What Do Homeowners Usually Get Wrong About Gutter Protection?

Here is a good Question: What Do Homeowners Usually Get Wrong About Gutter Protection?

After more than 20 years of cleaning, repairing and protecting gutters across Cleveland, Columbus and throughout Ohio, we’ve seen just about every gutter protection idea imaginable.

Some are clever.

Some are outdated.

And some basically turn your gutter into a giant outdoor Chia Pet.

So, what do homeowners usually get wrong about gutter protection?

They think the goal is simply to keep leaves out.

It’s not.

A great gutter guard has to do two things at the same time:

1. Keep debris OUT.

2. Let a LOT of water IN.

Sounds simple.

It isn’t.

And that's where most gutter protection systems go wrong.

WRONG #1: “A Solid Gutter Helmet Has to Be Better.”

This was the big idea in gutter protection years ago.

Cover the gutter with a solid piece of material, curve the nose forward and use surface tension to pull water around the edge and into the gutter.

Leaves fall off. Water goes in.

At least that's the theory.

The problem is that Ohio doesn't deliver rain in a laboratory.

We get downpours, roof valleys, maple helicopters, pine needles, shingle grit, snow, ice and freeze-thaw cycles.

Reverse-curve or “helmet-style” systems rely on water making that turn around the nose. During heavy water flow, water can overshoot. Fine debris can also follow the water through the opening.

It's old technology trying to solve a complicated problem with one big curved piece of metal.

Gutter protection has gotten better.

WRONG #2: “I Can Just Throw a Cheap Screen Over It.”

Sure.

And technically, a screen door keeps some mosquitoes out when there's a giant hole in it.

Cheap plastic and metal gutter screens stop the big stuff — leaves, sticks and larger debris.

But look closer.

Those holes are often plenty big enough for pine needles, seeds, roof granules and other small debris to get through.

Now you've created an even bigger headache:

A dirty gutter underneath a screen you have to remove to clean it.

Congratulations. You bought yourself more work.

WRONG #3: “What About Those Gutter Sponges?”

Oh boy.

Foam inserts are literally giant pieces of porous material sitting inside your gutter.

Yes, water can pass through them.

For a while.

But dirt, pollen, roof granules and organic material can work their way into the foam. Moisture can remain trapped. Seeds can land on top.

We've seen vegetation growing out of these things.

If your gutter protection needs to be weeded, we have officially lost the plot.

WRONG #4: “The Brush Looks Pretty Simple.”

It is simple.

Imagine sticking a giant bottle brush inside your gutter.

Leaves stay near the top while water supposedly moves through the bristles.

Know what else loves those bristles?

Pine needles. Seeds. Shingle grit. Small leaves. Dirt.

Instead of eliminating gutter cleaning, you've created something that collects debris inside your gutter.

Hard pass.

The Answer Is Balance.

The best gutter protection isn't the system with the smallest holes.

And it isn't the system that can move the most water.

It's the system that does BOTH exceptionally well.

That's why The Gutter Boys install Valor Gutter Guards.

Valor uses stainless-steel micro-mesh designed to stop the small debris that basic screens miss while still allowing tremendous amounts of water into the gutter.

But the mesh is only part of the story.

Valor's raised S-curve design creates more surface area and helps manage water across the guard instead of relying on a flat screen or asking water to magically curl around the nose of a gutter helmet.

Keep the junk out.
Let the water in.

That's gutter protection.

Don't Buy a Gimmick. Buy a System.

Ohio gutters have a tough job.

Spring debris. Summer thunderstorms. Fall leaves. Winter snow and ice.

Your gutter protection needs to handle all of it.

If you're considering gutter guards in Cleveland, Columbus or anywhere in between, don't ask:

“Will this keep leaves out?”

Ask the better question:

“Will this keep the small stuff out AND handle the water coming off my roof?”

That's the question that separates a gutter guard from real gutter protection.

Gutter Cleaning Sucks.™

Let The Gutter Boys clean them, cover them and help make gutter cleaning a thing of the past with Valor Gutter Guards.