Gutter guards vs screens: what is the difference?
The main guard families
- Screens. Perforated aluminum, expanded steel or plastic grids with fairly large openings. Usually DIY, often snap into the gutter's front lip.
- Micro-mesh. Very fine metal mesh, ideally stainless, stretched over a rigid frame. Filters needles, seeds and most grit.
- Hood or reverse curve covers. A solid cover with a rounded front edge. Water follows the curve into a slot by surface tension while leaves slide off the front.
- Brush inserts. Long bottle brushes that sit inside the gutter and hold leaves up out of the water.
- Foam inserts. Porous foam wedges that fill the gutter so only water soaks through.
Where screens fall short
Screen openings are large enough that pine needles, maple seeds, oak tassels and shingle granules get through or wedge in the holes. Plastic screens soften and warp in summer sun, and drop-in screens that are not fastened can shift or blow out in storms. In a yard with mostly large, flat hardwood leaves, though, a stiff metal screen does a respectable job for the money.
How to choose between them
Start with what falls on your roof. Big leaves only and a one-story house: a fastened metal screen is a reasonable, low-cost choice. Pines, mixed trees, or a two-story house where cleaning is a real ladder job: micro-mesh usually earns its higher price. Either way, the gutter underneath must be pitched correctly and the downspouts clear. More in gutter sizing, seamless gutters and guards and pine needles and leaves on the roof.