Gutter Guard Systems – Installation and Maintenance

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For all homeowners, their home is the most important investment in their lives.

Naturally, it needs protection and a long life. One of the aspects for good home maintenance is to give attention to the installation of best gutter guard systems.

These are basically systems that would protect your guards from any third party elements and stop water from overshooting or creating a mess or harming the home construction in anyway.

Yes, all these problems can be resolved with regular cleaning of your gutters. But that in itself is a huge task not to mention the risk involved. If you get it done by professional cleaning services, in the long run it becomes an expensive affair. To avoid all these, the best solution is to install Gutter guard systems.

How do Gutter Guard Systems protect your home?

 

gutter guard systems

Pest Control – By installing Gutter guard systems you basically block vermin access to the roof. It would eliminate any kind of nesting debris which in itself is a fire hazard, odors, lice infestationand damage to electrical cables. Not to mention the unwanted noise on the roof by all these elements. If given an opportunity, such vermin like birds, rodents or snakes might even invade the ceiling space and cause damage. All this can be avoided with the installation of Gutter Guard systems.

Rain Water Harvesting – You might have tanks attached to the downpipes for the purpose of rain water harvesting. However, if your gutters are full of debris and leaves, all that just goes for a waste. It would just soak up the water and what water you receive would be dirty. In this era, you need to do your bit and pitch in for the environment. You need to use Gutter Guard Systems to seal your gutters and get good flowing water to your harvesting tanks.

Fire Protection – One of the ways to be protected against fire hazards is to make sure that your gutters are not filled up with leaves during the dry seasons. Else, it could be like tinder to a spark. To be safe against fires, Gutter guard systems are a good way to keep debris away from your gutters.

Damage protection – If your gutters get filled with collected debris or water it might make them sag and the water could backflow into the ceiling area. This could lead to blockages, moss build up and inside damage. Getting insurance in such conditions can be quite a challenge. On the contrary, if your gutters are clean and supported structurally with Gutter guard systems, you will have free flowing water which can be collected and it won’t harm the structure of your home in anyway.

Roof related injuries – Roof related injuries are quite common. This happens mainly because of the chore of cleaning gutters. Having gutter protection is one of the best as well as cost effective ways to avoid this.

Installation – These days, with the advance of technology, the gutter guard systems are literally a one piece system. They are pre-profiled so that they can fit any type of roof. They are extremely easy to install and quick too. Most of the varieties also do not require any trim strips or saddles.

The cost of installing gutter guard systems –

Every season brings in different kind of debris. In the fall, your gutters invite in leaves and spring might bring in flower petals, buds, small leaves or seed pods. All this requires regular cleaning which leads to more effort, cost and risk. So the best solution is gutter guard systems. These can be of different kinds like reverse curves, inserts or screens. The kind you go for should depend on the location of your home. Different circumstances calls for different kinds of guard systems.

gutter guard installation

 

Gutter guard installation costs would depend on your gutter length as well as the kind of guards you might need for your home. Gutter covers and guards cost anywhere around $7.50 to $10 every lineal foot. If you consider that an average home might have say 200 ft of gutter, you can expect an installation cost of about $1500 or $2000 for good professional gutter guard systems. More complex systems might cost you more.

Now, lets us dig in more deeply. We’ve given you a breakdown for the installation depending on –

Materials – There are various kinds of gutter guard systems. So the cost also varies accordingly. A three foot section could cost as little as $3 and some could even go up to $18 or $20 per foot. The materials and the effectiveness of the system accordingly affect the costing. You will need to compare and explore and see which system best suits your home. There are lots of new designs which keep cropping up. Whatever the system chosen, the basic material and time for installation will be required. The entire Gutter guard installation cost could range between $200 and $3600.

Labor –Professionals would obviously do a great job of installation. Good handymen or carpenters could tackle such installation jobs in a short period. We do not say that a DIY project is a strict no-no; but to avoid any risk, we certainly would recommend against it. This would only lead to rough work and once again injury to oneself. Depending on the size of your home, an installation job could take about 6 hours and the labor could cost about $255.

Companies – There are several good gutter guard system companies. They specialize in custom systems and designs. The costs can start around $6 per lineal foot. And the average costing for the installation could be $1500. However, please keep in mind that prices would vary as per the region. The kind of gutters you choose would also affect the cost. If the material is more durable, the installation is more difficult. High end gutters and downspouts like galvanized copper and steel would cost you more. Shop around before selecting one professional installer. Do not shop only by price. Look out for references. Also check with the Better Business Bureau. There are also some sites which would give you a comparison of various companies.

Maintenance and enhancement

Cleaning – Even the best gutter guard system will not totally eliminate the requirement of gutter cleaning. Small particles do have a chance of accumulating. So it is best that you get them cleaned at least once a year. You could just use a hose at the top of the gutter to flush out any debris or get a handyman which might cost about $75.

Heat tape – If you live in extreme cold climates, you might want to think about installing some heating elements as well. These can help in the prevention of ice developing inside the gutter or on top of it.

Downspout screens – As a homeowner you might also want to consider a downspout screen. This would redirect any debris away from the opening and lets water flow down into the drain.

Is it worth it?

Investing in a gutter guard system might actually seem really a large one initially. But in the long run, it saves you the money and effort of having to get your gutters cleaned professionally or yourself. Having said this, you need to research and find the right gutter system for your home.