Greetings:
Been a reader of FHB since it started. This is my first post…
Does anybody have information concerning Gutter Helmet? We’ve got wild cherry trees and pines around the house…leaves galore. Will Gutter Helmet help, or will it create more problems than it solves. We are in northern Illinois…it gets to 10-20 below during the winter. Will ice formation be a problem.
Thanks
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Replies
Welcome to Breaktime. I think your question has been asked before, so if you go to the top of the list of discussions and click on "advanced search" and type in the phrase "gutter helmet" or similar you will get all the past discussions that contained that phrase. If I remember correctly, most folks here weren't that impressed with any of those type of products. I had Gutter Helmet and took them off and replaced them and the gutter itselfwith Rain Guard which is a series of slats which supposedly break the water into droplets. I found it worked adequately, but others here who tried them didn't like them.
I have Leafguard gutters on my house (different brand, similar concept.) They've been up there for about 2 1/2 years now, and I'm happy with them. I have a lot of big trees around the house, and the gutters work as claimed. I've periodically climbed a ladder and peeked inside them to double check, and they stay nice and clean - no leaves, seeds or sticks inside (I don't have any evergreen trees, so I can't say how well they work with needles.) I'm in Minnesota, and I haven't noticed any problems with ice or snow either.
Edited 10/30/2005 3:08 pm ET by Stuart
I have something called "waterfall" (I think) on my house which is basically just a plastic gutter cover. Works reasonably well. I had them installed at the time we built the house and I think the gutter guy charged $1 a foot.
I think though, that this whole thing is entirely dependant on what type of trees you have near the house. Maybe some designs work well for some tree types, where as other designs work for other tree types? We have oak trees with big leaves and long needled southern pine. If we had hemlock or something with very small "leaves" I'm not sure anything would work. Another thought is that I think getting oversized downspouts helps as much as anything.
When I was building the house I had a guy selling "leaf guard" come out. He told me, "well, that drip edge is gonna have to come off" I said - that drip edge has been there about 2 weeks, and cost me several hundred dollars. Salesmen says - "sorry, it has to come off because of the design of the Leaf Guard system". My response - "let's save both of us some time since I'm pretty busy - how about getting off my property :-)" I really don't know if this salesmen knew what he was talking about.
Matt,---I have installed the "Waterfall " system---and something similar to it several times. It works almost as well as the Gutterhelmut----but it is WAY, WAY cheaper---maybe 9-10 times less expensive. however---it is much more likely to blow off or become mis-aligned.
stephen
I had Leafguard gutters installed on my home not long after I bought it and got sick of cleaning out the old gutters. (Got a lot of 50' white oaks on my lot, and some pines).
They've worked exactly as advertised - and I'm totally pleased with them.
They were "made" on site and it was interesting to watch. The truck that arrived had the fabricating equip right on board and yes, they ARE one piece extruded/formed.
Here, they gave me a written warrantee (transferable to next owner for small fee of like - 25 bucks IIRC) which includes IF they were ever to clog, they would come back for free and clean them out. But there's never been a need in the 2 years or so I've had them.
We don't get much snow here. Get plenty of rain at times, and then winters are cold and icy more than anything else.
So far, absolutely no problems.DUM SPIRO SPERO: "While I breathe I hope"
We installed Leafgard gutters on our old house in GA (pines, oaks, etc) and I have to agree with your experience -- their one-piece product works as advertised. The only caveat I'd add is that heavy rains will overflow the valleys, and a tropical downpour will overflow the gutter itself. Roofers need to make sure the valleys are sealed properly and the drip edging is tight all the way around.
JCab,
from a roofing contractors perspective-----
I absolutely would NOT use the "gutter helmet" system----though I MIGHT use the leafgaurd system( leafgaurd system is the one where the cover and the gutter are extruded as one piece---right?)
I have replaced roofs in the past where the Gutter helmet system was in place---and it was an annoyance----but manageable.
this past summer----I had a REAL problem however----so in the future I will NEVER replace a roof on a home with the Gutter helmet system in place.
some things to consider
1) The gutter helmet system is by FAR the most expensive system
2) gutter helmet is installed by puncturing the existing roofing( voiding the roofs warranty)
3) If you ever change the color scheme of your house---and paint the gutter helmet----you void the helmet warranty
4) most importantly to me--------if you ever replace the roof on a home with gutter helmet---------
the gutter helmet co. REQUIRES you to have gutter helmet come back out and REMOVE the gutterhelmet prior to the roof work----and then re-install the helmet following the roof project. the removal and re-install is at the homeowners expense. If the homeowner does NOT do this---then they have voided the helmet warranty. This little clause in the warranty is EXTREMELY expensive for the homeowner.
In essence----for the homeowner---once you install the gutter helmet you have voided the roof warranty on your home and assumed a large future expense RE: the removal and re-install during any future roof work.
AND---if you have a new roof installed in the future---AND have gutter helmet remove and re-install the helmet following the roof project----you will void the warranty of the NEW roof you just paid for.
So---in the end---I would explore other systems
Very best wishes to you,
Stephen
OK, so it is a pain in the butt and voids warranties, but in the end - does it work? I'm just curious. Most every system that I have seen either doesn't work, requires more maintanance than the cleaning it is designed to avoid, or only lasts a couple of years
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Piffen,
in fairness to the Gutter Helmut----the few roofs I have replaced that had the helmet on it---the gutters were veryclean
But I am simply not gonna install a new roof in a situation where Gutter helmut is gonna come along and shoot 3" deck screws through my new shingles ( Like the last experience)
Actually---I have been installing some of the Gutter foam product Consantin was talking about------it's pretty pricey itself for a DIY product----but so far it has worked well---just like Consantin reported.
the really nice thing is that when you install new gutters----you can install this stuff in the gutter down on the ground BEFORE you hang the gutter.
Stephen
I'm glad to learn the experience with Gutter Helment. The other types mentioned, with just loovers, have me worried.
Does it just deflect the water to the ground in a more gentle manner? If so, I'd be worried about draining around the foundation. It they cause the water to run to gutters, over which we have more control, I'd feel easier about them.
We'll be in the market soon, so I'll be watching for good experiences and bad. Thank you.
if gutters didnt exist, thered be 2/3 fewer carpenters in the world. keep the gutters coming.
Several years ago I had Gutter Guard installed on my house which is basically the same concept. Unlike some systems, they actually replace the entire gutter/downspout system which is bigger than standard. So far I love them as my house is surrounded by hardwoods that dump huge amounts of leaves in the Fall and oak tassels in the Spring. My house has a high roofline and I was tired of risking a nasty fall getting up there to repeatedly clean the gutters. I can't really speak to the snow /ice issue as we get relatively little down here in the South. However, I can say that with all the rain we had the last 2 summers, they've performed great! The downside was the cost. Very expensive, even after holding out and negotiating a lower price. In hindsight, it would have been much cheaper to keep the existing gutters (or replace w/ standard type) and hire someone w/ good insurance to clean them twice a year.
That's interesting about the high cost of the Gutter Guards. I don't remember the exact numbers on the Leafguard gutters; they were certainly more expensive than the regular style, but they weren't that much more.
I used something different called Leaf Defier or Gutterfoam, depending on who you buy it from. It's an open-cell polyurethane foam that has been UV-stabilized. It fills the gutter, is HO-installable, does not modify the roof or the gutter (i.e. no warranty issues), and has a much greater open surface area than the other guards out there.
For the most part, the leaves do blow off as advertised. However, areas that do not get any wind do not fare as well as the areas that do. So far (3/4 year of experience), I can recommend the system, though evergreens with long needles could be a problem, I suppose.
You can get this professionally installed to get a warranty and all that. But stuffing foam into gutters (it looks like Brillo) really isn't that challenging, and most of these warranties are only good for use in the smallest room of the house anyway.
HI jCAB,
First of all, if you have pine trees nothing (that I have found ) works. Second, If you are looking to never service your gutters again, forget it, eventually something is going to get in there and someone is going to have to clean it out.
I have installed gutter guards by various manufacturers, gutter topper, waterfall, Hallett, leafedge, gutter helmet, foams and screens and louver screens. They all help, none are (in my experience) bulletproof. Sometimes its installer errror, other times Ive been back just because we dont live in a perfect world. I know this sounds vague, but until I see a system that is bulletproof, (and most SAY they are) thats my take on it.
Eric
My back and side yards are all treed, and the elderly neighbor had the gutter helmet installed on her hip roof (all gutters $$$). Mine is a straight forward cape, with gutters front and back. I'm capable of servicing the gutters off of a ladder, but that gets old. I picked up some cheapo gutter guards at Lowe's three years ago, and installed those in less than the time it took me to clean the gutter. Been on since, no more leaves. The ice does dam on the north side (always has), but so far the gutter guards have held up. They have also been subjected to numerous footballs, baseballs and basketballs, and have yet to break. If they did I wouldn't feel so bad, I think I paid 2.50 or so for each 3' L. piece. They slip in under the first course of shingles, and "clip" onto the formed lip on the gutter. I think they'll work with any standard gutter, although some profiles will work better than others.
Hey there - relatively new to Breaktime too, but picked up your question. We have a relatively low-pitch roofed ranch with lots of pine, maples and oaks in northern lower Michigan. First two years - no gutters, lots of icicles, no leaks. Got gutters so it wouldn't drip on us coming in and out of doors (we have three plus a slider). Put plastic diamond-grid "gutter guards" similar to what others have described (no nails, slipped under first shingle). After two years, there was 1-2" of fine black debris (good for the garden) of fine organic junk that got through the screen and began to cause overflows in the summer and larger icicles in the winter. Took off the guards, deal with the twice a year clean-out from a low ladder and would rip the gutters off if my wife would let me. The gutters are well installed, but i don't think they add much to the house, except more work.
I am on the fence about it for my whole back yard and patio.
A few years ago I had some repairs done to my roof.
They installed Gutter Helmet and it sealed up my gutters very well for a very long time.
I was thrilled that it worked.
My gutters would not leak anymore and rain drops would not even be able to get in.
However, now my gutters are completely leaking again.
I had never seen so much water come down a home! This is my choice - https://householdprof.com/best-gutter-guards-for-home-use/
I thought for sure I would get the Gutter Helmet professionally checked out but with the money I had saved and time I decided not to bother.