Gutter covers have existed in the residential home improvement market since man first installed gutters. Why do we have gutters at all?
Gutters are wide open mouths that feed upon airborne contaminants and feast with great appetite on shingle granules that perpetually roll into its K-Styled gutter jowls. Here in Iowa, and much of the Midwest, 5" K-Style guttering systems rule supreme. Other notables include 6" K-Style, or 7" Box-Style gutters, and corresponding sized Half-Round guttering systems. The importance of a fully functioning gutter system is often overlooked as few look "up" on a regular basis and adore the beauty of .032 gauge roll-formed aluminum with factory baked-on finishes. The fine lines of a 2x3, or even better, a 3x4" downspout system that leads nature's fruit juice (water) away from our humble structures.
Gutters serve several purposes in protecting the buildings we live and work in. Gutter systems protect from premature paint failure, rotten fascia and soffit, erosion of grade, damage to landscaping and water infiltration to basements. The added benefits of a seamless guttering system are well known but how does one keep them working in optimal condition? Well, with gutter....wait for it....covers.
If we are to "name names" in this area of the exterior remodeling business, rearranging the words gutter, leaf, guards, proof or protection in any array of organization would give us the names of 90% of the manufacturers in the gutter protection industry...by our estimation. Gutter Guards, Gutter Helmet, Leaf X, Leafproof, LeafFilter or GutterProof just to name a few...all of these are registered trademarked names of course.
The first question I normally get from clients and customers alike is "Do they work?" quickly followed by "How much are they?" and that is usually followed by a resounding "Get off my property." The summarized response of the two popular questions and one threat are "Yes," "Expensive" and "Please do not harm my family, I only came in peace."
Do They Work?
Every gutter protection brand on the market I have seen, and I have seen dozens, does work. They all work in their own "special" way. Some of the products are anything but special and only work when the conditions are absolutely perfect. These are the ones to avoid. There are several consistent contenders on the market and I see little difference in performance from the Top 5 manufacturers, in my opinion. Some manufacturers of gutter protection make claims of handling winds of 150+ mph and 20+ inches of rain in an hour. Lets take a moment to break these numbers down. 150+ mph winds result in...a building destroyed. 20+ inches of rain in an hour...building is now a boat or raft. It would be wise to avoid being sucked-in to these outrageous marketing gimmicks when selecting a gutter cover/protections system for your property.
How much do they cost? Part One
When I am asked this question I no longer give a dollar amount. I simply refer to the cost of gutter covers/protection as the equivalent of a complete tear-off/removal of the gutter system and subsequent re-install of a brand new gutter system...now take that dollar value times three and you are in the ball park. So yes, one could hypothetically let their gutters fill up with debris and instead of cleaning them, have them torn down and replaced with new gutters three times and still be even money on installing gutter protection. First of all this is an extreme example. Secondly it it allows building owners to wrap their heads around the scope of the project.
Why do they cost so much? Part Two
Believe what you will, but most companies are in business to make money. I know this is not the first time you have heard this. I do not know of a gutter cover/protection manufacturer who is non-profit, or manufacturers pro-bono.
The first cost of gutter protection is raw materials. Aluminum is the material of choice and does not come free. Even as a gutter protection manufacturer, chances are they are not purchasing the aluminum directly from the aluminum producers. They purchase from a wholesaler who in turns delivers to the gutter protection manufacturer. Already we have three businesses generating revenue from the raw material. The aluminum producer, the shipping/trucking companies and the wholesaler all take their cut and add cost to the end-using consumers. Then the machines that form the gutter protection system...they require tool and die professionals who have companies that take a cut...and the list goes on and on... Sometimes it helps to take time when purchasing consumer goods to take a look at how our complex economy works. The value chain of marketing and customer retention cost a pretty penny also. We have not even begun to install the gutter protection system and we can see how many jobs and families are affected when we as consumers buy any product on the market. Gutter covers/protection systems do not sprout from seeds as finished products and even if they did we would have to pay the "gutter cover farmer" for his efforts.
Yes they work and are expensive. How do we know they work?
Once upon a time we too were skeptic. Then several years ago we were working on a roof that had gutter covers installed in the early 1980's when the house was constructed. It was a primitive system by today's standards but did the job all the same. When after 20 years of service the gutter remained clean. There were some shingle granules and a fine layer of dirt in some areas, but generally the gutters were in pristine condition.
There are no secret holes, bends, texture, color or multi-angle configuration that makes one cover work better than another. They are all based on the same principle that water will come off the roof and adhere to the cover itself while debris is thrown overboard and into the great expanse that is the home's yard. Some debris will enter the guttering system on any product but should flow down the gutter and out the downspouts without causing any problems. The entire goal is to keep large debris that could be stick, leaves and such from entering the gutter in the first place and is the source of most gutter clogs.
Stay far away from anything plastic when it comes to gutter covers or anything that sits down inside the gutter. Plastic is not strong enough, will not hold up to environmental exposure and is subject to extreme movement in climates that transition from hot to cold. This type of climate is prevalent in Iowa and sometimes can happen all in the same day...or hour. The truth of the matter is spending money on less expensive gutter covers and protection will, in the long run, cost more financially and economically than the installation of a solid gutter cover/protection system with a lifetime warranty in the first place.
Carter Exteriors, LLC has used three gutter cover systems on a regular basis around Iowa. The real reason we use certain products is quite simple. The market becomes saturated with products of all types. The barrier for entry into selling gutter covers is virtually non-existent. All that is required is to find one customer to install your product and start advertising. Sometimes one customer is only a suggestion...just start advertising and someone will buy it. We have made and sold gutter covers from manufacturers with a visible track record and customer satisfaction. The more detailed explanation is listed below.
We started with manufacturing custom covers on-site with a machine from Van Mark Industries. The machine is called Trim-A-Gutter and has several advantages. When installed with color-matched aluminum to the shingles color, and not necessarily the gutter color, it does look very respectable and virtually can disappear from sight. It is somewhat bulky compared to other products but is completely customizable to the job at hand. There is also no waste with this product. The Trim-A-Gutter uses the same gutter coil that is used to make the gutters or a separate coil. We only use what we need. Other gutter protection manufacturers sell their product to us in boxes of pre-made four foot sections. We may use one piece from a box or a whole box depending on the job. With the Trim-A-Gutter we only make what we need therefore reducing cost and waste.
The second product(s) we used and are using are from Leafproof and LeafX. I honestly consider these two products nearly identical. Although the manufacturers would strongly disagree. They are different products and each has their strengths and weaknesses as compared against the rest of the market. In the context of this discussion though they are similar in style, visible profile and installation procedures. Carter Exteriors, LLC has installed these two manufacturers due to ease of obtaining products, support and training for Leafproof and LeafX.
Trim-a-Gutter
LeafX
Trim-a-Gutter
LeafX
LeafProof
All three of the gutter protection manufacturers listed are installed between the starter strip of shingles and actual shingles. Some companies main marketing is directed at this type of install. Breaking the seal from a starter shingle is just asking for leaks and ice dams to wreck havoc on your roof, according to them. The other side of marketing would claim the solid gutter protection systems actually reduces ice dams from forming in the first place. Who to believe?
Much as in the case of roofing, ice dams are the product of poor ventilation. Ice/Water shield membranes, gutter protection or even building directional facings have little to do with the formation of ice dams and are merely a bandage for the cause of the problem. Have your attic ventilation checked and installed by a competent professional.
If the current gutter system on the house is, for lack of a better word, ugly, then the gutter cover system will too be ugly. Certain hanging brackets used for gutters on older homes with angled fascia are extremely hard to work with. Wedges must be installed to bring the gutters back to the proper secure fashion. At this point there is so much labor and materials involved in re-hanging and securing now would be the time to replace the gutters. The gutters at this point will be the least expensive cost to the project.
It is rather amazing the incredible amount of improperly hung gutters there are on residential homes. Gutters do not need much slope to do their job. We have seen gutters that slope 4" from one end to the downspout on runs of 30.' With that kind of extreme slope the gutters are not being used to their capacity and are incredibly inefficient. I would rather a gutter have no slope and be perfectly level. The water will find the lowest spot and drain from there. Why do I bring this up when it is obviously a gutter specific issue? The issue would be that gutters installed with too much slope should be re-hung to proper specs before gutter cover installation. There is no way around it and if someone tells you otherwise, repeat after me "Get off my property."
Jerry R. Carter
Carter Exteriors, LLC
