underneath the end of one of them with a small tool and flexed it in the middle until the upper edge came off. Then I pulled backward and upward on the front of the cover which locked onto the front of the gutter. The rest were easy since the first one was gone and I could just maneuver the cover with my hand.
Any chance you could do a quick test regarding how well the gutter guard allows water to flow in (i.e. how much does it restrict water or will the water just over flow)? Nothing fancy, maybe as simple as placing a hose on the roof and seeing if there's any overflow. That's one thing I always wondered about w/the fine mesh screen.
You better have a nail puller if you expect to slide those plastic snap-ins under the nailed-down shingles... Be prepared to replace several dozen shingles or more during the installation.
Don't waste your money or time with the Huxley or Americax plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and actually fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...
Where it snows, wire mesh freezes causing overflow and damming. If you live where it snows, be sure to get these (less expensive) nylon mesh guards. They don't freeze up and lasted me for 7 years in cold Wisconsin. And make sure to install with the mesh side UP. You are welcome...
There is a relatively new roofing edge used that "lifts" the water and helps prevent backflow in wind, or other considerations...
In the south most people don't use gutters and the few places where there are gutters they're installed often only over driveways, entryways and where the house touches pool cages. That's it.
lovew the broom hack. frank from Oz down under
Down here in florida the starter course is glued down with tar. So getting anything under there is a no no. It would take longer to pry up the shingle and would void the warranty
The plastic ones he recommended are not good for neighborhoods with lots of trees. Mine were overwhelmed with leaves and I had to clean them off regularly. Eventually they collapsed into the gutters. I replaced them
Thanks for the feedback 👍
We've had the metal mesh guards for 10+ years. It's very tough but it does clog with leaves. The shingle grit falls through and I have to use the power washer to push it towards the drain. About half didn't do well for the egg + size hail we had last month. I was able to bend the other sections back into place. Still pricy to replace.
Brilliant, thanks for posting
I screwed my gutter guards down to the gutter, and silicone under the singles to hold them in place. We get high winds sometimes.
the problem i have with the ones i put on my house is that i own a cape cod with a good pitched roof. The plastic ones were cheap and easy but the water rolls right off my one side of house and both sides of the connected garage in which totally defeats the purpost of having gutters to push the water away from your foundation. The barrier just cant handle the water flow. Not sure what the answer is with a steep pitched roof.
Very very good presentation. Great info content and value.
Thanks!
Will be doing this soon.
Like the broom trick thanks!
You bet