gutter guards

[EricU]

I see that the borgs are selling foam gutter guards now.  Do they work?  When we had our roof done, the guards were improperly installed and don't really work.  Especially with evergreen needles.  We don't really have that many trees near the house, but the gutters get filled pretty badly without a guard.

[cams2705]

I see that the borgs are selling foam gutter guards now.  Do they work?  When we had our roof done, the guards were improperly installed and don't really work.  Especially with evergreen needles.  We don't really have that many trees near the house, but the gutters get filled pretty badly without a guard.

I just moved into my new home and had them installed due to surrounding pines and they seem to be doing the job now for about 6 months.  I went with the ones that c drop into the top channel of the gutter and a screw driven in from the outside every 2-3 feet or so along that top channel piece.  See link below...sort of like this with the exception that mine fit totally inside the gutter groove and the screw is driven in through the front to hold in place.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Smart-Screen-Al...1000192439

[tomsteve]

my experience with foam gutter guards:
they work great to hold small debris. eventually seeds in that debris that start growing. they mold. they rot.
they were a waste of money.

[EricU]

Tomsteve, 
Did you end up with something else?

The aluminum ones look a lot better than what we have, although I would like a snap-in solution a little better

[FS7]

Tomsteve, 
Did you end up with something else?

The aluminum ones look a lot better than what we have, although I would like a snap-in solution a little better

If I remember correctly, the solution above started out as a snap-in solution. They slid into the front of the gutter channel and the back side went underneath the bottom row of shingles. This didn't hold properly, though, and I ended up screwing all of mine in. 

The manufacturer no longer advertises them as a snap-in solution as they all require screws. There may still be toolless versions but, like foam, they probably don't work too well.

[Robert Adams]

This is what i am planning to put on ours. 

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HSJBY3/?co..._lig_dp_it

[Roly]

This is what i am planning to put on ours. 

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HSJBY3/?co..._lig_dp_it

Also look at the Smart Screen ones. (posted in post 9 )   They are a lot flatter so debris can blow off, but if a lot of water is coming down the roof in one spot like a valley the water wants to overshoot.   A baffle is needed for a short distance on both sides of the valley.  Had mine about a year without problems.  Mostly oak, elm, ash, and sweet gum trees nearby.  Roly

[EricU]

I might have to see if I can get someone to do it for me, it's a 3 story drop in the back, and the second story on the front isn't that great either even though it's above a porch roof you can stand on.

The foam is attractive because installation is just putting it in, but I imagine it's nasty after a short while.

[tomsteve]

Tomsteve, 
Did you end up with something else?

yes- a hose and a brush twice a year.

[Robert Adams]

Also look at the Smart Screen ones. (posted in post 9 )   They are a lot flatter so debris can blow off, but if a lot of water is coming down the roof in one spot like a valley the water wants to overshoot.   A baffle is needed for a short distance on both sides of the valley.  Had mine about a year without problems.  Mostly oak, elm, ash, and sweet gum trees nearby.  Roly

The smart screen ones would end up very pricey for how much I need.... We have lots of oak trees and the issue isn't leaves but the pollen tassels in the spring. Unfortunately I got the gutters up and got sidetracked on the kitchen backsplash tile and the pollen dropped the past few days and filled up the new gutters before I had a chance to get them covered.. .. It is nice not having the ditch around the house caused by the rain running off the roof. It's all sand here so it erodes quickly.

     Had leafguard do an estimate through costco( what a joke) and they came out to $53 a linear foot and didn't even do all the roof to a total price of nearly 6k. Drove to Menards from Fort worth to Wichita,ks to pick gutter material as it was 1/5 the price that depot quoted for the same product.