If you’ve got trees, you will always have leaves falling on your roof and washing into your gutters. Windy days and storms can blow leaves hundreds of yards! Left unchecked, the debris starts to break down leading to clogged downpipes.
Gutters are ‘out of sight’ and often low on your maintenance schedule but neglect can lead to significant damage including water backing up under your roof leading to ceiling and/or internal wall damage!
Proper maintenance of your gutters minimizes the risk of clogging in your drainage systems.
This is why you should occasionally clean any dirt resulting from nearby trees or existing debris from your roof. This is essential for safeguarding your house’s foundation, which the overflowing water can damage.
If you want a hassle-free gutter maintenance routine, investing in gutter guards will be worth every dime in the long run. They reduce your cleaning frequency, can prevent costly home damage, can keep you off the ladder, and can stop birds from using the gutters as nesting places.
Gutter Guards Save You Time And Money, But Are They Worth It?
Well, different designs and types of gutter guards come at different prices.
And that price point can vary greatly! However, installing the right gutter guard has been shown to save considerable time in the long run. So let’s explore some factors affecting the cost of gutter guards.
How Much Do Gutter Guards Cost?
Many factors come into play in determining the price you pay for a gutter guard.
There are the specifics of the gutter guard itself. Things like design, materials used, and size all play a part. The quality and care of the installation and whether subcontractors are used will also affect the price.
If the business is located some distance from you, travel time could also contribute to cost, directly or indirectly. Last but not least are unusual design features of your home that could increase the difficulty of the job, such as considerable heights.
Gutter guards made from materials like foam and plastic are often favoured for their affordability. You can further cut installation costs by opting for DIYs.
However, like most others in this industry, you get what you pay for. Innumerable customer reviews and testimonials show that basing your decision solely on price does not often lead to satisfaction with the result.
Leaf Filters vs Gutter Guards
Comparing solid gutter covers with leaf filters is comparing apples to oranges. They have the same goal, but their means of getting there are entirely different and have different results.
Leaf filters use a mesh of varying sizes, which effectively blocks different types of debris from entering the gutter system. However, a significant drawback is their tendency to clog in the filter itself.
The accumulation of debris on top of the cover eventually prevents the water from going through the filter, causing the water to bypass the gutter system altogether and overflow. Therefore this system will keep gutter clogs out but will involve constant maintenance to keep the tops clean.
On the other hand, solid gutter guards, with a nose-forward design ensure that debris falls to the ground, while water is channelled into the gutters. Solid gutter covers, as the name suggests, are completely solid, only allowing water to pass around the edge of the curve into the gutter system, while effectively ‘throwing’ debris off and onto the ground below.
They do not have countless openings on the top allowing debris to eventually clog and prevent the water from entering your guttering system.
When installed correctly, this design significantly reduces BOTH the likelihood of clogs and the need for constant hands-on maintenance, making solid gutter guards a better choice for many in the long run.
What Is The Cost Of Gutter Guards By Type?
You have several options when shopping for gutter guards. Let’s get into the cost aspect of various types.
Micro-mesh Gutter Guards
Depending on the specific company, product, and materials used, the price can vary dramatically. At their peak, finer micro-mesh filters can be at the top of the industry in terms of price.
Alternatively, they can be among the cheapest in DIY form.
Brush gutter guards
Brush gutter guards are often used for trying to keep out large debris while allowing the flow of water into the gutters.
Keep in Mind: The positive of this type of gutter guard is that they are cheap and easy to install yourself. The downside is that small debris will clog them easily and they will require constant maintenance.
Surface Tension Gutter Guards
The installation process for surface tension gutter guards, also known as reverse-curve gutter guards, needs to be done correctly or experience shows it will not work properly. Therefore, this type of product needs to be installed by a reputable and professional company.
Keep in Mind: This option, therefore, has a higher starting cost compared to other options. However, if you’re looking for a gutter cover that combines clog-free gutters AND as little maintenance as possible, this is the design to consider.
Foam Inserts
The best thing about the foam gutter guards is their simple installation and low cost.
Keep in Mind: Foam gutter guards may reduce the cleaning frequency of a home’s guttering system, but may make the cleaning more complicated. They have been shown to possibly be effective for homes with little to no tree coverage and little to no debris.
Screen gutter guards
Just like the micro-mesh, the price can vary dramatically depending on the specific company, or product. However, at their peak, they are not usually the most expensive. Alternatively, they can be among the cheapest in DIY form.
Keep in Mind: They typically come in a simple design made from metal or plastic. In addition to the drawbacks mentioned with the Micro Mesh design, they have limited filtering efficiency when it comes to smaller debris and can warp with prolonged use depending on the material.
Factors That Affect The Cost Of Gutter Guards
Here are two factors that will always affect your gutter guard installation cost.
LINEAR FEET – The greater the length of your gutters, the more materials are required. The additional length also increases installation time and cost.
ACCESSIBILITY – If your home and yard have unusual design features or tree coverage that press up against the guttering system, accessibility might be an issue. This could lead to additional labor time and cost.
Keep in Mind: Intricate landscaping, water bodies, and hilly grounds are other parameters affecting ladder positioning. Some installation locations require complex tools for safe accessibility which can be more expensive than easily accessible ones.
THE HEIGHT OF YOUR HOME – If your home has extreme heights (think three stories and up) then this will likely affect your final installation price.
ROOF TYPE – Some roofing materials may be harder to install for multiple reasons.
Additionally, although not always the case, the installation process on steep roofs may be more time-consuming and therefore costly. If this is true, it’s due to needing to move slower and/or the higher risks involved.
Conclusion
Some gutter guard types are simply more pricey because of factors like design, patents, materials, the company, warranties, and quality of installation.
That said, because the market is flooded with gutter guard brands, you might wonder which provider best suits your home needs. Ensure you explore the products and services of different gutter guard companies before making your final decision.
