If you own your home, you may already be aware of how gutters can get clogged with dirt and debris such as trash, twigs, and leaves. Maybe you even have weeds growing from your guttering and noticed that rainwater is overflowing because of the blockage. If so, you might want to know if there is a way to stop leaves from clogging the gutters.
Can You Stop Leaves Going in the Gutters?
If you live near large trees, then you are going to suffer with their leaves in your gutters during the fall. There is not much you can do to prevent the leaves from falling, but there might be something you can do to stop a load of them ending up in your gutters and clogging them up. The good people at Global Gutter Systems say that the best way to stop leaves from landing in the gutters is to install rain gutter coverings. But what are these, and do they really work?
What are Rain Gutter Coverings?
Although rain gutter coverings can be an expensive addition to a drainage system, they are effective when it comes to keeping unwanted large pieces of dirt and debris out of the gutter system. There are a few different options when it comes to these covers, but their main purpose is to prevent gutters from getting clogged by dirt and debris.
Some gutter guards are like grates that are installed on top of the gutters. They have small holes to allow water to pour into the gutters, but the holes are too small for things like twigs, leaves, and trash to enter. Others have a brush that sits inside the gutter (kind of like a large pipe cleaner or bottle brush). The idea behind this design is that dirt and debris will sit on top of the brush rather than finding its way into the guttering.
The Pros and Cons of Gutter Guards
Rain gutter guards have their advantages and their disadvantages, and it is worth remembering that while they do work, it does not mean that you do not need to clean the gutters regularly. The good news is that having gutter guards makes the cleaning process much simpler. Large leaves and other pieces of debris do not find their way into the gutters, so you don’t have to spend time removing large clumps.
Nevertheless, seeds can still get into the gutters through the fine mesh,so this coupled with the damp environment mixed with things like bird poopcan result in plant life growing, which can be a pain to clean.
Gutters with covers deter birds and other pests, which can be a good thing, particularly if birds favor your gutters as nesting sites.
Another benefit is that some gutter coverings can be installed in such a way as to encourage snow to fall off them to the ground, rather than sitting inside the gutter. Snow that accumulates in gutters can become heavy and cause damage to the gutters, so having covers that prevent this can help to avoid costly repairs.
What to Remember
Gutter coverings do not guarantee a maintenance free solution to the issue of leaves in gutters. Even with gutter coverings, you will still need to check the gutters regularly to ensure they are not clogged with smaller bits of dirt and debris. And it is worth remembering that some types of gutter covers, while inexpensive to install, such as those with a brush require more cleaning than other types because things like leaves will simply sit on top of the brush rather than inside the gutter.
