Gutter Guards Reduce Cleaning

Gutter guards keep leaves and other big debris from clogging up your gutter when the heavens rain down on your home. Debris and leaves are welcome to try and block your gutter, but the small holes along the length of the gutter guard will make their efforts futile. Gutter guards are an innovation that can reduce the frequency of cleaning gutters, but not eliminate the task completely. In fact, don't think of installing gutter guards with the intention of leaving your gutters alone for good.

This is true for homes with asphalt shingles, as the granules erode the longer they're exposed to the elements. The granules can slip through the perforations of the gutter guard, and the heavy rains will hasten the process. With enough granules in the gutter, they can make the gutter shallower, decreasing the gutter's overall capacity to drain storm runoff. Gutter guards make more sense with roofing materials that don't erode, such as metal roofing.

In addition, gutter guards also need regular cleaning. A layer of fallen leaves or debris on top of the gutter guard defeats the purpose of draining nothing but storm runoff. Remove anything blocking the gutter guard's many perforations to ensure the smooth flow of runoff from roof to ground. Always keep that ladder handy even if you don't need it often.