Anyone have the Leaf Filter system installed on their gutters?

[Frank_N_Stein]

Had a guy come out to the house today to give me a price. It is steep, and I'm wondering if any INGOers have it and if it is worth the money.

 

[Rookie]

I have something similar. When I get motivated enough, I'm taking them off. Leaves collect on top of it, and the rain goes right over the top.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I had something like that before. This product has a fine mesh screen so it isn't supposed to do that.

 

[TB1999]

Many systems (some of the best) include the gutter. Are they quoting you for gutter replacement or just adding their product to existing gutters?

 

[snorko]

My father has a gutter helmet style system. Solid material with a curved lip. It works well but I think it is something one could install oneself with some research.

 

[hoosierdoc]

we have something, and have a very wooded lot. I've not had an issue with my gutters in six years that we've lived there. We just had a 20' gutter installed on a covered patio build, no leaf guard, and after year one the gutter Is clogged and overflowing

My father has a gutter helmet style system. Solid material with a curved lip. It works well but I think it is something one could install oneself with some research.

yes, I think it can be done if you don't mind ladders

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Many systems (some of the best) include the gutter. Are they quoting you for gutter replacement or just adding their product to existing gutters?

Just the product added to existing gutters.

 

[bacon#1]

Our last house we had some cheap gutter screens. Lived there 7 years never had to clean out the gutters.

 

[IndyGal65]

We bought Leaf Guard gutters several years ago and we love them. They are expensive but we love them.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

We bought Leaf Guard gutters several years ago and we love them. They are expensive but we love them.

Have you had any issues with them clogging and overflowing. I have read both good and bad reviews. I know none of the systems are perfect, I just don't want to regret my decision.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

After looking at the Leaf Guard design, I think my roof is too steep to use it as the water will flow too fast and cascade off the hood.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

After years of cleaning gutters, I was introduced to the leaf blower. Now, I am a firm believer that I should absolutely not have anything impeding my ability to blow the gutters out clean and easy.

You will need a big boy backpack blower, but you should already have a big boy backpack blower. If it's not a walkable roof, they make an extension shaped like a "J" to blow the gutters out from the ground. If you have a fancy house in which you cannot even reach your gutters from above or below, even with extensions, just tell the butler to tell the lawn team to clean the gutters.


Seriously, screw those gutter guard systems. Sooner or later, you will get some seeds through someplace and then you get little trees growing through and intertwined with whatever brilliant idea you have affixed to your gutter. Ask me how I know, it took me three times to figure it out. You're going to get sediment in your gutters anyway and that will screw up their flow. Just blow them out in the spring and fall and be done with it.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I don't have a big boy backpack blower. And the more I research, the less I want to buy a cover system.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

After years of cleaning gutters, I was introduced to the leaf blower. Now, I am a firm believer that I should absolutely not have anything impeding my ability to blow the gutters out clean and easy.

You will need a big boy backpack blower, but you should already have a big boy backpack blower. If it's not a walkable roof, they make an extension shaped like a "J" to blow the gutters out from the ground. If you have a fancy house in which you cannot even reach your gutters from above or below, even with extensions, just tell the butler to tell the lawn team to clean the gutters.


Seriously, screw those gutter guard systems. Sooner or later, you will get some seeds through someplace and then you get little trees growing through and intertwined with whatever brilliant idea you have affixed to your gutter. Ask me how I know, it took me three times to figure it out. You're going to get sediment in your gutters anyway and that will screw up their flow. Just blow them out in the spring and fall and be done with it.

^^^This^^^ I don't have a backpack blower, but mine is a Stihl and it works great. My roof is walkable, so it takes me all of 5 to 10 minutes to blow out all the gutters. I've seen what happens when those "clog proof" guards get clogged (and they will if only from seeds and/or sediment as Bubba mentioned), and it's a royal pain to have to remove the guards, clean the gutters anyhow, and then put the guards back on. Not for me.

 

[87iroc]

We had a gutter cover system on the house when we bought it. It was a flat piece of aluminum with a curved edge. Worked OK. We had hail damage and had it replaced. New system that was put in, they screwed up and left enough room for birds to get in. They were also IMPOSSIBLE to clean the birds nests out. After a few years of basically all the water running out of the gutters, I pulled them off last year. It was a PITA as they went up under the shingles and glued themselves in. I then bought those cutesy little filter hats to put in. They plugged within a month with leaves. My newly cleaned gutters overflowed all winter. I now have nothing and am debating what to put back in. I dn't want to clean monthly...but with maples in my area. I need to clean 3-4X a year to keep them flowing. I'll probably never put another gutter guard system in...other than maybe installing those little filters in the right size(I put ones in that were too small). Then blow them out with the above mentioned leave blower attachment a few times a year. Our downspouts are hard to remove...so I don't care to be cleaning those out if I don't stay on it.

 

[Baditude]

I have a steep roof with many trees around and had Rhino Guards (mesh) installed - fantastic waste of money! I would not do it again, seriously would be cheaper to pay someone to clean the gutters a couple times a year for many years and be better for the water flow.

 

[ws6guy]

For the last couple of years I've had the Evelyn's leaf solution cover on one corner of my house as a trial. It has worked very good and I'm planning on doing the rest. The cover is the micromesh type. Most of my house is 2 story and I don't do ladders very well so the covers make sense for me. They may not be perfect but it keeps me off the ladder 2+ times a year. Also Costo and home depot sell a knock off version to the DIY guy.

 

[lonehoosier]

I have Leaf Gaurd gutter cap. We just happen to have a pour down here so I took a quick one minute video. These were installed nine years ago on a pre-existing gutter with a 6/12 pitch roof. They have never needed to be cleaned out. I think we payed $22 a foot for them with installation. It's not cheap by any means but cheaper than falling off a second story roof.

[video=youtube_share;H2gOzj6ghd0]http://youtu.be/H2gOzj6ghd0[/video]

 

[gregkl]

After looking at the Leaf Guard design, I think my roof is too steep to use it as the water will flow too fast and cascade off the hood.

If you don't get the angle just right on the systems that basically cover the top of the gutter and rely on surface tension to pull the water back into the gutter, you will have water shooting off the roof at the times you most want the gutter to catch it.

I have had three different roofers tell me that the best thing is to leave it open and clean them out once in awhile. But that is not always practical so I can see putting something up. I had two of them tell me about a screen that works. It is a certain brand. They claimed that the other's don't work as well as these do and only one of the two sold them.

I'll try to find it when I have a little time and post a link.

I have a ranch with a 4/12 pitch so I can easily walk it and blow them out with my leaf blower. But last year before I had two ginormous maple trees taken out, it would clog the gutters during a rainstorm! I could not keep my gutters from clogging and overflowing. Thankfully, they are gone and now I think I can get away with 3-4 times per year blowing them out.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I have Leaf Gaurd gutter cap. We just happen to have a pour down here so I took a quick one minute video. These were installed nine years ago on a pre-existing gutter with a 6/12 pitch roof. They have never needed to be cleaned out. I think we payed $22 a foot for them with installation. It's not cheap by any means but cheaper than falling off a second story roof.

[video=youtube_share;H2gOzj6ghd0]http://youtu.be/H2gOzj6ghd0[/video]

Thanks for the vid.