The purpose of gutters is to keep the rain from your home’s foundation and away from the ceiling and walls. The purpose of gutter guards is to keep them from getting clogged up with debris, leaves, limbs, and more. Because when the gutters are clogged up, the rain just backs up under the shingles and down to the foundation, washing it out and eroding the soil.
It is the general opinion by experts that gutter guards aren’t foolproof in keeping everything out of your gutters. You will still need to clean, or have your gutters cleaned, once or twice a year. But they do reduce how frequent you need to clean your gutters.
Purchasing gutter guards isn’t just a matter of buying them and having them installed. There are different types of gutter guards and they each work differently. There are several ways that gutter guards are classified and here are 6 of the basic types:
1. Bottle brush
2. Foam type
3. Mesh
4. Non-gutter cover
5. Nylon
6. Reverse curve
Bottle brush gutter guards are somewhat like the pokey bristles on statues that keep birds off of them. The bristles face upward so that they aren’t hindering the flow of water through the gutters to the downspout.
Foam type gutter guards are made of plastic and fit directly on the gutter to block all the debris and leaves out of the gutters.
Mesh gutter guards are sheets with holes. They are attached to the roof and cover the gutters. The smaller holes are most recommended because they let the rain into flow through and won’t clog up.
Non-gutter covers essentially replace your gutters with thin louvers which divert rain coming off the roof and out, away from the house.
Nylon gutter guards are recommended for homes where there is a lot of ice and snow. These fit into the gutters, but do not attach to the shingles.
Reverse curve guards are designed to send the water downward in the gutter by way of a small slit and direct the leaves onto the ground.
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