Owning a home isn’t cheap, as any homeowner will attest! And that’s why the longest-lasting solutions are also the most cost-effective! If your gutters are constantly clogging and in need of cleaning and repair, one solution to consider is gutter guards. Gutter guards are a helpful addition to your gutter system that helps them to remain clog-free and function as intended, guiding water out and away from your home to prevent water damage!
What are Gutter Guards?
Gutter guards can come in many styles, but in essence, they all exist to serve one purpose: keeping leaves, debris, and other clogging substances out of your gutters while still allowing precipitation to flow down your roof and through the gutter troughs.
Most gutter guards fit into one of two styles: mesh covers and hoods. Mesh covers block off the entire gutter, usually sitting inside with small holes in the mesh or micro-mesh to allow water through while blocking debris. Hoods are solid covers that go over the top of the gutter, curving slightly to help leaves and other clogging materials fall off the top of gutters instead of collecting on top of the gutter guard. This type of gutter guard leaves a small gap along the front edge, curving inward toward the gutter trough to guide water inside.
Gutter guards can be purchased separately from your gutters, but the best guards are those that are part of a whole gutter system because they will have the best fit and be far more reliable.
Five Benefits of Gutter Guards
Gutters are necessary to protect your home from water damage, and gutter guards are necessary to protect your gutters from clogging that can lead to water damage! Here are five more specific benefits of gutter guards for your home:
1. Reduce Need for Gutter Repairs
Repairing gutters can get expensive, and clogged gutters will require more frequent repairs. This is because clogs cause water to collect in your gutter troughs, which can weigh them down and cause them to bow or pull away from your home. Pools of water sitting in your gutters may also lead to rust or mildew, especially on older gutter systems.
If your gutters are constantly in need of repair or showing signs it’s time for gutter repair, gutter guards are the perfect way to keep your gutters in peak working condition longer.
2. Extend the Lifespan of Gutters
By preventing damaging clogs and stagnant water from occurring in your gutter systems, guard guards extend the lifetime of your gutters! This means that not only will your gutters go longer between requiring maintenance or repairs, but they will also last much longer before replacement becomes essential.
3. Protect Your Home from Water Damage
We’ve already touched on this benefit briefly, but it’s an important one! Gutters exist to prevent water damage from excess moisture collecting around your foundation and flooding into your home. Gutter guards make your gutters’ job easier by preventing clogs that compromise their effectiveness at moving water.
4. Keep the Pests Away
While there may be very little you can do to keep squirrels, birds, and other critters off of your roof, gutter guards are a surefire way to keep them from getting into your gutters! The problem with animals getting into your gutters is that they may decide to build a nest there or treat it as a food storage location, clogging your troughs with sticks, nuts, and other debris. Gutter guards are an animal-friendly way of telling the local wildlife to build their summer home somewhere else!
5. Avoid Dangerous Gutter Maintenance
Like any roof work that requires climbing up on a steep ladder, cleaning your gutters is a dangerous business. Because gutter guards reduce how often your gutters need to be cleaned, they keep you safe and sound down on the ground. Some gutter guards even render your gutters completely maintenance-free, making caring for your gutters a breeze.
Not All Gutter Guards are Created Equal
While the goal of gutter guards is always to achieve the mentioned benefits, some types are better than others. It’s important to consider several factors when searching for the best gutter guards, such as the materials they’re built with and whether or not they will fit your existing gutters.
The best gutter protection is integrated with your gutters from the start rather than added on later because these are designed to work with your gutters instead of just sitting on top. K-Guard gutter systems include hood-style gutters that use principles of water flow to create a guaranteed leaf-free, clog-free gutter system.
Embrace Peace of Mind with K-Guard Gutter Systems
K-Guard Leaf-Free Gutter Systems provide the ultimate peace of mind for homeowners. Our innovative gutter guards will keep leaves out on even the most blustery of days, and the oversized troughs are built to handle the heaviest precipitation Kansas City has to offer! Contact us for a free estimate on getting the gutter protection you need to guarantee a safe, waterproof home.
