Signs You May Need Gutter Guards
Gutter guards aren’t always needed, but the signs of overflowing and clogged gutters are clear. Signals of chronic gutter issues include:
- Leaky seams or joints where water leaks out of gutters
- Soggy ground or visible erosion around your home's foundation
- Mold growth, peeling exterior paint, or interior water stains on walls near gutters.
- Frequent clogs that lead to overflow and water spilling over gutters
- Visibly saggy, damaged, or misaligned gutters that no longer direct rainwater correctly
How To Choose a Gutter Guard Installer
Assess Their Experience
Providers with extensive gutter guard installation experience that have handled a wide variety of styles and models will know how to take accurate measurements and fit guards to your home’s unique dimensions. Contact these providers to get details regarding their experience and ask for local references.
Verify Proper Licensing and Insurance
When speaking with potential installation companies, always make sure that they are properly licensed, bonded, and insured with both workers compensation and general liability coverage. This protects you if any accidents or injuries happen. Ask for current licensing and insurance papers from potential providers.
Choose Reputable Brands
Seek out companies that provide tenured and trusted gutter guard brands such as LeafFilter and Gutter Helmet. Be wary of companies that only carry generic no-name or their own off-brand guards, as these likely lack the rigorous testing of larger brands.
Seek Custom Fit Services
For optimal performance, guards should be custom fitted on-site to fit your gutters. Select a company that custom sizes and cuts guards for your home rather than using generic guards. Correctly fitted guards minimize gaps where debris can get trapped.
Examine Warranties
Leading gutter guard companies often offer 20-year or lifetime warranties against clogs, rust, leaks, and other issues. When picking a company, carefully examine the warranty details for both materials and workmanship guarantees. Warranties provide the best protection for your gutter investment.
Check Reviews and Referrals
Take some time to look at online reviews on sites such as Yelp, Google Reviews, or the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to learn about customer experiences. You can also ask neighbors to suggest quality local gutter guard companies. When researching providers, it's best to choose companies with a history of good reviews instead of just a single review.
Types of Gutter Guards
The six most common gutter guard types include the following:
- Brush guards are what they sound like: large brush bristles that sit in your gutters and catch debris while letting water through. On average, you can expect to pay $4.04 per linear foot for brush guards.
- Foam guards are lightweight and easy to install. With this type of guard, debris lands on the foam instead of in your gutter. On average, you can expect to pay $2.46 per linear foot for foam guards.
- Screen guards have large holes that let water through while stopping debris. Screen guards cost around $4.20 per linear foot.
- Mesh guards stop debris but let water through. Mesh guards have even smaller holes than screen guards. They're durable and let debris slide off rather than sitting on top of your gutters. Mesh guards cost around $3.99 per linear foot.
- Micro-mesh guards have even smaller holes than mesh guards and allow even less debris through than mesh. These types of guards are extremely effective. On average, you can expect to pay $5.07 per linear foot for micro-mesh guards.
- Surface tension guards, sometimes called reverse curve guards, use surface tension to encourage debris to slide off while water flows into the gutter. They can usually be seen from the ground. Surface tension guards cost roughly $3.10 per linear foot.