Clean the Gutters? No Thanks.

Nobody enjoys cleaning gutters. It's why we have kids, really, so we can send Junior up there a couple of times a year to hang off the roof ledge and scrape out the leaves and guck. Of course, there's another solution. And it doesn't require child services knocking at your door. Installing gutter covers is simple, affordable, and saves you from ignoring the problem until you have roof damage.

Gutter Covers 101
A gutter cover is simply a small screen or miniature roofing system installed above your gutter to keep debris from falling in and clogging drains or diverting water. There are many variations used for a home's various roof pitches, roofing materials, or home designs, but the purpose is always the same: allow water in and keep leaves out. That said, it is important to know what you are getting, as gutter screens are difficult to match specifically to your regional needs.

Infallible?
Gutter covers are terrific products that can keep you from having to regularly get on the roof, but in the heaviest debris areas they are not always a 100% guarantee against clogging. While these guard systems will certainly keep out all mid-sized and large debris—leaves, branches, etc, smaller objects like flower buds and seeds will occasionally get through, which, in a heavy debris area, can build over time into a problem. This simply makes it important to choose the right gutter cover system and to be sure to buy from a company that can not only advise you properly, but offers a performance guarantee. While many of these guarantees have fine print that has you pay for additional service, the benefits of installing gutter screens are always going to outweigh any negative—whether a heavy debris area or not. Covers or gutter screens will always significantly decrease cleaning, if not eliminate it altogether.

Gutter Covers 201
Choosing the right system is always going to be the most difficult part. Do you get a gutter screen or a solid cover? Does the system get glued or nailed to the roof or to the gutter? Does the pitch of the roof have anything to do with the product I choose?

All of these questions should be answerable by your chosen gutter cover installer, and they are important questions to ask. A screen, for instance, can more easily get clogged by small debris, but it is the best guard against anything larger than its pores. This makes it right for specific conditions. Also, the choice of a guard system that gets glued or nailed to your roof is important because this technique has the potential to compromise any guarantee or warranty on your roof. While it makes the system most secure, if done improperly its fasteners can loosen over time allowing leakage or shingle damage. And finally, the pitch of your roof determines the angles or radius bends at the front top part of your gutter cover. These angles determine whether water rolls into the gutter or off the side of the roof.