Q: We’re considering gutter guards so we never have to clean our gutters again. Do they work?
A: Gutter guards help, but are not maintenance free. Gutter guards come in a variety of materials and price ranges. They are all designed to allow water to reach the gutter and downspout in order to get the water away from the home in a controlled manner.
Leaves are supposed to dry out and fall off or blow away after the rain and this is where you will often find yourself doing periodic cleaning. Stuff accumulates ‘on’ the gutter guard and doesn’t always blow away as designed. You end up with debris collecting on top of the gutter guard that must be periodically removed. While there may be less of this than cleaning gutters, and what you remove is generally not a rotten mess, gutter guards are not maintenance free.
