Had GAF come out to the house at 5 years old and they said the asphalt crumb disbursement level was at normal levels, my advice is to steer clear of GAF shingles as all the covering will end up in your gutters.
Bear
Leaf Guard or Leaf Filter?
- Thread starter gary_in_neenah
- Start date
Had GAF come out to the house at 5 years old and they said the asphalt crumb disbursement level was at normal levels, my advice is to steer clear of GAF shingles as all the covering will end up in your gutters.
Bear
POLARISDAN
New member
sorry my good friend..but GAF is all i install..absolutely by far the best midrange shingle made..over 700 roofs..zero issues
grit loss has nothing to do with shingles..they all lose it..the only reason u see it is gutter flow..whether they work or not plus heavy rains etc..and the better shingles have plenty to spare..like GAF
C
Cirrus_Driver
Guest
I agree, I have two different types of shingles (southern WI and northern WI) and they both shed quite a bit of shingle sand/grit each year. Both are around 10 year old roofs too, so I'd have thought it would have slowed a bit by now.
favoritos
Well-known member
Expanded aluminum mesh with a lot of tree cover. Do not have pine needles though. The mesh stops leaves but does allow small debris. I do like the fact that I can still rinse out the debris. Covers are held by a couple of screws per section and are easy to remove if needed for heavy cleaning. They seem OK for ice. Basically the same as no cover.
We did look into the fancy gutter covers. Our roofing guy told us to save our money. The mesh is cheap.
I have found that the correct gutter slope is also a big factor with small debris. Large downspouts and gutter sections with correct slope rarely have any accumulation.
Not sure why it is such a pet peeve of mine, I do hate having debris in gutters. I have seen so many buildings with plants growing out of poorly maintained gutters. Seems like that would be worse than no gutters.
We did look into the fancy gutter covers. Our roofing guy told us to save our money. The mesh is cheap.
I have found that the correct gutter slope is also a big factor with small debris. Large downspouts and gutter sections with correct slope rarely have any accumulation.
Not sure why it is such a pet peeve of mine, I do hate having debris in gutters. I have seen so many buildings with plants growing out of poorly maintained gutters. Seems like that would be worse than no gutters.
I have the Menards gutter guards and they work well. 3 years ago I put them on two sections as a test to see if they worked and were worth it. My only issue was the helicopters would stick into the holes. But now they make the same guards with a piece of screening over all the holes. I just put these new ones on all my gutters this spring. Total cost was under $100 and about 1 hour of time on the roof. You can cut these pieces to size with a miter saw. As others have said nothing is perfect, but they work.
I am going to run a test on the Leafzero, and the LB Plastics screened gutter guards. Both are from Menards. I will report the results. I have all kinds of gutter trash from many different type trees. It drives me crazy keeping them clean. I will predict the LB's, as snobuilder used will be the best overall just from the appearance of both. The ones offered by Costco also look to be worthy of a test.
T
Tracker
Guest
I agree with favoritos...the slope angle is huge factor....gonna redo mine steeper
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Cirrus_Driver
Guest
I agree totally, but easier said than done to relocate. If only it were that simple, majority of problem is solved.
Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated. There's quite a few options out there and I've tried many of them including the tried and true, ladder and pail method. I've eliminated anything with a screen as they just don't work with our mix of maple, pine, birch, and ash trees. They don't work here, I've tried them. Probably the worst application was the foam filters that fit inside the gutters, they make a nice place for all the seedlings to snuggle in and grow. The suggestion of hiring some "dude" with a ladder gave me pause considering the cost of some of these solutions. You could hire a lot of dudes for that kind of coin but the wife nixed that idea. So it looks like were going with the Leaf Guard product. Once I got past the Sticker Shock I spent some time with people that already have them. They're all very happy with them, every one. The warranty is quite impressive including Lifetime No-Clog Warranty coupled with Workmanship and Ice Damage Warranties. And those warranties are transferable to the next owner so there's value added in a couple of ways. We could debate all day if it's worth it, all I know is that I won't have to clean the rain gutters again, ever. And that's worth something to me. Thanks again for all the input from fellow sledders!
If you're wondering what this system looks like or how it works I'll include a link to their website and you can see for yourself.
https://www.leafguard.com/
If you're wondering what this system looks like or how it works I'll include a link to their website and you can see for yourself.
https://www.leafguard.com/
I am in the remodeling business.... I used to sell aka leaf guards... yes we sold about 10 different companies... each one has pros and cons most have more cons than pros that’s why we stopped.. they ice dam they over flow the gutter when heavy rains happen... some will lock a gutter up tight with ice and you will never see it under one of those hooded systems I personally have a house that requires a 32 ft ladder to clean my gutters and I do it every year... no leaf guards will ever be installed in any home I ever own...
C
Cirrus_Driver
Guest
I'd say this is pretty much the definitive answer for me. Owning your own business and selling 10 different brands makes you an expert, having seen it all.
I'll be climbing my 25 feet of ladder to reach the highest end, and get a harness. Plus cutting down every tree within close proximity should help too.
If a gutter has enough pitch and the proper down spout outlet and a large enough down spout a lot of debree will flow out of the gutter and down the down spout.... at the going rate of 14 to 18 per foot for a leaf protection system it’s a big investment. If that’s even the going rate the way metal prices has gone up over the last 12 months it’s probaly 20 to 25 bucks a foot... if you lived down by me I would send you to my gutter guy he has over 20 systems on display at his shop.... you can pick and he will install.... I’d hook you up at cost... but sorry Neenah is not in my franchise territory
At-home leaf management systems are relatively easy to maintain. While some come with a high price tag, others are affordable and can be put together with basic materials and tools.
One of the most popular for homes is a plastic cage with mesh inside. You buy the cage for a specific size and use it as a template to build the individual containers for your plants, then add water to the inside and hang it in a tree. A two-liter pop bottle or other soft plastic, like the one used in salsa or rice containers, makes a great filter for the bottom of the cage.
I've been on this site for a long time and I'm happy with everything.
https://householdprof.com/best-gutter-guards-for-home-use/ Follow the link and see a lot of useful material!
One of the most popular for homes is a plastic cage with mesh inside. You buy the cage for a specific size and use it as a template to build the individual containers for your plants, then add water to the inside and hang it in a tree. A two-liter pop bottle or other soft plastic, like the one used in salsa or rice containers, makes a great filter for the bottom of the cage.
I've been on this site for a long time and I'm happy with everything.
https://householdprof.com/best-gutter-guards-for-home-use/ Follow the link and see a lot of useful material!