Homeowners need to constantly keep up with their home maintenance and find ways to make their home easier to maintain throughout the various seasons.
Fall is especially labor-intensive for many homeowners, especially those that are surrounded by trees, flowers and shrubs. This natural debris usually finds its way into home gutters, which can cause them to clog and overflow onto the roof or splash into a pool of accumulated water. That is why so many people opt to install gutter shutters or Gutter Guards that help to keep their gutters clear from leaves, twigs, and other debris that could otherwise clog gutters, requiring the owners to get up on a ladder to clear them out and make sure they are clean and doing their job.
What Are Gutter Shutters?
Gutter guards offer an all-in-one solution to keep your gutters free from debris. The best companies stand by their claim to install shutters that won’t clog, sag, droop, or pull away from the side of the home. So when you are looking for companies to install gutter guards, make sure they stand by their work and include this guarantee.
Are Gutter Shutters Worth The Money?
According to ThisOldHouse.com, cleaning gutters is a time-consuming, dangerous, and necessary job for homeowners. Many people hire companies to do this, with an average cost of about $160. With most people needing them cleaned at least twice a year, that comes to at least $320 per year.
Those who choose to install gutter shutters can expect it to cost between $1000 and $2000 for the installation, depending on the size of the home. Those who don’t live in areas with many trees may not see the value, but those with a lot of trees and vegetation find that they will save you time on home maintenance and a lot of work. After installing gutter shutters, most homeowners find gutter maintenance is a thing of the past.
Here are some reasons why you may want to consider gutter shutters, according to Today’s Homeowner:
- Gutter shutters will block leaves, twigs, and other outside debris from blocking the gutter system. Some people find they need nearly no maintenance after being installed, and some report that they have their gutters checked and cleaned once every year or two.
- Gutter shutters can protect your home from clogs that can cause water to leak onto the roof and perhaps cause additional leaks. At the bottom of the spout, if water is pooling it can cause damage to the structure or foundation.
- Gutter shutters can reduce moisture, mold, and mildew, which are bad for the home. The materials that most commonly cause gutters to clog are leaves, twigs, and other natural debris. These materials are resting places for mold spores that can grow and multiply inside clogged gutters.
- Installing gutter shutters can also reduce the occurrence of pests, making your gutters their home. Insects, rodents, birds, and even snakes have been found living in gutter systems. With gutter shutters, they are unable to get into the gutter that they would like to call home.
- Gutter shutters can protect your home from fire. The University of California conducted a study that showed that metal gutters keep the gutters clean of twigs and leaves which can start fire in the event of a fire event.
If you are considering getting gutter shutters, you may find that one of your least favorite and costly maintenance issues has gone away. And you will feel good knowing that your home is protected from the ravages of nature. The best part is, in just a couple of years your gutter shutters will have paid for themselves.
