- Cleaning out gutters is an unpleasant and potentially dangerous task. The less often you have to work off ladders, or climb on the roof, the better.
- Gutter guards are not a matter of "fit and forget". Depending on the fall of the gutters, some maintenance may still be required to remove sludge build-up.
- None of the products we tried were perfect. But they all worked to some extent - some better than others (see Products compared for details).
Sagging gutters
A sagging gutter will pond water and collect sludge, leading to blockages. Re-hanging gutters with an even fall of at least 5mm for every 10 metres of run can reduce gutter-cleaning maintenance.
Beware of fixed gutter guards
Some gutter guards are fixed to the roof by screws. Metal roofing manufacturers have stated that such devices will invalidate their warranty. Similarly, plastic-guttering manufacturers have stated that screwing anything to their gutter systems may interfere with the required expansion/contraction of the plastic and will invalidate the warranty.
None of the systems we trialled were permanently fixed to the roof or gutter.
More information
- House maintenance: www.consumerbuild.org.nz
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Report by Bill Whitley
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