Gutters with covers?

[Brian Runau]

Think we may be replacing our gutters, and it's time to go with a newer design to eliminate cleaning them out. Curious if anyone has experience with this type gutter and what your thoughts are. Thanks. Brian

[Rich Engelhardt]

25 plus years with Gutter Helmets on ours.
Loved them.
In all the time they were on, we only had to have them come out one time to clear out the front gutter.
There was no charge for that.

We've since moved into a new house (Sept 2022) that has no trees otherwise we would have bought them for this one.

[Brian Elfert]

I like Leafguard, but they are not inexpensive. Close to $2,000 these days for 53 feet with two downspouts. Very happy with them. My parents have Leafguard too and had a leak from a corner more than a decade after the install and the dealer sent someone out the next day to fix at no charge.

[Tom M King]

No covers, no downspouts, no ends on the downhill ends that project past the wide overhang. A big rock under with a top that slants away from the house. Everything just shoots out the end, and splashes away from the house, barn, and shops. All cheap gutters from box stores, most I forget how many decades old they are. I did replace the one on the front of the house about ten years ago because they would no longer pressure wash to look clean. Nothing to clean out. Rain does the cleaning.

[Bill Dufour]

I like the idea of the fold down ones. Not sure how they pivot the downspout connection.
Bill D

[Lee Schierer]

We paid way too much for Leaf Filter gutters. The installation crew was terrible. They had two people on ladders raising two sections 43 feet and two sections 24 feet long in one piece with no chalk line mark to guide them for the proper slope. Three of the gutters had bellies that held more than a half inch of water. I made them come back and replace two of the four sections and adjust the other two. Then shortly after it was installed it snowed and we had icicles for the first time since we purchased our house over 45 years ago. Then when it thawed, the melt water from the roof ran across the ice on the filter screens and dumped onto the ground right next to the foundation thus defeating the purpose of the gutters.

Also they damaged one of our motion lights and knocked one other out of alignment. So much for me not having to get up on a ladder again.

The salesman never checked back to see if I was satisfied.

If I had it to do over I would buy something else or just live with an annual time or two of blowing out the gutters with the leaf blower and extension tubes.

Needless to say, I don't recommend their product if you get snow or ice storms.

[Mel Fulks]

I bought some wedge shaped plastic foam gutter tops at least 15 years ago ,and they still work . The tops have a thick gravel coating.
They were cheap .

[Bruce Wrenn]

Having been in the maintainance business for over 25 years before retiring, there are only two choices, Gutter Helmets, or Leafguard. Both work very well. Worst thing about filter screen is trash deposits on top of them. Friends two story currently has a rack of pine straw on top of gutter above front door. Looks like the house has a beard. Sure you don't have to clean gutters out, but you do have to clean them off.

[Tom M King]

I put 6" round Classic gutters with 4" round downspouts on one old museum house. They're completely clear on top with not even any fasteners that cross the top. The downspouts are large enough that leaves pass right down and come out like an extrusion 6 feet long on the yard. We just run the mower over them. I've been up there every year to blow the roof off, and check the gutters, but there has never been anything to amount to much still in the gutters.

They were quite expensive, and you even have to buy the boxes they ship them in, but each piece is separated by foam paper, and the boxes are strong enough to walk on.

https://classicgutters.com/product-category/6-half-round-gutter/

They come in sections up to 26 feet long and are quite substantial, as opposed to box store gutters. We were able to put them up without a scratch. We had the whole house scaffolded up though doing everything else. I don't work off ladders.

[Jim Becker]

I bought mesh covers from Costco, both for our previous residence/shop and here for the house/shop. Easy install and cost effective, especially when on sale in 100' boxes. If the actual gutters are going to be replaced, then considering a 'system' is certainly a worthy thing to check out.

[Mike Null]

I had some sort of covers installed several years ago and I have been very well pleased. No more ice cycles dripping and freezing at the door to the deck. I do power wash the surface once a year or so but they work.

[roger wiegand]

We put mesh covers on our gutters in our house in St. Louis years ago. The raccoons tore them off and trashed them to see if there were hickory nuts inside (they apparently had found the back gutters a convenient feeding spot for years before.) End of that experiment.

[Brian Runau]

Thanks men. Appreciate the input. Brian

[Larry Frank]

I have issues with maple seeds and a few pine needles. With my current gutter guards, they stick down in the mesh. I need a different system as I no longer will go up on the roof. I have three different providers coming out to give me a sales pitch. It should be entertaining and hopefully helpful.

[Brian Runau]

I have issues with maple seeds and a few pine needles. With my current gutter guards, they stick down in the mesh. I need a different system as I no longer will go up on the roof. I have three different providers coming out to give me a sales pitch. It should be entertaining and hopefully helpful.

Good luck. Brian