Gutter Covers

If you own a home and have rain gutters, you know firsthand what a chore it can be to keep them clean. Unless you have teenagers living at home you'll have to clean gutters out yourself or find another way. Well, for many homeowners that other solution is with gutter covers.

Having gutter covers put on your rain gutters can go a long way in keeping out the leaves, twigs, pine needles and other debris and keep the channel flowing.

What are gutter covers?
These covers are either a screen or a solid covering that fits right on top of your existing gutter system. They allow the water in, but keep the debris out.

What types work best?
Choosing the right type of gutter cover really comes down to your budget. If you are looking for the least expensive route, a gutter screen is your best option. These screens are cut to fit the length of your gutter and easily attach over it.

For those with a higher budget you can buy systems such as Gutter Helmet, Rainhandle R or PermFlow Gutter Guard System to name just a few.

These gutter systems have proven effective, but they can cost upwards of $15-$20 a foot installed. Gutter Helmet is one system that must be professionally installed. They do not allow you to do-it-yourself.

What are the drawbacks?
Any cover can still have problems at times, Gutter screens can still become clogged and cause problems while other systems can become loose over the course of time, although this is not the "norm".

All in all, installing gutter covers on your roof's guttering system has many more positives than negatives. If you want to spend less time on a wobbly ladder and more time doing other things, then they are well worth looking into.