Let's cut to the chase: gutters are annoying. They get clogged with leaves, are difficult to clean, and can even be a cozy home for an angry family of wasps.
But as a homeowner, maintaining gutters is just part of the gig. After all, gutters are essential to your home's drainage system and structural integrity.
To maintain gutters and fix clogs, a lot of homeowners often resort to whipping out their ladder a few times a year and cleaning their gutters. Others hire it out.
But there's another option that's often overlooked. For homeowners interested in protecting their homes and reducing the amount of times they have to climb on their roof, gutter guards are a great investment.
But what exactly are gutter guards? Do they even work? And are they actually worth it? We go over all of this and more in this blog post. Let's get into it.
First of all: What are gutter guards?
Gutter guards do exactly what their name implies: they guard your gutters.
Sometimes called gutter covers, they are a perforated system that’s placed over the top of your already existing gutters to prevent leaves, twigs, and other debris from entering, while still allowing water to move freely.
Not only do they reduce maintenance costs, but they also remove the need to have to clean your gutters on a regular basis.
The purpose of gutters
Gutters are a funneling system. When it rains, water slides down your roof and into your gutters. Your gutters then channel that water through a downspout and safely direct it away from the vulnerable areas of your home (i.e., your foundation and basement).
If houses didn’t have gutters, water would end up pooling around the outside of the home and eventually erode the soil. Over time, this causes extreme foundation damage and basement flooding.
On top of that, they also prevent water from collecting and entering through doors and windows.
Gutter's biggest flaw
Gutters are great. But they aren't perfect. In fact, their biggest flaw is they attract a lot of debris that ends up collecting overtime and then clogging. If your home is near a lot of trees, then you know clogged gutters are a constant concern.
And cleaning a clogged gutter isn't exactly an easy task. You have to bring out the ladder, climb up the roof with a hose and bucket, and clean them out. If they're really clogged, you might even have to use your hands to remove that debris buildup. It is 100% not fun and can be dangerous and physically demanding on the body. That's why gutter guards were invented.
