Gutter Recommendation for older Minneapolis house (houses, buy, contractors)

[tisaroo]

I am getting a older Minneapolis house that has moderate Tree cover around the house: not giant trees looming over the house but just a few trees near by. The current gutters are a complete loss on the house. My question is: are gutter guards worth while or should I just get a good quality gutter put on the house and plan on cleaning it twice a year or whatever? If I get a gutter guard, is the need for a cleanup of the gutter become less frequent but more difficult or ?

The reason I ask is I have seen gutter guarded gutters in minneapolis and there is small trees and stuff growing out of them: I assume that the owners were supposed to clean out the silt that formed under the gutter guard, every year or two?, but just left it alone until it filled with decaying leaf material then the gutters were broken.

Thanks.

[roselily]

My house was built in 1880 and doesn't have gutters at all. No drainage problems either. The older houses don't necessarily need them.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by roselily

My house was built in 1880 and doesn't have gutters at all. No drainage problems either. The older houses don't necessarily need them.

The age of the house has nothing to do with it...the slope of the roof and the area around the house is what matters...

The house I grew up in was built in 1860, it had/has gutters...

[tisaroo]

Guys, if I can reacquire the topic this thread was trying to explore.... Gutter Guards: worth it for the extra cost or not so much? If you are pro-gutter guards do you have a variety you recommend for a house that is next to deciduous, and not pine, trees?

[ebbe]

Originally Posted by tisaroo

Guys, if I can reacquire the topic this thread was trying to explore.... Gutter Guards: worth it for the extra cost or not so much? If you are pro-gutter guards do you have a variety you recommend for a house that is next to deciduous, and not pine, trees?

Mesh is considered good but don't use this if you are near pines. Some contractors feel it's more economical to just clean the gutters more often. Versaguard is one brand you could take a look at. I'd make sure it doesn't damage the roof in any way.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by tisaroo

Guys, if I can reacquire the topic this thread was trying to explore.... Gutter Guards: worth it for the extra cost or not so much? If you are pro-gutter guards do you have a variety you recommend for a house that is next to deciduous, and not pine, trees?

There are mixed reviews about the gutter guards. I've heard that while they do keep out bigger things like leaves and what not, they do let in smaller particles and in heavy rains, water spills over them because of the smaller openings. You still have to clean them out periodically and it's more difficult. It's pretty easy to hose down your gutters or hire someone to do that for you.

[ocsid]

Originally Posted by golfgal

There are mixed reviews about the gutter guards. I've heard that while they do keep out bigger things like leaves and what not, they do let in smaller particles and in heavy rains, water spills over them because of the smaller openings. You still have to clean them out periodically and it's more difficult. It's pretty easy to hose down your gutters or hire someone to do that for you.

I've also heard that gutter guards clog up when birds and mice nest in them, and it's a major pain to get that cleaned out.

I live in a very wooded area, and we have to get our gutters cleaned twice a year (two story house, and I'm NOT going up there). Gutter guards are expensive - I think I figured that it would take 12-15 years of having a service clean them to pay for the guards, and even then, you could still have issues. I'd skip it myself.

[Richard Balfour]

In my opinion, gutter guards aren't efficient. I've cleaned over 500 gutters coming across plenty of gutter guards that just dont do the job. Most gutter guards accumulate mud in your gutters or cant keep smaller sized debris out which still clog your gutters. if you have trees around your home your best bet is to invest in an affordable gutter cleaning service spring and fall. visit facebook.com/highmaintenanceservicesll or call Richard 651-560-8847. We are the most reliable and affordable gutter cleaners in the twin cities We clean off your roof, clean your gutters, flush out all downspouts and bill you later.

[Hotfeet]

I talked to some homeowners that strongly believe that their newly-installed gutter guards are causing an increase in ice dams. Their roofs have a fairly gentle slope, tho. If your roofs have a steep incline it might not be as much a problem.

My neighbor had gutter guards that were a light, ivory color and they didn't look good when dirt, leaves and small sticks started to accumulate on the top of them. But on the other hand my house and higher than hers and she couldn't see them from her home so it didn't bother her.

[Hotfeet]

If I was living in a one-story home, I would buy one of those attachments for my leaf blower that makes it wasy to clean gutters from the ground. It is essentially a tube bent in the shape of an inverted "J" that reaches into the gutter while you walk along the ground.