Which gutter guards were clog-free 14-months after installation? [S1 Ep 31]
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- As we wind up the first season of the Ultimate Gutter Guard Challenge, Johnathan removed the gutter guards from the garage to reveal what was inside the gutters. In a nutshell, the gutter guards did a very good job overall keeping most leaves and debris out of the gutters.
The gutter guards were installed from March 2020 to May 2021 for a total of 14-months.
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MasterShield Wins 2021 Ultimate Gutter Guards Challenge!
The best overall performing gutter guard for the 2021 Ultimate Gutter Guard Challenge was MasterShield. It handily beat the other systems. It's ability to shed leaves and debris and absorb water made it a real standout. By installing under the shingles, it had the most positive forward slope, which helped most leaves, pine needles and debris to easily shed from its surface. It also did the best job overall capturing water of the 9 gutter guards we tested.
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The best performing gutter guards that kept the most leaves, pine needles and debris out of the gutters were micro mesh gutter guards that has the finest screens installed on them. MasterShield, LeafFilter and Gutterglove Pro* led the pack. MasterShield and LeafFilter had end caps installed or used the screen from the cover to act as the end cap. Gutterglove Pro had exposed end caps.
This was followed by LeafSolution, Micro Max (referred to as LeafLock and Gutter Love in our test videos), Gutterglove Easy-on, and Homecraft / HydroShield micro mesh gutter guards. The latter 4 gutter guards had more porous screens than the top performers.
LeaFree allowed the most material inside the gutter because it has a slot/channel across the front of the gutter panel. It many regards it performed better than we anticipated, but there are reasons why this type of gutter guard may not be your first choice.
As we pointed out in the video, some of the gutter guards had end caps and others didn't. If you saw a gutter guard with a fine screen on it, yet it had larger leaves inside the gutters when we removed the covers, then the leaves likely entered the gutters from the openings on the sides. It would have been more ideal to test the gutter guards with end caps on all the covers.
Despite our best efforts, some leaves and debris were able to sneak in from the sides whether or not the gutter guards had end caps installed. It goes to show that even the best gutter guards aren't perfect, no matter the installation method, environment and weather conditions.
While we calculated the water amount of debris collected inside the gutters, and we captured rainwater in buckets at different stages during the test period, your best way to judge what might work best in your environment is to watch the videos at different times of the year.
Spring was probably the toughest time for any of the gutter guards. The shear amount of flowers that fell from the Locust tree really tested the resolve of the gutter guards shortly after they were installed. We showcased several episodes of when it was raining -- sometimes during torrential rains and other less taxing times.
The bottom line is that it would be best to look at the overall performance from beginning to the end of the testing period to make a determination what works best. While some gutter guards did a really good job deflecting debris, others did not. While some took in a lot of water, others did not. While most did a good job keeping leaves and debris out of the gutters, others didn't do as well.
The smaller the debris and the closer the trees to your home, the more likely you'll want to consider top-performing micro mesh gutter guards. As the leaves get larger and farther away from your house, you can consider other systems that we'll showcase in future episodes.
Could we say that you absolutely want to avoid one type of gutter guard at all costs regardless of its performance?
Yes!
Do not buy gutter guards made from plastic or PVC or vinyl.
The only gutter guard company that sells and installs its own plastic gutter guards is LeafFilter that we tested. While there are some admirable qualities of LeafFilter, it did poorly shedding debris and its ability to withstand expansion, contraction and warping, due to its vinyl frame, has shown it to be a poor long-term performer.
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*Some watchers have said that the gutter guard that we claimed was Gutterglove Pro was not. The version of the product we used dated back some years and looked to be a modified version of the original Gutterglove Pro. However, we have learned that other companies licensed the original Gutterglove Pro design, and it may be a variation on the original Gutterglove Pro design. Whatever the case, if you own an older version of Gutterglove Pro, you would expect similar performance. We now have the current version of Gutterglove Pro and may test then in a future series.
Apart for comparison, is it necessary to add a downspout filter when you have a gutter guard in place?
I think it is like shooting yourself in the foot because debris that would have easily gone through the downspout gets trapped. Which means frequent maintenance is necessary to unclog the filter that shouldn’t have been there in the first place. What do you think?
@@Makis0007 you wouldn’t normally do this. We only did it so that we could capture debris that collected inside the gutter. If we didn’t do that, then most of the debris would have flushed through the downspouts.
@@gutterguardsdirect
Thank you!
I apologize for even asking because I noticed you answered my question from 30:00. Had it been I kept listening till the end I wouldn't have asked. I had to pause the video to run an errand. Thank you for the response though. Very informative indeed.
Why no end cap filters on these tests, this must be an old video, how about Shur filters ????
This is 100% in accurate information for those that are watching these videos. A lot of these companies will not install a 4 foot section next to other products which means this person install them himself therefore they are not gonna work correctly.
If the company who undertook this testing was a reseller, and the tradesmen who installed these gutter guards were installers of those gutter guards at some point in the past, would you not agree that they knew what they were doing?
Installing gutter guards is not rocket science, but we can assure you that what we do is a lot closer to science and following manufacturer's directions than most installers install on most homes.
Tried finding MASTER SHIELD and can’t. Can you provide numbers please?
HTTPS://www.mastershield.com
Bad idea put the gutter Guards
I had those once I had to remove as was stop the water flow easily in to the gutter was bounce out on the ground when Rain heavy not recommended
You comment plays well into this video: ua-cam.com/video/4uvdiZSedx0/v-deo.html. It's important to find the BEST gutter guard FOR YOUR ENVIRONMENT. There are hundreds of gutter guards on the market. If you pick the wrong one, it can be a waste of money and effort, leading to experiences like yours. Follow the steps in the video above and it'll help you pick the best gutter guard for your environment every time!
Buy a vacuum and clean the gutter or trim those tree
Trimming trees makes sense when they're overhanging the roof. Often, trees are close to a home, but far enough away from the house, or in a neighbor's yard, and trimming them isn't necessary or an option. Vacuuming out gutters isn't a practical option for those who no longer want to clean or pay someone to clean their gutters.