Do You Need Gutter Guards? What They Do and What They Leave Behind

If you have ever spent a fall Saturday on a ladder, pulling wet leaves out of a gutter by the handful, you have probably wondered whether gutter guards are worth it. The honest answer is that it depends on your trees, your roof and how much you want to be on that ladder. Here is a plain look at what guards do, the two main styles, and what they will not do.

What a gutter guard is for

A gutter guard is a cover that sits over the open top of your gutter. Its job is to let rainwater in while keeping leaves, twigs and other debris out. Gutter Rite Seamless Gutters describes its covers as a sturdy aluminum gutter cover that helps your gutters stay clog-free, protecting them from leaves, debris and animals without having to clean them regularly.

Notice what that promises: protection from debris, not zero upkeep. A guard reduces how often you deal with a clogged gutter. That is a real benefit, especially if your house sits under big trees, but it is a reduction and not a promise of zero upkeep.

Perforated and micro-mesh: the two styles you will hear about

Most covers fall into a few families. The two you are most likely to run into are perforated covers and micro-mesh covers.

A perforated guard is a sheet of metal with small holes punched through it. Water passes through the holes while leaves ride across the top and, ideally, fall off the edge or blow away. It is a simple design, and because it is solid metal with openings, it tends to feel sturdy in the hand.

A micro-mesh guard uses a very fine screen, The openings are much smaller than the holes in a perforated cover, so it is built to block finer material as well as leaves. The tradeoff to understand is that anything that blocks fine debris can also collect it on the surface, so a mesh top still wants an occasional look.

Gutter Rite carries Shur Flo, Leaf Blaster and Gutterglove Pro. If you are trying to decide between styles for your house, ask which product they would put on your roofline and why, and let that conversation drive the choice rather than a brand name alone.

What guards do not remove from your list

This is the part that sellers sometimes skip. Even with covers on, a few jobs stay yours:

• Looking things over after the leaves finish falling. Some debris can still build up on top of a cover or work its way in at the edges.
• Keeping the roof above the gutter in decent shape. Shingle grit and fine material wash off a roof and can settle on or in a gutter.
• Watching the downspouts. A guard protects the gutter channel, but the downspout still has to carry the water away from the foundation.
• Snow and ice. A cover does not melt snow, and a hard Wisconsin winter can still load the edge of your roof.

None of that means guards are a bad idea. It just means a guard is one part of keeping water moving, alongside a properly hung gutter and a bit of attention a couple of times a year.

Who gets the most out of them

Guards tend to make the most sense for a house with heavy tree cover, for a roofline that is high or awkward to reach, and for homeowners who simply do not want to climb a ladder twice a year. Fall in this part of Wisconsin is a lot of leaves arriving in a short stretch, and a gutter with an open top collects them fast. Add twigs, seeds and the occasional nest, and a gutter can fill much quicker than people expect.

They make less difference if your yard has no trees nearby and your gutters rarely collect anything. In that case a quick check each season may be all you need.

Guards and the gutter underneath

A cover is only as good as what it is attached to. If the gutter underneath sags, leaks at a seam or is pitched the wrong way, a guard will not fix that, and it can hide the problem for a while. That is one reason seamless gutters and guards often go together. A seamless run gives the cover a straight, continuous channel to sit on, and fewer joints to worry about under it.

It also helps to have someone look at the existing gutters first. If they are in good shape, a cover can go on over them. If they are worn out, you may be better off replacing the gutter and adding the cover at the same time.

Ask any installer what the cover is made of, how it attaches, what the manufacturer's warranty covers and what you are still expected to do. Gutter Rite offers free estimates and a manufacturer's warranty, so you can have that conversation before you spend anything. If you want help deciding whether guards make sense at your address, call (920) 979-3483 or request a free estimate and a representative will contact you the same business day.