Gutter leaf guards, screens, and filters can reduce problems with clogged, overflowing gutters. This expert buying guide will help you choose the right guards. Rainwater gutters need to be kept free of any debris like tree branches, plastics or leaves, otherwise, the water that is flowing through it will back up at your roof downspouts and it can fill them up.

When it happens, the weight of the water can bend or dislodge the gutters -or worse- the water can spill down your house and potentially damage your doors, windows, siding, walls, ceilings or your home’s foundation. You need to inspect the downspout and gutter of your roof and clean it at least once or twice a year to make sure that they are not clogged with dirt and debris.

To find out how the system works, visit https://www.thespruce.com/gutter-guards-overview-1822363 for more information.

To have it properly cleaned by professionals, expect to pay more or less $200 for single-story, 2,500 square-foot home and more for two-story or more homes with more extensive square footage. A popular solution for a periodic cleaning is to install a guard or a leaf-catching device.

In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the available products, from inexpensive wire screens to costly enclosed gutter-control devices. If a particular roof guard company is selling you their products, the best way to check the product is to ask the contact numbers and names of satisfied clients and start calling them one by one.

Kinds of guards

These guards can be grouped in the following categories:

Various screen types that filter any forms of debris from the flowing water, from cheap screen panels to super-expensive micro-mesh system.

Solid covers that helps deflect debris and leaves while capturing rainwater runoff.

Gutter inserts that are made out of brushes and foams. It helps prevent debris and leaves from clogging the downspout, but it allows rainwater to drain through the system channels.

Within every category, some manufacturers say their product is the best. In choosing the best products according to gutter cleaning and gutter guard installers, you need to make some big decisions, starting with the money you are willing to spend on a particular product.

You can spend less than a dollar per linear foot for a simple screen that you can install by yourself or you can pay as much as $20 to $30 per linear foot for a reliable cover that will be installed by a professional. Depending on the product that you are using, they will have different degrees of effectiveness.

Some of them are foolproof when it comes to blocking leaves or debris, but they may allow rainwater to spill over. Some of the products may reject most of the trash and leaves; that is why you need to clean them regularly. Depending on its design, it can become a big hassle if the guard cannot be removed easily compared to cleaning a gutter with no cover.

Some of the products work perfectly well even if there is a constant collection of leaves but perform poorly when there are seeds and needles on the debris. Others are excellent for a roof with a low slope, but they allow a lot of spillover on a metal roof with a steep pitch.

And others work perfectly on snowy and freezing weather. Unless you are going to use the least expensive and easy to use product like a simple screen that is readily available in most home improvement stores, it is better to check with your friends, family or neighbors who have their roof gutters done by a professional and are happy with the result, especially if house has the same architectural or roof pitch design as yours.

Click here to find out how gutters and downspouts work.

Covers can be very problematic when it comes to ice and snow. Solid covers are very famous for producing a lot of icicles; most of them are big ones that can damage your roof. The buildup of snow along the roof edges can break away from the cover when the temperature rises. If you are living in a cold place where ice and snow can be a huge problem, make sure to check out how the system that you are planning to use performs in a cold, snowy or icy environment.