Are gutter guards actually worth it with heavy rain?
Water can bounce right off gutter guards during heavy rainfall on steep roofs, and they still require ongoing maintenance instead of being zero-effort. These issues make it difficult to determine if the installation makes financial sense or if traditional cleanouts are still necessary.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Cleaning gutters manually twice a year
- 2Using a leaf blower attachment to clear gutters
- 3paying $5,000 later instead of $500 now
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I was thinking of getting gutter guards but then reading reviews that with steep pitch roof and heavy rainfall, water just bounces off them. Plus you still need to clean above them - maybe not twice a year but certainly not zero maintenance either.”source ↗
“So I am wondering if it even makes sense to get them.”source ↗
“Should I still install cleanouts?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Should I reuse an old plumbing drain or replace it?
- 2How to choose the right gutter size and mounting type
- 6Why are my new gutters leaking from behind?
- 5Are later steps in lawn care programs actually necessary?
- 4How to stop roof runoff from missing the gutter and hitting the deck
- 4Should I replace old asbestos-wrapped ductwork while walls are open?