What are the best gutter guards to install yourself?
How the DIY options stack up
- Micro-mesh panels (best overall). A fine stainless mesh over a rigid aluminum frame. Blocks pine needles, seed pods and most shingle granules. Expect to brush the surface off after spring pollen and fall leaf drop.
- Perforated aluminum covers. Stiff and durable, and cheaper than mesh. The holes are big enough that pine needles and oak tassels poke through and lodge.
- Plastic snap-in screens. The cheapest option. They tend to turn brittle after a few Georgia summers and sag under wet leaves.
- Foam inserts. The easiest to install, but fine debris packs into the foam, seedlings sprout in it, and it holds moisture against the gutter.
- Brush inserts. Fine for big oak leaves, frustrating with pine needles, which weave into the bristles.
What separates a good DIY guard from a bad one
How it mounts. Choose a guard that screws to the front lip of the gutter and rests on or fastens to the back edge or fascia. Designs that tuck under the first course of shingles lift them, which breaks the sealant strip that holds them down in wind, and that can conflict with the shingle maker's installation instructions.
Fit. Guards are sold by gutter width. Most Georgia houses have 5-inch K-style gutters, but newer and larger homes often have 6-inch, so measure across the top opening before you buy.
The gutter underneath. Clean and flush the gutters, tighten loose hangers and confirm water runs to the downspouts before covering anything. A guard on a sagging, half-clogged gutter just hides the problem. If the eaves are two stories up or the lot slopes hard, as many North Georgia lots do, that is the point to hire it out. For sizing basics, see gutter sizing, seamless gutters and guards, and for debris specifics, pine needles and leaves on the roof.