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gutter toppers

Last post 30 Aug 2007, 10:49 AM by Windows on Washington. 7 replies.
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  •  25 Jul 2007, 6:04 PM 1399

    gutter toppers

    Has anyone had any experience with Gutter Filter-a synthetic plastic foam that is placed in the gutter? The company literature claims it will filter out everything except water. It seems almost unbelievable.

    Filed under:
  •  26 Jul 2007, 8:18 AM 1400 in reply to 1399

    Re: gutter toppers

    "It seems almost unbelievable."

    You know what they say about things that seem too good to be true.  I've never met a gutter topper/cover/filter that didn't retain maple seedlings.  There is also an issue with ice damming in some of the filters in certain parts of the country. 

    I have no experience with this particular type of gutter barrier, but I've had various kinds throughout my life.  In our current house we have none, and I'm okay with that.  To my mind it doesn't take a lot of energy to send someone up there twice a year or so to clean out the gutters, and most gutter guard systems cause as many problems as they claim to solve.


    Central Ohio
  •  27 Jul 2007, 4:40 AM 1410 in reply to 1399

    Re: gutter toppers

    Unbelieable is right - unless you live where rainfalll is less than 3" annually

    When the gutters on my home need replacing, I'll choose Leaf Guard or something equally proven   - even if $$ becomes an issue, gutters will be seamless and downspout joints must be welded

  •  30 Jul 2007, 11:07 PM 1439 in reply to 1399

    Re: gutter toppers

    What is the warranty on the product?  Does the warranty cover damage by UV rays?
  •  28 Aug 2007, 1:59 PM 1613 in reply to 1400

    Re: gutter toppers

    I spent part of my vacation at my mother's home in suburban Denver. She had a gutter topper installed on the back of her house and her porch, but was complaining that the gutters were overflowing every time it rained. So, I climbed up and discovered one to two inches of crud inside the gutters (mostly small pieces of leaves along with dirt and seeds and who knows what else). Her roofing guy" had suggested she get rid of them last year as he said none of them worked well and usually just accumulated more buildup than an uncovered gutter. The gutters in the front of the house without any covers were almost completely empty and worked fine.

    So, my mother agreed to let me remove the gutter covers. I cut an empty 20-oz soda bottle into a scoop and used it to gather up the crap in the gutters and put it into a bucket. A couple of hours later, no more gutter covers and clean gutters were the result.

    As this may be the result of the particular design she had, I encourage you to walk around your neighborhood and look for houses that have gutter covers. Ring the bell and ask the homeowners if they recommend the covers and if so, can they tell you the brand? But, I should tell you that when the gutter covers appeared with the trash, some of my mother's neighbors noted that reminded them that they wanted to get rid of their covers too (and no one seemed to have had the same model installed).

     Technology does not always make things better.

     Dave

     

    Filed under:
  •  30 Aug 2007, 3:57 AM 1627 in reply to 1613

    Re: gutter toppers

    Dave, thanks for your firsthand sensible post.

    Before we were forced to remove a giant oak tree, I installed removable leaf covers on existing gutters to prevent leaves from clogging them . after the last of the leaves fell, flushing (digging) out the debris was an annual task~  dirty job but great compost material Wink

    Over time particles build up in any gutter and cause it to fail.   So. too, roofs need to be swept, especially the "valleys"; plus moss buildups up on the northside and can reduce the life of any roof.  There is no way a homeowner can a void annual  maintenance Geeked  .

  •  30 Aug 2007, 10:46 AM 1633 in reply to 1399

    Re: gutter toppers

    clark4541:
    Has anyone had any experience with Gutter Filter-a synthetic plastic foam that is placed in the gutter? The company literature claims it will filter out everything except water. It seems almost unbelievable.

     

    They shrink and photo degenerate.  They are worthless. 

  •  30 Aug 2007, 10:49 AM 1634 in reply to 1633

    Re: gutter toppers

    The best gutter leaf/debris prevention system that I have personally seen is the Alcoa leaf relief system.  It does not rely on the helmet cap that can allow debris in but uses and aluminum cover with holes punched in it.  I have had them on my home for a while and my gutters have stayed relatively clean and the water does not wash off during a hard rain like a gutter helmet.
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