Let's Talk About Leaf Screens for Guttering....Whatcha Got?

[Bill]

I have multiple pine trees that delight in clogging my gutters, and it's a two story home, so it's not without risk every time I clean them. Anyone added filtering screens? If so, how do they work?

Probably would be a DIY project, but if anyone has paid for this, what's it cost?

[lspencer534]

Bill, bear in mind that everything I;m posting in your thread is from research only from when I was contemplating installing gutter screens.

I quickly became discouraged with the idea because I found nothing that eliminated the problem of clogged gutters. First of all, the typical screens don't filter out pine needles; lots of them still get through and even worse, they quickly become an eyesore sticking through the screen. You'll have to install a fine screen to keep out some of the needles, but even fine screens wont stop asphalt grit.

As you know from cleaning gutters, asphalt grit is a lot of what fills your gutters. Screens run $2-$10/foot, and up to $20/foot installed. And none of the screens last forever: Rust eats the metal ones away and plastic deteriorates from sunlight.

In short, it's an expensive solution that still won't end your gutter cleaning chore. You'll still have to clean gutters, and now with the task of removing and re-installing the screens each time you clean.

If there's any way possible, see if you can get away with removing the gutters and relying on diversion of the water by other means.

[Jeff '79]

Spence nailed it.:iagree::yesnod:

[StaticCling]

I only have gutters on the front of my house, and what Spence said is right about the asphalt 'slag' or whatever you want to call it. Other than that it's a yearly chore. Takes me about an hour. Break out the ladder and I find a putty knife and portable shop vac works pretty good to clean mine out.

[Bill]

I only have gutters on the front of my house, and what Spence said is right about the asphalt 'slag' or whatever you want to call it. Other than that it's a yearly chore. Takes me about an hour. Break out the ladder and I find a putty knife and portable shop vac works pretty good to clean mine out.

The asphalt debris is not a problem for me. The problem is the pine needles.

[DAB]

chop down the pine trees near the house. :DAB:

[Jeff '79]

I walk the roof perimeter with a leaf blower after a good dry spell.
It takes me 10 minutes.

[SubZero]

The problem I have is that leaves just end up sticking to the screen and then when it rains, the water just runs over the top. I bought a gutter cleaning kit for my leaf blower to get the leaves off once a month and it works great but at this point, I might as well just pull the screens off for good and just keep blowing out the gutters regularly. :shots::leaving:

[Dan Dlabay]

We had two sets of gutter guards destroyed by hail storms. So now I clean them out with my leaf blower.:cert:

[Bill]

I walk the roof perimeter with a leaf blower after a good dry spell.
It takes me 10 minutes.

I have a two story with a very high pitched roof. That's a negative, ghost rider.

[polarbear]

chop down the pine trees near the house. :DAB:

:yesnod:

[Bill]

chop down the pine trees near the house. :DAB:

Three of them belong to my neighbor. Think she'd miss them?

[mrvette]

Three of them belong to my neighbor. Think she'd miss them?

Two types of oaks here in Florida, Pin and Water....they have oval leaves about the size of my thumb/smaller....they flip and fly everywhere 365/year.....and not around MY house but some pines also in the burb....I knocked some 100' or better of gutters off my house....roof has a 2' overhang and the only gutters remaining has 4" diameter sewer PVC downspouts, with enlarged openings in the gutters, the water keeps the plants/bushes alive....gutters along garage front, and front door/porch.....

God, I"m lazy, not cleaned a gutter in some 20 years now....

:dance:

[Broken Wind]

I experimented with just about everything available from Lowes and HD, including those things that look and act like filters that fit inside the gutters. Nothing worked satisfactorily.

I called Leaf Guard and they gave me an estimate that was in excess of $10K. Nope.

I do the leaf blower routine about once a quarter, and bi-weekly in the fall. When I get too old for that, I’ll hire someone.

[04 commemorative]

I had them and wound up taking them off, they still got clogged up...roof is too steep and high for me to go up and not kill myself.....if I ever build another home I will put the bigger gutters on.....I figure it will take longer to clog up.

[OddBall]

I pay a neighborhood kid twenty bucks to clean them out.

[Cybercowboy]

Shingles 20 years ago had a lot more debris/grit. The shingles today, 2017 era, the current year, are nice to your gutters. Do they require maintenance? Yes, yes they do. And if you have pine trees, well, God help you.

[Olustee bus]

I may try something like this

Sears.com (http://www.sears.com/craftsman-gutter-cleaning-accessory-kit/p-00916935000P)

[04 commemorative]

I think that would work pretty ......pretty ........pretty good

Larry David: A Pretty Good Tribute - YouTube

[Mike Mercury]

I found nothing that eliminated the problem of clogged gutters.

yep; I've now tried two variations of these, previous home and current one. Neither was all that good in keeping debris out of the gutters.

These had long-winded warranties against clogging. But I discovered that the local "home improvement" shops that were selling/installing these products would go out of business after 5-6 years... and re-open under a new name - doing the same exact type of business; while conveniently nullifying the original warranty.

[8Up]

I have Gutter Helmet covers on mine. Been there 4 years and I cant complain. we live in the woods of South Carolina. YMMV