Professional Long Island Gutter Installers

Do Gutter Guards Really Work?

And What Are Gutter Guards…?

Gutter guards can really be defined as anything that goes over your gutters to catch or shed any debris coming down your roof. Common items of debris would be snow, leaves, dust, dirt, and so on. With gutter guards, your amount of gutter cleaning will be reduced and will save you money in the long-term. Or most gutter guard installers claim. However, just like most things in life, the answer is quite nuanced and can be situational.

What Are Gutters?

First of all, let’s define gutters and their purpose. Rain gutters are the long, hollow device attached to the roof edges. They can come in a wide variety of materials. For examples of gutters, see our gutters page and the types of gutters we install on Long Island. Gutters control where the water goes after it leaves your roof. However, when they’re full of debris, the water coming off your roof water has nowhere to go.

Do Gutter Guards Work?

After thousands of roof and gutter installations, we’ve seen a lot of different results. Do Gutter Guards work as advertised? Sometimes. Gutter guards work in the sense that they can significantly reduce any debris from entering. However, they almost never work in the sense that they are “100% maintenance free”. Let’s discuss the various types of gutter guards and their purpose, and then you can make your own decision on whether or not your home would benefit from them.

Types Of Gutter Guards

• Metal Aluminum gutter guards: Metal sheets filled with tiny holes attach to the roof shingles and cover the gutter. This simple to use guard prevents buildup of leaves and debris. We use aluminum mesh guards here at Keenridge. We’ve found that out of many options, these gutter guards perform the best for most homeowners.
• Bottle brush gutter guards: Made of bristles that face upright inside the gutter, this type of guard collects debris while allowing a natural flow of water.
• Reverse curve gutter guards: This type of guard helps position water downward while directing leaves and debris to fall down to the ground.
• Foam gutter guards: Made of plastic that fits directly into the gutter, this type of guard helps block debris from entering the gutter.

What Are The Best Gutter Guards?

At Keenridge, we only install metal aluminum gutter screens because these gutter guards, we find, work the best. These gutter guards work best against leaves, small debris buildup, and dirt. We install them on all 5″ K-style gutters. Almost every other gutter guard is too expensive, and still lets small debris in. Here on Long Island, things like pine needles are frequent and build up quickly and easily in your gutters. Get a quote from professional gutter guard installers with Keenridge!

Aluminum Gutter screens

Advantages Of Gutter Guards

There are actually quite a shocking amount of advantages to gutter guards. Below, we’ll list some of the reasons as to why gutter guards may be right for your home:

1. An advantage we’ve seen is that homes with gutter guards often sell for more. Due to the fact that it’s a more recent and modern technology, they’ve become a valued product.
2. Less debris, less cleanup. When you install gutter guards, the chance of debris entering the gutters is much much less likely. It also takes the risk away from you or a homeowner having to get on a ladder and try to clean their gutters alone.
3. Savings. You can avoid purchasing gutter cleaning services twice a year (the average here on Long Island). Gutter guards may seem like a worrying fee at first, but after people have regained their value in savings, they come to appreciate them.
4. Prevention of damage. When your gutters are full of debris, water will start to overflow. Overflowing gutters are a risk to your home’s soffits and fascia, siding, and even your home’s foundation.

Why Gutter Guards Are Bad

So, just like everything else, gutter guards aren’t perfect. We’ve seen various complaints from homeowners as well about their gutter guards, and we ended removing them for them (as per their request of course). Below are a few of the reasons we’ve seen as to why some people may be better off without the gutter guards.

1. Debris Can Still Get In. Unfortunately, little debris can still enter and pile up after a period of time. Here on Long Island especially, we commonly see a large build up of pine needles slipping past the guards.
2. Heavy Rains. In heavy rains, gutter guard debris will cause water to flow over the top of the gutters causing costly damages to your home. Overflowing gutters mean thousands of gallons of water pooling around your foundation. Additionally, the wood behind the gutter will begin to rot, and the gutters will warp. However, this can widely vary based on the pitch of your roof.

How Much Do Gutter Guards Cost on Long Island, NY?

Since every home is unique, it’s difficult to quote an exact price based on square footage alone. Once you schedule your free gutter and downspout estimate, we’ll be able to quote you an exact price on the spot.

So, Are Gutter Guards Worth It?

We recommend gutter guards for almost every home with aluminum gutters. They are a great investment, and you’ll almost always see the value of them come back in the house. However, every home is unique, and we will only provide a unique solution. Call us or fill our our form online to contact us today, and we’ll get you over a free quote! We’ll always make the best recommendation for your home and you. We also recommend doing your own research beforehand to ensure you always get the best product. Read about our gutter services today, or call us for a free consultation and quote!

Rely On Keenridge Construction!

Our motto is “Done in a day, good for a lifetime”, and we live by this. With every project and every client, we are able to learn more about our business. In turn, we become more educated and connected with the needs of all our clients, everyday. With unbeatable pricing, workmanship, and communication, Keenridge Construction does it like none other.