Does anyone who has some kind leaf filter on the gutter ever remove the leave filter, hose off the mesh in the leaf filter and then hose down any fine dirt collected in the gutter itself?
Gutters with leaf filters
- Thread starter Donald
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With the new ones I got at Menards I dont have to remove because they come with window screen attached to them. I also have some identical ones withOUT the window screen and they allow some of the bigger stuff to get thru...... so sometimes I have to remove them and clean the gutter out by hand. The new ones look like this >>>>>
I do that. On part of my house I have readily removable leaf filters and take them off annually. It's amazing how much dirt and debris collects under them.
On another part of my house I have permanently installed aluminum leaf filters. I've tried to get them off but I can't budge the lag bolts. I think I'll cut a hole in the leaf filter at the downspouts and at intervals in between to wash out the expected dirt and debris.
My curved Amerimax gutter guards hinge up for cleaning if necessary. The only debris I get is gravel from shingles. Once a year I hinge them up and blow the gravel out with a leaf blower. I wish I could get more but don't see them around anymore.
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Best not to have them at all.
These are marketed to the geriatric crowd with a false promise of never needing to climb a ladder and clean your gutters again.
There is no perfect leaf filter. Look at the post from those who have them and they are still climbing a ladder dealing with their gutters.
These are marketed to the geriatric crowd with a false promise of never needing to climb a ladder and clean your gutters again.
There is no perfect leaf filter. Look at the post from those who have them and they are still climbing a ladder dealing with their gutters.
Yes. Pine needles still got in, but it took decades to clog.
This with oversized downspouts and eaves. More volume prevents clogs.
I've been cleaning a relatives gutters for 14 years / 3x per year.
Very heavy wooded area.
My 2 cents: If you DO NOT have gutter-guards.
1) No trees should be hanging over the roof.
2) Downspouts should be 3"x4" (not 2x3) WITH a screen guard you slip into the downspout (to prevent them from clogging)
3) If possible, remove any nearby trees, especially if they can fall on the house.
I would be more inclined to get gutter-guards for a two story roof and for elderly people.
Very heavy wooded area.
My 2 cents: If you DO NOT have gutter-guards.
1) No trees should be hanging over the roof.
2) Downspouts should be 3"x4" (not 2x3) WITH a screen guard you slip into the downspout (to prevent them from clogging)
3) If possible, remove any nearby trees, especially if they can fall on the house.
I would be more inclined to get gutter-guards for a two story roof and for elderly people.
Best not to have them at all ? Not True....... if I didn't have them I would be cleaning them out every day in the fall. Your right tho....there is no perfect leaf filter but it does cut down on the number of times you have to get on the roof and clean out the gutters. The ones I dislike are the real expensive type that cover 3/4 of the gutter and are supposed to be installed by a so called professional which I dont see working all that well in a heavy down pour.
I have a love/hate relationship with them. They're almost essential in the fall and spring due to large maple trees that were planted much too close to the house. However, they are unnecessary in Summer.
Winter is a whole different issue. They are prone to creating ice dams. Wet snow will fall and freeze on top of them, then with the daily thaw, nightly freeze they will create thick ice that not only backs up the water but allows water to flow over the top during the day - which then freezes on the surfaces below (porch & patio), creating a hazard.
Winter is a whole different issue. They are prone to creating ice dams. Wet snow will fall and freeze on top of them, then with the daily thaw, nightly freeze they will create thick ice that not only backs up the water but allows water to flow over the top during the day - which then freezes on the surfaces below (porch & patio), creating a hazard.
I think the screen guard you slip into the downspout is a bad idea because it plugs up quickly. Alot of the smaller debris would just wash on down without it.
If you're downspout goes to underground drainage, you don't want debris collecting in the pipes. Just because there's some coverage on the guards, they still left most water pass.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
Like said, what ever system you have, they definitely cut down on the amount of ladder climbing and cleaning you have to do, but they don't eliminate the need for periodic cleaning. I'd don't have trees directly over my roof, but I am surrounded by woods. Pine needles and certain tree buds do work their way through the guards I have.
I eliminated the shingle aggregate problem I was having by having a metal roof installed.
I eliminated the shingle aggregate problem I was having by having a metal roof installed.
We had these inexpensive ones from Menards on the first story of our house and the more expensive metal ones on the second story. Last summer when our roof was replaced we upgraded to metal ones all around. It is way worth it, either type! I was on a ladder 2 or 3 times a year cleaning leaves and debris out of gutters. Now I seldom do it. I can see much of our first story gutters from the second story. We get enough wind in Iowa that the gutter guards are usually clean.
Just my $0.02
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I had a gutter guard system on my house once, didn’t work for me...it left just enough space there were stuff could get in and it made it very difficult to clean those gutters because of that. But that was 20 years ago...perhaps they’ve since improved them?
I like them. I live in the woods and without them, I'd be cleaning my gutters 3-4x per year. I have some sections of gutter that are very difficult to get to as well. I still have the guy who installed the gutters/gutter guard come out every 2-3 years because some debris does get into them but it beats 3-4x per year. The year before I had them installed I lost track of cleaning....that is until I saw a small maple tree growing in one of my gutters.
The guy who installed them also gives a lifetime warranty (for the life of the gutters - nothing lasts forever) on the gutters/guards if you install the guards. Basically, materials and labor for any reason other than damage from falling trees/branches. The second-year after they were installed we received 120" of snow in 6-weeks and in the spring there was some gutter damage - he replaced two sections of gutter/guard with no questions asked. A friend in town had the same guy install gutters/guards 15 years ago and he's been out twice to replace sections - no questions asked.
The guy who installed them also gives a lifetime warranty (for the life of the gutters - nothing lasts forever) on the gutters/guards if you install the guards. Basically, materials and labor for any reason other than damage from falling trees/branches. The second-year after they were installed we received 120" of snow in 6-weeks and in the spring there was some gutter damage - he replaced two sections of gutter/guard with no questions asked. A friend in town had the same guy install gutters/guards 15 years ago and he's been out twice to replace sections - no questions asked.
One Christmas I spent with my parents in Florida was a rainy one, and I quickly noticed that most of their gutters were overflowing into the flower beds. I got on a ladder and ripped out the stupid screens someone put over the downspouts. What a terrible idea. They were full of tree crap and next to 0 water was actually draining. They have oversized gutters and downspouts, ridiculous to put screens in those.
Everyone I know with gutter guards still has to get on a ladder and brush / blow debris off them. I've elected to just leave mine open (not oversized) and monitor them in the fall, when 99% of the leaves from my neighbor's tree ends up in my north side gutters.
Everyone I know with gutter guards still has to get on a ladder and brush / blow debris off them. I've elected to just leave mine open (not oversized) and monitor them in the fall, when 99% of the leaves from my neighbor's tree ends up in my north side gutters.
I have a hate relationship with the guys commercials on TV.
He looks like he’s just out of Prison
Fake and scripted
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