On Sun, 2 Aug 2009 04:15:06 +0000 (UTC), ShadowTek
wrote:
I have a 20 year old 5" aluminum gutter, and I'm trying to find a good
gutter gaurd to go with it, and it needs to be good enough to keep out pine
needles.
The first type I tried were these:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...000003+9 0401
I bought 2 boxes of 25 panels at $43 each. After a mere *3 days*
the sun had caused them to warp, bow up, and come loose in places. Some
of them went from being straight to looking like damn wavy patato chip.
And this was only after *3 days*.
I wish that I had thought to take a picture of them. You'd get a good
laugh.
Fortunately, lazyness was on my side, as I had only bothered to use one
of the boxes, which was just enough to cover one side of the house. So,
I took the unused box back and asker her if there was any way I could
return the worthless crap that I had already wasted all day installing.
She said that I *could*, so I immediately returned home, yanked all that
crap off, and took it to get my money back. There was differenct person
there when I got back, but fortunately he didn't give me any crap about
it and accepted the return.
So, at least I didn't lose any money.
Then, I bought a piece of the solid stuff:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...000003+9 0401
But I think a hard rain will likely result in water just running right
over that stuff. Also, you have to tuck this underneath the shingles,
and I'm concerned about water running back up under them, as the gaurd
lies almost level on top, since the outermost lip of the gaurd sticks up
so high.
They also had some metal mesh-like stuff, but I don't know if that'd be
effective against pine needles.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...000003+9 0401
What have your experiences been with these various products?
I know I'm late to the party, but, I wanted to throw in my 2¢ worth.
I have worked with every kind of gutter portection product out there
over the years.
I don't care who you are, or what you say... gutter covers, gutter
helmets, whatever you call them, if they enclose the opening of the
rain gutter, they significantly reduce the rain gutter's efficiency.
That is to say, they reduce the amount of rain that is collected from
the rain water coming down your roof. In a heavy downpour, when you
need gutter efficiency the most, the rain goes shooting off the roof
and into the landscaping below.
Additionally, the gotter covers DO require periodic maintenance. The
groove that the rain is supposed to go into DOES get clogged with
debris, eventually, in most cases.
The foam stuff eventually gets clogged with grit and dirt, and because
the top is flat, leaves and debris tend to stick and just lay there,
blocking water from getting in, until the stuff rots. But, then, the
particles settle into the foam and make it even more ineffective.
The stretched aluminum mesh with the arch in it is a joke. Debris
builds up behind it. The wind blows it over and it hangs from the
gutters, looking like hell. It's visible from the curb. A waste of
money.
The platic stuff is a joke. The wide, flat mesh blocks 50 or more of
the gutter opening. The plastic melts and sags down, making the
perfect ditch for leave and debris to settle in, again, blocking
access to the gutter and making a mess.
There is NO perfect product. So, you have to decide what it is you are
actually trying accomplish. Do you want to stop cleaning your gutters?
Then take them off. Nothing will make your rain gutters completely
maintenance free.
Do you want to prevent the gutters from getting clogged and backing
up? Then there is no better, cheaper or more effective product than
Steelco gutter screens. (
http://steelco.net)
They are rigid, galvanized, flat mesh. They come is 3' sections. When
properly installed, they will make you rain gutters about as
maintenance free as they can get. Very simple to install... back edge
under the shingle, front edge has a galvalum tab... so, you can slip
the front gutter slip between the screen and the tab to hold in place,
AND, you can bend the tab over the edge of the gutter to hold it in
place. Brown tabs for brown gutters, white tabs for white gutters.
The wire mesh doesn't restrict the flow of rain water going into the
gutter. So, the gutter maintains its efficiency. The larger stuff,
leaves, tennis balls, twigs, etc, are kept out. The screens, when
properly installed, should have a slight pitch from the roof the edge
of the gutter, so they are essentially self-cleaning, as far as
anything settling on top.
Pine needles are the only real issue. But, it's not as big an issue as
one might think. In my experience, a few pine needles will stand up in
the mesh, until a good gully washer comes through. Most of the needles
will blow off with the rest of the leaves. The needles that stand up
eventually get washed to the downspout, and because they are few, they
don't block the down spout.
At something like 1.25 per foot, I think it is the best product on the
market. Problem is, it also seems to be a well kept secret. They are
not easy to find. But, you can order them direct if there is no dealer
in your area. They come in boxes of 50 sections (150 ft). I think the
5" variety is only $165 per box.
The product is simple, inexpensive, and effective. Your mileage may
vary. But, I don't think you'll be disappointed. You biggest
disappointment will be tearing down that $8 per foot stuff you bought
trhee years ago.
VG