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| What about black gutters? Gutter guards?? | Login/Join |
| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity  |
We are getting our roof and gutters redone (ugh) and have to decide if we want some kind of gutter cover/gutter guard installed. I've googled a bit about the different kinds of gutter guards and it seems the opinions are definitely mixed. The first company that came to give us a quote said they recommend the kind that are maybe like a net rather than a solid cover? (I'm still waiting for the email w/ more info). A second company is coming soon. Anyway, any opinions about gutter guards? Second question: we have a brick house with cream colored gables and other accents. But the shutters around all the windows are black. Oh, and our front door is black. The guy today said I should consider black gutters because they "in" and would go well with the shutters. And, presumably, negate the need to color match new gutters to the gables. I don't know if that would make it any cheaper or not, but first I have to decide if I'm interested in the first place... Any opinions about 1) gutter covers/gutter guards, and 2) black gutters?
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Beatification Candidate |
Color is really just a matter of taste so pick what you like. You may want to look at houses in your neighborhood to see what is common and what you might like. I have a fine stainless steel mesh gutter guard on my house that I purchased at Costco. It definitely keeps leaves out of the gutters. Some were damaged in a hail storm two years ago and I bought new ones and had a handyman replace the damaged ones. My roof is a fairly shallow pitch (3:12) so not everything clears from atop the guards, particularly small spruce needles that end up on the roof. When they're lingering over the guards, they conduct rain over the guards and let it fall adjacent to the house. This is annoying when it occurs over the stoop at the front door and makes rain water fall on the stoop. Getting on a stepladder to brush the the needles off the guards resolves this issue, but it does mean that the guards are not totally maintenance-free. They are effective in keeping debris out of the gutters. Big Al
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
I have the same stainless mesh gutter guards that Big Al does. They are much better than the plastic version they replaced. https://www.costco.com/Catalog...keyword=gutter+guard Double check a) what kind of gutter guard the installation company is proposing and b) pricing before you let the gutter people install their version. Having a handyman install ours was waaaaaay cheaper than if we had let the gutter guys put them on. And they were using the plastic ones, not the stainless steel we ended up with. He used the tape that comes with them and didn't screw them on to the gutter. They're not budging. If our house weren't two stories, we would have done the gutter guard install ourselves Easy peasy. Here's info on the Costco product: https://www.easyongutterguard.com/ Al, we were offered a free brush that helps with cleaning off anything that might get a little stuck on the top. It's angled. We registered online and the manufacturer sent the brush. We just screw it on to an extension pole so we can do it from the ground and skip the ladder.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Thank you both for these comments, super helpful!! Yeah, I will say no to anything plastic. It makes sense that the gutter guards would work well for most things (leaves etc) but I am worried about pine needles, which we see a lot of.... So, once the gutter guard is installed, it's not easy to remove for cleaning, right?
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
The one we have is stuck on with double sided tape, so it really is not meant to be removed. I don't think much of anything can get past the very fine mesh. Even if a little does, you could probably just flush with a hose from the top. Or you could install the section over the downspout with screws, just in case you needed to remove a section to get debris out. I just looked out my second floor bathroom window but can't see into the gutter that's on the garage. I'll get on a ladder tomorrow and get a closer look at the inside, but I'll be surprised if there's much of anything there. edit: From a thread I posted at the time the guards were installed: 
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
And we talked about gutters and gutter guards back when you first moved into your house: http://well-temperedforum.grou...433/m/9253986397/p/1
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Don't get on a ladder on my account!!! But thanks for the photo, that's great. I do like the idea of the mesh... I'm a little wary of double-sided tape though.... I need to go look at that link you post above, I think there was actually a photo of that. I think we're going to end up having kind of a lot of work done when they do the roof (like, replacing some of the wood work that supports the gutters etc.) so we're pretty close to deciding to go with a roofing company and gutter company that regularly work together. As I said, I'm still waiting on another estimate though.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Al, registration for warranty and free brush. https://www.easyongutterguard.com/register/
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
I'll check to see how the tape is holding. Our handyman said it had a very strong grip and he didn't foresee a problem with it. It's actually attached to the guard; you just peel off a strip and place it. Once. It won't budge once you've stuck it on. At least that's what Mike said as he was installing them.... The screws come with the gutters, so if you decide the tape isn't enough you can just have them use the screws.
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| Beatification Candidate |
I had the gutters on my house replaced when I had a new roof installed and the people who installed the new gutters also put on the gutter guards that I had purchased. As I said, I had to replace guards due to damage in a hale storm. The guards are secured by a double-sided tape, but I had them also secured by screws into the gutters. I'm not sure if that was necessary, but I wanted to be sure they didn't become detached somewhere down the road. Generally, I think they are pretty effective and definitely keep anything out of the gutters. They are not totally maintenance-free because. at least on a a low-pitch roof such as my roof, the guards are not entirely self-clearing. I don't know if other types of guards perform any better. Big Al
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Well, I will ask a lot of questions about how they do the install, now I know what to ask! Now I just have to wait for these folks to get back to me.... I think business must be booming, it's crazy!
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| Beatification Candidate |
Thanks, WTG. As far as pine needles are concerned, I haven't had any problems with them getting through the mesh, although what I actually have laying on the guards sometimes are spruce needles. They don't accumulate everywhere, but the area over the front stoop that I mentioned before is on the lea side of the roof and adjacent to a higher portion of the house so it doesn't get much wind or rain to clear the needles away. Right now, there are some for about a four or five foot stretch there while everything else has blown or washed clean. The guards come with self-drilling, self-tapping screws that can be used either to supplement the tape or, if you don't peel the covering off the tape, to be the sole means of securing the guards. I chose to follow the latter method and was glad I did when the hail-damaged guards had to be replaced. I don't want to give the impression that the guards are particularly fragile. The hail storm that damaged them also shredded leaves and small branches from tree around the house. It looked like a green snowstorm at its height. It also left a lot of small divits in the sheet metal on the two cars that were parked in the driveway when it hit and damaged a lot of roofs in the area. Big Al
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| Pinta & the Santa Maria Has Achieved Nirvana  |
Watching this thread with interest. We have a steeply pitched roof. The gutter on one side of the house is always getting clogged. It's also the one next to a series of gigantic cedars, maples and doug firs, so we get a combination of needles and big leaves. We can't trim anything (Portland loves its trees, and my neighborhood even more so), so that gutter is an ongoing problem. | |||
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Sounds familiar!! I'm still waiting to get my estimates and info about the actual brand/type of gutter guard they're recommending, but I will be sure to report back. Trying to get contractors is crazy right now!
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Minor Deity |
I used this type of gutter guard before and I thought I worked well. It looks something like this (link to picture): https://www.austingutterman.co...2/gutter-guard-1.jpg I no longer remember the brandname, though.
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well-temperedforum.groupee.net The Well-Tempered Forum Off Key What about black gutters? Gutter guards??