Best Gutter Guard Review Guide For 2023-2024

Best Gutter Guard Review Guide For 2023-2024 – Gutters that line the roof of a house are not always considered one of the more important aspects of home upkeep, but they serve a vital purpose for homes in damp climates. During periods of heavy rain, the gutters catch the water that runs off the roof and direct it away from the house, preserving the foundation. Without gutters, the rain can collect and end up damaging the house’s structure. In order to keep gutters functioning, they need to be kept clear of leaves or other debris. Keep reading our Best Gutter Guard Review Guide For 2023-2024 to find out more.

Best Gutter Guard Buyers Guide For 2023-2024

In this section, we’ll provide you with a little more detailed information about some of the key specifications, features, and performance measures related to gutter guards. Hopefully, this information will enable you to make a better buying decision for your personal circumstances.

Gutter covers vs. gutter screens:

Covers and screens are the two major types of gutter guards available. Covers, as the name implies, fit over the top of your gutters. They may be visible after setting up so that aesthetics might be a concern. On the positive side, once installed, covers tend to be more permanent. It’s not unusual to see 20 – 30-year warranty on gutters cover systems. Gutter screens are typically made of wire mesh, plastics, or foam materials. They tend to be simpler in design, cheaper, and easy to install. Permanence may be an issue, as some may not be designed for exceptionally long life.

Gutter Size:

Typical sizes for residential gutters range from 3” to 5”. Commercial gutters may be as large as 6”. These measures are normally taken from the outer front edge to the back of the gutter. An example of typical gutter measures is below:

Gutter Types:

Matching your gutter guards to the type of gutter you have is critical to good performance. Below are examples of the three major types of gutter you will encounter. From left to right, they are k-style, half-round, and fascia mounted. Make sure that your gutter guards match not only the type of gutter but also the size.

Attachment Methods:

In most cases, gutter guards will attach or be placed in the gutter itself, and will not impact existing roofing materials. Some styles do, however, need to slide under existing shingles or roofing material. This is not an inherent problem in itself, but we do recommend that you review your roof warranty to make sure it will not void coverage.

Installation Hardware:

While some of the gutter guard systems reviewed here need no installation hardware, as they just drop into the gutters, or are held by tension, others require some type of fastener to hold them in place. If this is the case, we highly recommend that the fasteners be made from non-rusting materials such as aluminum or stainless steel. Self-starting screws are also recommended, so you can avoid drilling pilot holes. If the fastening screws rust out, at best, they will be difficult to remove; worst case, they will break off and affect the integrity of the system.

Gutter Maintenance:

Gutter guard systems are designed to reduce gutters maintenance. However, they will rarely eliminate gutter maintenance. You may still have leaf accumulation causing blockages, ice and snow blocks, and plugging from items that have worked their way past the gutter guards. Keep this in mind as you select a system, because in some cases, you may need to “uninstall” covers and guards to perform this maintenance.

Run-length:

When purchasing your system, make sure that you compare run-length required for the perimeter of your home to the package sizing from the manufacturer, as this may have a significant impact on your overall costs. As an example, if you have a total run-length of 260’ of gutter guard needed, and the standard carton size is 50’ of run length, you will need to buy and pay for 40’ of material that you don’t really need. Some manufacturers will offer smaller packages to offset this issue.

EZ-Gutter Guard – Best Gutter Covers

General Impression:These gutter guards are aluminum, so rust is not a worry. The relatively tight mesh will keep out most debris, although some smaller items, such as pine needles, may slip through. They install easily, and can also be easily removed if gutter maintenance is required.

Installation is simple, with no screws or clips required, as the gutter guards easily snap into place on the gutter itself. The aluminum holds tension well and will sustain during rough weather, but still remove easily for any maintenance. These are designed specifically for 5” K-style gutters, and will not work in other applications.

Product Details:

• Includes ten 4-foot sections – entire box installed covers 39. 2 feet; Each section notched for ¾-inch in overlap
• Easy to install – no screws needed; snaps out for maintenance
• Heavy-duty expanded aluminum won’t rust or rot
• Not designed for plastic gutter; fits only 5” residential K-style gutter with hidden hangers
• Tight mesh keeps debris out while letting rainwater rush through; Pine needles and other very small debris may pass thru screen; E-Z-Shield should be used in areas where this may occur
• Tension-engineered to stay in place during rough weather
• Made in the USA

Best Features:

These gutter guards also carry a strong rating and are an Amazon top five selling gutter guard. They carry strong ratings for value, ease of setting up, and instruction quality. They are more durable than plastic materials and not susceptible to UV light deterioration.

Pros:

• Easy to install, solid quality reviews, reasonably priced
• Easily removed and replaced for gutter maintenance

Cons:

• The silver color stands out against roofing materials
• Some small materials will pass through the mesh, necessitating occasional cleanouts

Our Thoughts:

While the manufacturer points out that some small debris may pass through the mesh, these gutter guards are superior in high rain environments and have a solid basis of customer reviews for performance and durability. All things added up point to these as the best gutter guard covers.

FlexxPoint – Best Value Gutter Guards

General Impression:This is a cover system for gutters and provides all the elements – durability and permanence, functionality, and good looks. Available in four colors to match almost any roof color, this guard system features a 30-year warranty.

Available in white, brown, black, and standard aluminum finish, this gutter system is invisible from the ground and, once installed, a permanent installation. It’s US-made from premium domestic aluminum and even comes with stainless steel screws, so the entire system will not rust.

Product Details:

• Available in White, Matte Aluminum and Thermal Thaw Black. Blocks all types of debris. Clog free, High volume water flow.
• Easy to Install, Contractor pricing, Includes STAINLESS STEEL installation fastners
• Cannot be seen from the ground, Made from Premium Domestic Aluminum.
• Does NOT void roof warranties, Permanently installs, Easy to handle 4 foot sections
• Now with STAINLESS STEEL fastners, Factory Direct, Made in the USA

Best Features:

These gutter guards are available in standard 5” residential size, but also available for 6” commercial gutters. Once installed, the system is permanent. The many vent holes allow easy water flow while catching leaves and other debris. Once dried, a light wind will remove all debris from the top of the system.

Pros:

• High ratings from almost 600 customers
• Budget-priced
• Easy, permanent installation

Cons:

• Some customer complaints about individual panels bending while installing
• Early customers complained about large package sizes and buying more footage than needed, but smaller package sizes have been added to remove that issue

Our Thoughts:

With competitive pricing, and very high overall customer ratings and high specific ratings for ease of setting up overall value, and longevity, it’s easy to see why this system takes away our “best value” prize.

Lock-In Gutter Guard – Easy to Install

General Impression:US-made with a ten-year warranty, these gutter guards have a wider mesh to contain even the heaviest rains, while at the same time keeping out all but the smallest debris. The installation is simple, and for the most part, requires no tools except for the occasional trimming.

The black color will blend in with most roofs and absorb heat to help melt snow and ice quicker. The powder-coated steel finish should last against the elements. Mounting is very simple; push the flat end under the last row of shingles, and clip the opposite, curved end to the front of the gutter.

Product Details:

• Compatible with 4″, 5″, and 6″ metal (steel or aluminum) K-style gutters
• The tight expanded metal mesh pattern keeps out most debris, to keep your gutters flowing freely.
• Constructed of durable powder-coated steel for long life and protection from the elements, and neutral color blends seamlessly with roofline
• Easy “lock-in” installation, simply slide under the first row of shingles and lock the gutter guard to the front lip of the gutter
• Includes 10-year limited
• Made in the USA
• Carton contains 25 pieces

Best Features:

No doubt, the best feature is the ease of installation, but these gutter guards are also well-rated for sturdiness and are a top ten seller at Amazon. The instruction quality is also highly rated.

Pros:

• Easy to install, quality of setting up instructions
• Compatible with multiple gutter widths

Cons:

• The larger mesh may still allow some debris to build up in gutters

Our Thoughts:

If you would like a reasonably priced gutter guard that’s sturdy, yet exceptionally simple to install, this is one that should be on your list of potentials. It has well over a hundred customer reviews, and is a best-seller at Amazon, and matches good performance with a best in class mounting simplicity.

Raptor – Best Rated Gutter Guards

General Impression:This might be the king of the hill when it comes to gutter guards. The stainless-steel material is rustproof, and the micro-mesh holes will block even the tiniest pine needles or debris from getting inside your gutters. It’s the number one selling easy on gutter guard on Amazon.

Three sizes are available to fit most standard gutter widths. The steel won’t rust or warp over time and comes with a 25-year warranty and US-based technical support. Installation hardware, including screws and a driver, are included.

Product Details:

• Stainless steel micro-mesh blocks leaves, pine needles, roof grit, and pests from entering your gutter.
• Heavy-duty materials withstand all the elements and will never rust or warp.
• Easy to install on any 5″ wide or smaller gutter and won’t void your roof warranty.
• Backed by 25-year warranty and a world-class, US-based support team.
• Includes self-tapping, corrosion-resistant screws, and a magnetic hex head driver.

Best Features:

These gutter guards have a high overall rating and are also highly rated for durability, instruction quality, and sturdiness. They do carry a bit of a premium price, but you get excellent durability, relatively straight-forward mounting, and above-average performance.

Pros:

• Highly rated, number one selling gutter guard at Amazon
• Good warranty and customer service

Cons:

• Mounting requires overlapping, which can create a trap to accumulate leaves
• Some complaints about mesh too small to contain very heavy rains

Our Thoughts:

This is a premium product, in both price and performance. When installed properly, it will not void any roof warranty you may have. Product warranty and customer support are solid. It’s easy to see why this is a “best rated” gutter guard.

GutterBrush – Best Gutter Leaf Guard

General Impression:Here we go with another change in direction with this system. The GutterBrush product looks like an elongated sea urchin, but it provides effective control against leaves getting into the gutter. With simple, drop-in mounting, the bristles on the leaf guard capture the leaves, while letting water flow simply through the brush into the gutters.

Setting up is very easy; simply push the gutter guard into your gutters. Various sizes are available to get a great fit for your gutters. No cutting is needed; just bend to fit. The brushes are made of UV-treated polypropylene, installed around a 12-gauge plated steel center core.

Product Details:

• 4.25 Inch Diameter Brush to protect 60 feet of 5 INCH STANDARD GUTTERS (Additional Diameters Available For Different Gutter Sizes) – Package contains 19 x 36 inch sections and 2 x 18 inch sections
• Keep Your Gutters Flowing with GutterBrush. The cylinder-shaped bristles fill your gutters, blocking leaves and debris while allowing water to flow freely to downspouts.
• Easiest To Install – Just slide brush sections end to end into your existing rain gutters. Ideal for year round protection in any climate.
• No Cutting, Tools Or Fasteners – No interference with roofing structure
• Save Time And Money on gutter cleaning, maintenance and repair. GutterBrush keeps water flowing, helping to prevent expensive water damage, wet basements, cracked foundations and more.

Best Features:

With hundreds of polypropylene bristles per foot, these gutter guards will stop leaves from getting in the gutter – period. They have a very high 4.9 rating for ease of mounting.

Pros:

• Reasonably priced, decent reviews, good performance catching leaves
• Simple mounting

Cons:

• Users claim a lot of smaller debris works it way past the bristles and results in needing to clean gutters. Many claim that they hold leaves too well and end up clogging the system.
• The manufacturer notes that gutters may still need maintenance by removing brushes and cleaning them.

Our Thoughts:

This gutter guards system is very good at catching leaves, so if you have a lot of trees near your house, it will stop the leaves from getting into the gutters. Releasing the leaves seems to be a potential problem, so consider that some level of cleaning may still be needed from year to year. Ease of setting up is also a major positive, so if you want something easy to drop in that will catch leaves, this system should work well for you.

Conclusion:

Your home is most likely the largest single investment you will ever make, and protecting that investment should be a priority for every homeowner. In comparison to the cost of a home, gutters and a good gutter guard system make a good investment. While protecting your home and foundation from potential water damage, they are also a way to save your own time and effort or the cost of hiring someone to clean out the gutters periodically.

A good quality gutter guard system will keep out leaves, pine needles, animals, and other unwanted particles from your gutters and downspouts. It will lower your maintenance frequency and cost. While a gutter system does add costs, the overall value of these systems is quite high and makes an excellent payback to your investment.

We hope that this Best Gutter Guard Review Guide For 2023-2024 has aided your understanding of the types of gutter guards available in the marketplace, and the key features and specifications of them to find the one that best fits your personal needs and circumstances.