|
Category
|
Product
Names
|
Difficulty
of Installation
|
Estimated
Cost /Foot
|
Nails
or Screw into Roof
|
Profile
Description
|
Availability
|
Material
|
Potential
Issues
|
|
Screens
and Mesh
|
Gutterworld,
Gutter
Shingle, Drop-In, Snap-In, Lock-In, Sentinel and others
|
Easy
to install by
DIY homeowner
|
<$1/foot
for
DIY
|
No
|
Low
Profile
|
Widely
available in
most home improvement stores
|
Vinyl
and aluminum
|
Clogs
easily; Debris
accumulation, Dislodges in snow and ice
|
|
Filters
and
Perforated Panels
|
Leaf
Relief,
MasterShield, Gutter Screener, Invisiguard, LeafSolution, LeafFilter,
Grater Gutter Guard
|
Requires
professional installation
|
$6-35/ft.
installed
|
No
|
Low
Profile
|
Available
through
Authorized Dealers or through Contractors
|
Aluminum
(Leaf
Relief, MasterShield) and Vinyl (others)
|
Expensive,
debris
accumulation, clogs, mesh filter dislodges, flimsy, misleading
warranties for interior clogs only
|
|
Vinyl
Solid Gutter
Guards
|
Waterfall,
Cinch,
Gutter Shut
|
Easy
to install by
DIY homeowner or contractor
|
$6-8/foot
installed
or $1.75-2.00 for DIY
|
No
|
Low
Profile
|
Available
online or
at many home improvement stores
|
Vinyl
|
Vinyl
degrades over
time, critters can chew into system,Clogs Easily
|
|
|
GutterBrush,
GutterFilter
Rainflow,
Gutter Pillar,
Leaf Defier
|
Easy
to install by
DIY homeowner
|
$2-5/ft.
|
No
|
Low
Profile
|
Available
at many
home improvement stores
|
Plastic
or
polyurethane foam
|
Clogs
easily and
quickly, debris accumulation,
|
|
All-in-One
Gutters
and Gutter Guards
|
LeafGuard,
K-Guard,
Leafaway
|
Complex
installation
by exclusive dealer
|
$14-22/ft.
|
No
|
High
Profile
|
Available
only
through "authorized dealers"
|
Aluminum
|
Will
clog,
expensive, seamless -if damaged expensive to repair, requires
replacement of existing gutters
|
|
Louvered
Gutter
Guards
|
Waterloov,
Gutter
Protech
|
Complex
installation
by franchise
|
$12-15/ft.
|
Yes
|
High
Profile
|
Available
only
through "authorized dealers"
|
Aluminum
|
Expensive,
louvers
will clog and require cleaning
|
|
High
profile,
nose-forward Gutter Guards
|
Gutter
Helmet,
Gutter Cap, Gutter Topper
|
Complex
installation
by franchise
|
$12-20/ft.
|
Yes
|
High
Profile
|
Available
only
through "authorized dealers"
|
Aluminum
|
Expensive,
will
clog, misleading warranties
|
|
Low
profile, solid
aluminum Gutter Guards
|
LeafProof,
Leaf
Free, Hallett Gutter Cover
|
Installation
by
contractor
|
$8-12/ft.
|
No
|
Low
profile
|
Available
through
contractors only
|
Aluminum
|
Expensive,
difficult
to clean gutters when they eventually clog, spotty follow up
|
|
|
Gutter Genius® DIY™
|
Simple
DIY
installation or easy contractor installation
|
$1.40-$1.65/ft.
for DIY
$4-5/ft.
for
contractor installation
|
No
|
Low
profile
|
Widely
available at
hardware and home improvement stores or through contractors
|
Aluminum
|
Clips
can become
dislodged if not installed properly
|
|
Category
|
Product
Names
|
Difficulty
of Installation
|
Estimated
Cost /Foot
|
Nails
or Screw into Roof
|
Profile
Description
|
Availability
|
Material
|
Potential
Issues
|
The North American
gutter protection market offers more than 150 products that range from
inexpensive screens to nylon cushions and brushes, and from expensive
stainless steel filters to high profile, expensive national brands. The
industry is a "Buyer Beware" market, filled with misleading claims and
craftily worded warranties. Before purchasing, ask yourself a few
"common sense" questions:
