Gutter Protection vs. Gutter Cleaning - Cost Analysis

I agree that there are many other things which an individual could do to make money. However, many people experience having to clean their gutters much more than twice a year. My gutter problem was such that I could have my gutters cleaned about 4 or 5 times a year at least. Sometimes the gutters would be clogged only a few days later. It was always a hassle having to get someone dependable and insured (most gutter cleaners are not, in my experience) to clean the gutters. In my case it cost about $180 each cleaning. I spent about twice per foot (around $14)what is quoted in your artice for a national brand gutter protection about three years ago and have been very happy I did so.

What gutter protection product did you use? I have found out that most of them do not work

Diane,
I am still testing, but read all of my Gutter Guard columns to see the ones that hold the greatest promise. You also need to watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RzRVvVYNJk

Diane, I found one that does work. It is Gutter Glove and Tim Carter has written about it favorably. You can see a great video clip about it at www.gutterglove.com and if you are on the east coast (They are a west coast HQ company) you can find a dealer at www.gg-nc-com. I have the product on my home 3 years and it has been maintainence free for me. I got an extended handle brush from them to sweep off any offending built up debis but never needed to use it. We have a million pine needles here. Fills a gutter in Fall, seed pods in Spring. Twice I went out to check on the build up, but the wind blew it all away. Gutter Glove is the product you want. It is less than what leaf guard tried to sell me on.

I going to give GutterStuff a try. At $16 for 32 feet it is hard to go wrong. it is a foam filter insert that is so easy to install you're done with the 32 feet in under an hour and you mitre it with scissors.

Has anyone got a story on this inexpensive way to stop being ripped off by the helmet type products? I hope this works, but if not I won't be out much money.

do you have contractors in New Jersey?

lou,

what was the cost analysis? That company is asking $3600 to install my house. I'm in the process of getting estimates on gutter cleaning in my area.

I have been a union carpenter for over 30 years now and have built a few houses and hung a few gutters over that time.

I have seen or read about or tested many different products and ideas over the years to keep rain gutters clean.

The honest truth is that gutter screens are either far too expensive to have installed, or ineffective and prone to be troublesome themselves.

Its far better to shop around a bit and get an independant roofer or small locally owned gutter cleaning company to simply clean your gutters every other year.

I live in a two story home on a heavily wooded lot with 3 very tall maples within 45 feet of the house, so I have mine done every year in the fall after most of the leaves have fallen. Last year it cost me $100 plus the $10 tip I gave the fellow to have them done.

Its just my opinion, but I cant see paying 2500 to 3000 to install gutter screens that may not even last the 20 to 25 years I'd need to break even on my investment.

And please notice I said to call a "roofer", not an older carpenter...lol

One final word. If your gutters are actually clogged and have to be cleaned 4 times every year, it might be far less expensive to cut down that 300 foot tall maple tree growing through the middle of your roof....

But all teasing aside, the average homeowner only needs their gutters cleaned every other year

I found a new product equal to Gutter Clove, Leaf Solution, Master Shield and other screens on the market. It is a design your own concept micro mesh screen and much less expensive than the above. You simply order on line you can do it your self or have some one install them. It is a web site oriented company. It's called www.supercleangutterscreen.com It is working great on my gutters.I I am paying much less than the others.

I trusted GUTTERSHELL system with life time clog free warranty. It is not cheap, but it really works - since 3 fall and spring season.
check this out www.mmgutters.com

I found a product called Gutter Filter. www.gutterfilter.com they have the longest manufacturing warranty that I have found. 20-year lifetime. The product is coated with a Crystal-Flex material which I guess protects the material from the sun. Price isn't too bad for a 20 year warranty.

This article is completely flawed. Every figure is subjective and skewed in favor of the author's pre-conceived ideas. I own a company that both clean gutters and sells gutter leaf protection. I witness the damage done to homes by clogged gutters almost daily. Rotted fascia, rotted interior walls and exterior siding, mold and mildew growing on walls, mosquitoes breeding in gutters, foundation cracking, and dead landscaping from excessive water flow. The truth is that gutters usually need cleaning far more than once every other year. Most of my gutter cleaning customers are every year at an average cost of $1-$2 per foot! Not $50 bucks and a tip. Please! Gutter cleaning is dirty, time consuming and very dangerous.

Gutter leaf protection can be expensive but not nearly as expensive as having water damage to your home. Overflowing gutters cause all kinds of bad things that will require you to cash in your little "investment" in the stock market to have major repairs done to your home. Gutter leaf guards are not just about reducing the frequency of cleanings. Leaf protection makes a major difference in the functionality of your home's gutter system. They are well worth the money if you consider the fact that your gutters work more efficiently ALL THE TIME, as opposed to the declining performance of open gutters, between cleanings. I have seen gutters stopped up by just a few leaves caught at a corner or plugged in a downspout.

In conclusion, it is best to understand that gutter systems need regular maintenance just like a septic system or HVAC unit. You don't invest your money in the stock market and ignore your A/C filters do you? Neither should you ignore your gutters maintenance needs. Maintaining your home's gutters might be the best investment that you could make.

Steve

I was reading what everyone wrote, and thought I would add some info. I happen to be a firefighter full time and I clean gutters on the side. I usually clean about 50 homes gutters a year. The problem people assume is that these guards mean they won't have to get there gutters ever cleaned again. Some manufacturers even claim that in there advertisement. So they don't worry about them until they notice water damage. They call me and say they have guards, and think there is only a small clog. Turns out tons of small debris builds up into a muddy substance throughout the entire system. They expect the problem to be minor. For me to fix the problem correctly, I have to remove most of the guards, which takes tools (sometimes)and time. This in turn causes me to charge a lot more.

I recently went to a home where a lady had spent a couple thousand dollars prior on a gutter system that was clogged. What would have been a $75 cleaning on normal gutters, it cost her a couple hundred, because I had to remove the screws that held the guards on, clean the gutters, then reattach the guards. This takes a long time.

No matter what style or brand they use, I think I have seen most. Things still clog them.