AYN Advice

Does anyone have a solution to keeping gutters clean?

KEEP YOUR GUTTERS CLEAN

As a contractor who has been working with Gutter Cleaning for over 20 years I have seen a broad spectrum of problems due to blocked gutters, clogged gutters and down pipes, ice damming, overflows, leafs and the list goes on and on and on.

Through servicing my existing data base of clients I was very much aware of their frustrations in trying to find a solution to this nasty recurring problem. I took samples from many different companies, gutter stuff, gutter filter,gutter topper, leaf defier, leaf guard, gutter guard and so on and so on. I took these samples to various of my worse case scenario clients offering the chance to test each and read the performance of each. While some of the aluminum covers worked well in the early stages, they were both fast to block and fast to create overflow due to the initial restrictions on the flow of water with the hole filled aluminum cover plate. The other aluminum system works on the principle of the flowing waters surface tension carrying the flow of water through a curve into the gutter itself and casting solid matter away, a truly great idea, but the design team seemed to forget the physics or weather and the slightest breeze blows the water in all directions. At over $16 per foot installed, this is a gross oversight in the marketing of this product.

All the aluminum capping systems we tested let light into the gutter and if just one seed gets in there it has all it needs to grow, water, shelter and light. Due to the nature of screws and bolts for fitting, removal of the aluminum capping system to remove an eager young tree from your gutter is nothing short of a hassle. A consideration that also was highlighted was the act of putting screws through the roof membrane to ensure the gutters are functional-this threw us and our clients into some very deep questioning.

Other leaf guard systems proved to have there own short comings. Difficult to install or pro fit only was always the major problem. Many of the copy-cat foam filters could not take the freeze and thaw cycle and were prone to becoming brittle and decomposing in harsh south facing conditions due to the absence of a proper UV inhibitor embedded into the polymers of the product, this was the major downfall of the clones along with the quantity of pours per square inch not giving the correct flow speed to allow maximum drainage.

Without question Gutter Stuff, the original foam filter insert proved to champion the cause with its no tools required, fit it and forget it policy and its mid range pricing, There was only one realistic choice.

For more information on this product and/or any questions you may have feel free to contact me.

Wishing you “clutter free gutters”.