Gutter Leaf Guard — 3 Myths About Gutter Leaf Guards Debunked

Dont be fooled with Gutter Guards:

Example of Gutter Helmet

A gutter leaf guard is an excellent protection to have. This option is recommended to every homeowner irrespective of whether they live in an area with heavy rainfalls and a lot of vegetation or not. Gutter guards are useful, but it is common for marketers to go a bit over the top when they are marketing their products. That is why it is worth learning about the most common myths associated with these protection systems and discovering the truth behind them.

A gutter leaf guard offers complete protection from leaves and debris. This is a huge myth, even though the protection systems are evolving in terms of complexity and effectiveness. The reality is that most systems will allow some leaves inside the drain channels. If the holes of the mesh are not very small, tiny leaves can still go in. Similarly, with a brush guard, some leaves may remain trapped in between the bristle.

Many gutter leaf guards are ineffective when it comes to protecting your drain system from smaller debris such as pine needles and seeds. Foam protectors tend to trap these inside their pores. Mesh covers with very tiny holes will not allow such debris into the gutter and this is good, but these will often get piled up on top of the protection screen.

Rainwater overflow is impossible with a gutter leaf guard. This is certainly not true, despite the claims of marketers. Some protection systems have very thin slots that are a relatively large distance apart. These will offer good protection from leaves and debris, but they may cause problems during heavy rainfall due to their lower draining capacity. Similarly, foam models are known to retain between 10% and 15% of the water that flows into them. This amount can be quite high during heavy rainfalls.

Once a gutter leaf guard is installed, no cleaning will be required. This is a huge myth that is based mainly on the misconception about the level of effectiveness of protection systems. As explained earlier, some smaller leaves and debris will get inside the drain channel. In some cases, depending on the system, they will remain on top of the cover or get trapped inside. In all of these cases, cleaning will be required. Still, protected gutters will need only basic cleaning often less frequently than their unprotected counterparts.

Now you know the truth about gutter leaf guard protection. You can readily focus on finding a system that will work well for your house.