I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are they
really worth the HIGH cost?

"don h" wrote in message
nk.net...
I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are they
really worth the HIGH cost?




I've heard good and bad. The style that is slotted on the top, like a
strainer, can become clogged. A neighbor's house had that style, and the
little "helicopter seeds" would land on the roof, get washed down to the
gutter, and get caught in the slots. The funny thing is that the seeds
would sort of stand up as they got caught in the slots and the gutters
looked like a little cemetery with all of the seeds sticking straight up.
The gutters were clean as could be, but cleaning the seeds out of the slots
was a chore. The smooth top guards seem to sheet the debris off the gutter
completely, but they cost more. My father in law has the smooth type and
really likes them. Make sure you stand firm with the sales person. My
father in law has a large ranch and his first estimate from the sales rep
was for around $9,000 just for the gutters (no replacement of downspouts).
After about two hours, he got the gutters and downspouts for less than
$4,000. He is a salesman's worst nightmare, but he always get a good deal.

Les

don h wrote:
I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are
they really worth the HIGH cost?

The information I have heard that appears to be the best is that it
depends. The different systems work for different situations. Oak leaves
will clog one type and pine needles will clog the one that works with oak
leaves, etc. Most have a problem when it comes time to clean them, and
they all will need cleaning at some time.


--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

Joseph Meehan wrote:
don h wrote:

I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are
they really worth the HIGH cost?


The information I have heard that appears to be the best is that it
depends. The different systems work for different situations. Oak leaves
will clog one type and pine needles will clog the one that works with oak
leaves, etc. Most have a problem when it comes time to clean them, and
they all will need cleaning at some time.


plus i know for fact that wasp and such love the plastic ones. went to
clean and got zapped two to three times. thru them away. use a leaf
blower to clean the gutters now.

In alt.home.repair on Mon, 14 Mar 2005 22:54:10 GMT "Joseph Meehan"
posted:

don h wrote:
I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are
they really worth the HIGH cost?

The information I have heard that appears to be the best is that it
depends. The different systems work for different situations. Oak leaves
will clog one type and pine needles will clog the one that works with oak
leaves, etc.

They should have ratings, like G, GP, R, and X. But O and P,
instead.

Most have a problem when it comes time to clean them, and
they all will need cleaning at some time.

Does anyone know anything about Harbor Freight's gutter guards? I was
at the store and wanted to see how long one was.

Oh, the catalog didn't give the length, and I meant to check the
webpage. 20 foot pieces for 4 dollars, on sale at the moment for 2
dolars. I guess that's less than 8 dollars for my whole house. Now I
know they can't be very good, but I'm still tempted.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=45265

"Rhombic mesh" sounds phoney, but actually makes sense, a rhombus
being a parallogram with 4 equal sides, a diamond iow.


Actually, the trees here are getting taller and nearer, but whenever
I've looked up to 18 months ago, I had no leaves in my gutters. Yet
now one seems to be clogged, and is overflowing in the middle.

Could it be that the new shingles put on 18 months ago shed so many
stones that it clogged a gutter?

Meirman
--
If emailing, please let me know whether
or not you are posting the same letter.
Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.

"Gina and Les Armstrong" wrote

Make sure you stand firm with the sales person. My
father in law has a large ranch and his first estimate from the sales rep
was for around $9,000 just for the gutters (no replacement of downspouts).
After about two hours, he got the gutters and downspouts for less than
$4,000. He is a salesman's worst nightmare, but he always get a good
deal.

Les

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your father in law no doubt got
took. That's the way these outfits operate, they give an extremely
ridiculous high price, then come down to the ridiculous high price. This
makes the homeowner believe they got a great deal.

Those gutter places will install those smooth top gutter helmet gutters or
whatever else name they're advertising them at, for about $3.00 lineal foot
and still make money for everyone.

Even if your father in law had a 100'x50' ranch (huge ranch) with a hip roof
(gutter on all 4 sides), it would be 300' gutter, plus 4 outside corners
figured at 2' each. The elbows for the downs are figured at 2' each, if had
4 down drops, it would be 8 elbows equaling 16', plus 4-10' downs. About
364 lineal ft. Even figuring at 400', including tear-down and charging a
premium price of $3.00 for downs, that only comes out to $1,200.00. What
the heck, bumping the price up to $5.00 a lineal foot is making a killing
and still only comes out to $2K. But, shhhhhhhhh, don't tell father in law,
he probably thinks the salesman got fired over the deal.

meirman wrote:
In alt.home.repair on Mon, 14 Mar 2005 22:54:10 GMT "Joseph Meehan"
posted:

don h wrote:
I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard.
Are they really worth the HIGH cost?

The information I have heard that appears to be the best is that
it depends. The different systems work for different situations.
Oak leaves will clog one type and pine needles will clog the one
that works with oak leaves, etc.

They should have ratings, like G, GP, R, and X. But O and P,
instead.

Most have a problem when it comes time to clean them, and
they all will need cleaning at some time.

Does anyone know anything about Harbor Freight's gutter guards? I was
at the store and wanted to see how long one was.

Oh, the catalog didn't give the length, and I meant to check the
webpage. 20 foot pieces for 4 dollars, on sale at the moment for 2
dolars. I guess that's less than 8 dollars for my whole house. Now I
know they can't be very good, but I'm still tempted.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=45265

"Rhombic mesh" sounds phoney, but actually makes sense, a rhombus
being a parallogram with 4 equal sides, a diamond iow.


Actually, the trees here are getting taller and nearer, but whenever
I've looked up to 18 months ago, I had no leaves in my gutters. Yet
now one seems to be clogged, and is overflowing in the middle.

Could it be that the new shingles put on 18 months ago shed so many
stones that it clogged a gutter?

Meirman

Take a look at the down spouts. You may find parts of shingles and
other waste construction parts blocking the flow.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

"don h" wrote in message
nk.net...
I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are they
really worth the HIGH cost?



I had new gutters and siding and opted for the "leaf guard". I don't know
the brand name, but they work well. One problem (if it is a problem) I do
have is that I tend to see more icicles in the wintertime after a snowfall.
I don't remember seeing them with the old gutters.

But it sure beats climbing up on a ladder 4 times a year. What's a night in
the hospital cost, vs the gutters?

I have Leafguard brand gutters with a built in top and they work well on
everything from leaves to pine needles. Parents house had them with 7 oak
trees around them and they worked well there too. Only thing bad is the
price. Every corner is hand done and expensive. FIgure 3 times normal
replacement gutter assuming you get oversize downspouts as recommended with
them.

I had gutter helmits add ons in my last house and they were worthless. Also
tried those screens and they sucked too.


"don h" wrote in message
nk.net...
I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are they
really worth the HIGH cost?

don h wrote:
I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are they
really worth the HIGH cost?



My gutters tend to fill and freeze solid each winter. Rather than
regular gutters I'm looking at the Rainhandler system. Any real world
experiences?

NO!

Buy GuttaGards.

It's cheaper and you can install them yourself.

I've used them in Georgia, where they don't even let pine needles in.

GuttaGard: guttagard.com
Cheapest place to buy: doitbest.com

They look similar to Gutter Helmits except lower profile. The problem I had
with the GH was that whether they work depends on the slant of the roof.
THat is why the one piece units like Leafguard make more sense.


wrote in message
ups.com...
NO!

Buy GuttaGards.

It's cheaper and you can install them yourself.

I've used them in Georgia, where they don't even let pine needles in.

GuttaGard: guttagard.com
Cheapest place to buy: doitbest.com

"Jim" wrote in message
...
don h wrote:
I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are
they
really worth the HIGH cost?



My gutters tend to fill and freeze solid each winter. Rather than
regular gutters I'm looking at the Rainhandler system. Any real world
experiences?


My daughter has them. Works fine as long as you don't need to have the
water routed far away from the house and there is not a walkway directly
below the roof. Totally eliminates the leaf problem.

http://www.rainhandler.com/

Rich256 wrote:

My gutters tend to fill and freeze solid each winter. Rather than
regular gutters I'm looking at the Rainhandler system. Any real world
experiences?



My daughter has them. Works fine as long as you don't need to have the
water routed far away from the house and there is not a walkway directly
below the roof. Totally eliminates the leaf problem.

http://www.rainhandler.com/


Any ice damming problems?

"Jim" wrote in message
...
Rich256 wrote:

My gutters tend to fill and freeze solid each winter. Rather than
regular gutters I'm looking at the Rainhandler system. Any real world
experiences?



My daughter has them. Works fine as long as you don't need to have the
water routed far away from the house and there is not a walkway directly
below the roof. Totally eliminates the leaf problem.

http://www.rainhandler.com/


Any ice damming problems?

No, Denver area so not usually a problem anyway.

In a previous posting, Usenet was endowed with the following text from
"don h" :

I am considering replacing my present gutters with Gutter Guard. Are they
really worth the HIGH cost?



In the last 10 years, 40 different brands of gutter voodoo products have
popped up, claiming to be the greatest thing since the rain gutter
itself. In my view, all gutter cover products are over hyped and over
priced. People spend ridiculous amounts of money on them, then forced
themselves to believe it was a good investment. I still favor the
Steelco gutter screens, because they are inexpensive, and they are high
quality, and they work extremely well without reducing the rain-catching
efficiency of the gutters.

Check them out: http://www.gutterscreen.net


RC