Gutter Guards Put to the Test
Earlier this year, we invited several micro mesh gutter guard manufacturers to submit their products for testing. After follow-up emails and phone conversations with company executives, assuring them that we would be fair in our testing, some manufacturers accepted our invitation, some declined, and others simply did not submit product for testing.
Undeterred, we marched on. Fortunately, we already had a fair bit of product at our disposal, so we took what the manufacturers offered us and added products we had available to us to for testing.
We will continue to add products to test over time, so the manufacturers that declined our requests are welcome to send us products, and we will likely independently acquire products to add to our tests.
Why are we testing gutter guards?
You may be familiar with Consumer Reports magazine September 2010 gutter guard article. While the article featured several solid surface (surface tension) and do-it-yourself gutter guards, only two micro mesh products were tested. Micro mesh gutter guards were introduced more than 10 years ago, and are considered the first real advancement in the gutter protection industry since the invention of solid surface gutter guards in 1908 — over 100 years ago. It was odd that testing was limited to two products.
By conducting our own gutter guard tests, we will be able to provide detailed information about products in order to help homeowners make more informed decisions about what type of gutter guard systems to install on their homes.
Micro mesh gutter guard manufacturers that I spoke to after the Consumer Reports story ran were unanimous in believing the CR will not test gutter guards in the future, so we will fill-in the gaps from previous testing in hopes of providing homeowners with a broader pool of products from which to choose.
I am planning to install Rain-filter in my gutters and covering them with Amerimax plastic mesh screens sloped to help leaves and other debris to slide off thereby not clogging the pores of the polymer foam and getting the best of both products.
Has anybody tried this.
I have yet to see a test of gutter guards that covers roofs with inside corners. Water just shoots over them at inside corners, expecially with solid covers. Diverters to send the water sideways along the gutter guard don’t work, and just catch leaves.
Additionally, in the last 40 years I have tried solid covers, mesh/screens, and micro-mesh. None work. If I can push a leaf tip or stem in, trust me, nature will do so, all along the gutter. None keep out the strings of seeds or whatever my trees put out, or roof grit, even micro-mesh. I’ve also tried all the things one puts in the downspout – those don’t work either. It takes longer and is harder to keep the covers clear than it does and is to clean the gutters; the covers need clearning about as often as my un-covered gutters.
My pet peave is the solid-cover demos in malls. They send perhaps a light rain’s worth of water down a small section of roof with a shallow pitch, and tell people their syster will handle even the water from a gully-washer storm on a large steep roof. They won’t.
If I didn’t have inside corners, I would investigate hinged gutters. Until someone invents something that works, I will leave my gutters uncovered, put up the ladder, grab my leaf-blower, and clean each time rain is projected in the fall or spring.
Best,
Coryn Weigle
We live in southern washington state and had gutter topper install about 50 horizontal feet on the back of our house nine years ago and have had no problems but it was expensive.
We want to do the front side which has three dormers and about an additional 30 horizontal feet. Do you think the gutterglove is better than gutter topper?
Our back yard is maples, doug firs, cherry trees, etc.
Should we go with what we have or try the gutterglove, although I am worried about debris staying on top of the mesh.
how did the test go? Did anyone have any results with the gutter guards?