Gutter guard is the name usually given to any type of gutter protection system. Their job is to keep out things like falling leaves and debris that could get trapped in your gutters causing a clog. Because clogged gutters can lead to rotting fascia and soffits, as well as to damage on the gutters themselves, many homeowners are beginning to look into gutter guards as a method of protecting them.

Types of Gutter Guards

There are numerous types and styles of gutter guard on the market today. Some are decorative in nature, others are strictly utilitarian. All of them will keep out debris from your gutters to one degree or another, while still allowing water to flow in.

Plastic Gutter Guards

Plastic gutter guards are one of the least expensive options on the market. Shaped like giant pipe cleaners, these gutter guards are made to sit inside your gutters. Their many spiky pieces stab, impale, and trap leaves as they flow down the gutters. The good news is that this keeps your gutters from clogging. The bad news is that a lot of these leaves become permanently trapped until you remove them, so your gutters often look unsightly with them in place.

Gutter Screens

Gutter screens are mesh screens of varying sizes and shapes that fit over the top of your gutter. The mesh keeps out most debris, while allowing water through. Keep in mind, however, that mesh comes in a variety of sizes; large mesh lets in more water, but also lets in some smaller debris like pine needles. Smaller mesh keeps out nearly all debris, but can often keep heavier rainfall out, too.

Gutter Covers

Gutter covers are one of the more popular options for gutter guards. They come in a very wide range of different styles, some completely unseen from below, others more decorative in style. Gutter covers can be found in aluminum, steel, plastic, vinyl, and copper, so if you do opt for a method that can be seen from the street, you can also find one that matches the rest of your gutters and is a little less obtrusive.

In addition to coming in different styles, gutter covers also come with different functions. High flow covers are designed to capture and direct as much water as possible while still blocking the vast majority of debris. Perforated covers are meant to be easy to remove and clean and so you can lift and replace them if something does happen to work its way through.

Hybrid screen and gutter covers act like tiny roofs for your gutters, letting water in on the edges and through a plastic mesh material, while letting leaves run right off their sides. These are among the more effective type of gutter guard on the market today, and are among the most visible from the ground.

Take Care of Your Gutters

Gutter guards are meant to make your life easier, preventing the gutter clogs that cause water to back up along your gutters. Invest in any one of the many types on the market today to keep your gutters in the best possible condition.