We are looking at installing new gutters, and have a home in a very wooded area. I am cleaning out the current gutters about once a month. I want to know what the experience is with the leaf-guard or other advertised no-clog gutters. Would it be better just to go with open gutters and industrial-sized downspouts, and just clean them out once in a while?
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i've seen those gutters where the manufacturer says the water follows the edge and surface tension keeps the water on the edge and it flows into the gutter. i was at a home show where a company had a display and a continuous flow of water running down a roof and the gaurd was doing what it was advertised to do. the flow of water had to be only about a 1/2" per hour if that. for the last couple of days in the northern subs. of Chicago we've had rain storms that have produced 2"-6" of rain at a time. last week i installed new gutters on my house (before the rains). my neighbors thought i was crazy with a 6" k-style gutter and 3"X4" down spouts. but when we got all the rain and wind my gutter system worked fine. carried all the water to the downspout and right down the drive way.i also have four big maple trees in my front yard and whatever leaves and those little "helicopters" that were in the gutter washed down with all the water. i suppose i'll look everywhere for some type of guard but if i have to i'll just clean the gutters once a year. a word of caution if you have a one story house the 6" gutter will look huge and awkward but it will carry just about any amount of water you will get and most any leaves. but even with big gutters and downspouts and no type of guard you still have to clean them. or look in the yellow pages for someone else to do them. around here the cost is anywhere from $50.00 to$60.00 for a one story house and then about $20.00 per story after that.
From the quotes I've seen for self cleaning gutters I think in the long run it is cheaper to buy conventional K type gutters and hire someone once a year to clean them out.
One system I saw at a home show requires the first couple of courses of shingles be removed to be installed correctly. Then reshingle over it. Thats OK for new construction or at the same time as a tear-off, but for someone whose roof is in fine shape they are inviting trouble.
Part of the fine print gaurantee of the self clean type says they will come out if ever you have a problem with clogging. What they don't tell you is they have trucks on the road all of the time doing just that.
I agree with your thinking. The bigger the downspout, the more stuff it'll suck thru. Those surface tension gutter guards freeze if you live in such a climate. The water also jumps in a heavy down pour. Big gutters, big downspouts, and no underground drains works better than anything else. Now that we've got that worked out, we have to think about cosmetics. That's where the perfect gutter system starts to go south. Good Luck.