By Daniel Weadley
© DanielsRoof.com

Gutter guards are designed to keep the leaves and pine needles out whilst still allowing water to enter the gutter and flow away. They prevent costly blockages not just in the guttering but also in the rainwater pipe and underground drainage system.

Old fashioned meshes that were popular in the 1970′s and 1980′s were prone to blockages which rendered them useless, so is the new generation of gutter protection products any better? Do gutter guards actually work?

Here you can find my review of the latest gutter guards available to buy today:

Gutter Brush

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The Gutter Guard Brush is very similar to another product on the market called the Hedgehog, both work in the same way and the differences between the products is insignificant.

This product is made of a wire core interwoven with bristles that are designed to keep leaves, moss and other debris out of the gutter. It is also very easy to install, in fact it was the easier than any other product on the market.

This product worked well at keeping leaves out but struggled with pine needles, seedlings and small clumps of moss. It needs to be tied to the gutter to prevent the wind from lifting it out. Cable ties would be suitable but are not supplied with the guard. Click here to buy this product.

Mesh

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This is a product which is very popular with homeowners and DIY fans who are not afraid of heights. It is made from plastic and is best described as a “mesh”. It also comes with pre-molded clips to secure it to the guttering.

This product is much lighter than other gutter guards, so the shipping costs may be lower. The guard is also very simple to install and can be cut to length easily.

This gutter guard only offers minimal protection as it is so flimsy. It often collapses into the guttering under the weight of wet leaves/moss etc. Click here to buy this product.

Gutter Grid

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The Grid is a much more rigid and firm gutter guard that can withstand considerable weight placed on top of it, it will not collapse into the gutter like some other products.

This product is also very easy to install, although you may need a saw to cut it as it is so tough! Suitable for DIY and trades but the large holes in this guard mean that pine needles and other small objects will pass through and potentially block the gutter.

This guard is difficult to install if you lean the ladder against the gutter, best to rest the ladder on a wall or use a scaffold access tower. I used to install this guard for customers a few years ago but nowadays I recommend the Hedgehog instead (along with roof moss removal) .

Click here to buy this product.

Gutter Foam

After initially getting some good feedback from my customers I have stopped recommending this guard.

The foam keeps out almost all types of debris and can be installed with ease. Unfortunately the guard itself becomes clogged very easily and mud/leaves/moss etc tends to compact on top of the product, thus prevent water from actually entering the gutter.

Very disappointed with this guard. I also noticed the wording on the U.S. website has been changed and they now suggest flushing out the guard every 6 months! What is the point of paying money for a product that needs to be cleaned every 6 months? Why not just put a pipe filter in the gutter and clean that every 6 months? Be a lot cheaper.