Gutter protection systems are great in theory. But sadly, they are not great in the long run. The gutter screen or helmet systems on the market today work great for the first season or so. But slowly debris (leaves, needles, dirt, and/or sand) will enter the gutter. NOW this muck is stuck and hidden; it builds up slowly. Two or more years down the road, the top of the system also gets covered and or clogged. Manual cleaning is still required to clear the top AND someone has to remove the guards to get to the trapped muck inside. This cleaning process costs more than the savings.
Looks good outside – debris is piling up inside
Leaves will clog the screen. Screens will collapse. Now you have a bigger problem.
No room! Anywhere.
Worst case: things begin to grow in the damp muck hidden in your gutter.
While the belief that some form of gutter protection will allow you to never have to clean your gutters again, our experience is that none of these systems work. We have encountered gutter helmets, screens, shields, covers, sponges, brushes, and home-made gadgets. We have found that none of these systems work; we see this every day.
While some of these systems will work well in the comfort of an environmentally controlled lab, none of them hold up consistently well when installed on homes that are subject to daily weather conditions. Some systems will work well for a few months, but they will all fail eventually. Possibly the biggest problem is that the customer is told that he/she will never have to clean the gutters again. By the time the customer realizes that the gutter protection system has failed, years may have gone by, and often time there is expensive damage to the gutters and underground drainage system, as well as rot that has set into the trim boards behind and around the gutters.
Another problem with the gutter covers is that they can make it difficult (or impossible) for us to tighten, tune-up, and maintain the gutters properly. Failed gutter covers will also cause water to overrun the gutters, and this can cause flooding in the basement and around the foundation of your home.
Our recommendation is to leave your gutters open to the water-flow and have the Western Mass Gutter Monkeys clean and tune-up your system on a regular basis.
