Is it worth spending money to install gutter guards if you still have to clean them sometimes?
If you are sick of climbing a ladder to scoop leaves out of your gutters, there may be an answer for you. Gutter guards and covers are essentially designed to act as a filter over your gutters in an attempt to block debris from entering your gutter without inhibiting the gutter’s ability to draw water away from the roof.
Although gutter guards and covers are often advertised as a cure-all solution to cleaning your gutters, many models may only block larger debris, while allowing smaller debris to enter the gutters despite the shield.
Cost of gutter guards and covers
Your gutters get filled with leaves in the fall, but the spring brings other debris such as seed pods, flower petals, buds, and small leaves, which requires cleaning your gutters at least twice a year regularly.
There are many different types of gutter guards that can be divided into the categories of screens, inserts and reverse curves. The type you need will depend on your home’s location, as certain types of gutter guards are better in different circumstances.
What you should expect to pay for gutter guard installation will depend on the length of your gutters and the type of guards you need to purchase. Gutter guards and covers cost between $7.50 and $10 per lineal foot installed. Considering that the average home has about 200 feet of gutter, homeowners should expect to pay about $1,500 and $2,000 for professional gutter guard installation, though more complex gutter guard systems will be more expensive.
Is the cost of gutter guards worth it?
This may seem like a big investment initially, but it can save you money by removing the necessity for professional cleaning. If you are used to cleaning your own gutters, it can eliminate the time you spend scooping leaves, seeds, animal feces and other goop from your gutters.
Although having gutter guards and hoods dramatically reduces the number of times you will have to clean out your gutters, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t ever have to clean your gutters. Experts recommend cleaning your gutters at least once every two years, even with gutter guards and hoods installed. Still, that’s far better than the two or more times a year, many homeowners spend cleaning uncovered gutters.
Since a thorough cleaning will require removing the guards, you will want to choose gutter guards that are both easy to remove and easy to replace.
Overall, the process of finding the perfect gutter guards and covers will require a bit of searching and a pretty substantial investment; however, the right gutter guards will prevent gutter debris build-up and less frequent cleanings.
Article adapted from AngiesList.com.
