What are some tips for inexpensive gutter guards that actually work?
Short answer. Match the guard to what your trees drop, choose rigid metal over flimsy plastic, fix the gutters' slope and downspouts before covering them, and install the guards without lifting the shingles. A modestly priced metal screen installed well often outperforms an expensive system set on a gutter that was sagging or clogged underneath.
Tips that save money and work
- Know your debris. Big leaves only: a stiff metal screen does well. Pine needles or seeds: you need fine mesh, even a budget one.
- Buy metal, not plastic. Plastic screens and foam break down fast in Georgia sun. Aluminum or steel lasts many times longer for a small price difference.
- Buy the right width. Measure the top of your gutter. A guard sized for 5-inch gutters will not seat on 6-inch ones.
- Prep first. Clean, flush and test the gutters. Reset sags and reseal leaking joints. A guard locks in whatever is underneath.
- Fasten the front edge. A few screws through the front lip keep guards from blowing out in storms.
- Keep shingles flat. Skip any guard that requires prying under the first row.
- Do not skip the corners. Gaps at miters and valleys are where cheap installs fail first.
- Consider outlet strainers. On a lightly treed house, a simple strainer at each downspout outlet keeps clogs out of the pipe, though it must be cleared after leaf drop.
- Trim the trees. Cutting back overhanging limbs reduces debris more than any guard, and protects the roof too.
When cheap is a false economy
On a two-story house under pines, a budget guard you have to climb up to brush off every month saves little. That is where a better guard, or regular professional cleaning, earns its cost. See pine needles and leaves on the roof and trees and your roof.