Haven't Cleaned Gutters In 9 Years With MicroMesh Gutter Guards - Raptor Guard by Gutter Glove
Usually the reminder to clean the gutters is when it's pouring down rain, and the gutters are overflowing, creating a waterfall in front of the house. This is never a good time to clean the gutters. Yes, cleaning the gutters several times a year will help prevent that, but in reality, unless you hire a service to come do it on a regular basis, it's not going to happen.
â–¼ WHERE TO BUY:
â–¶ WATERLOCK Micromesh Gutter Guard with Drip Edge (Amazon) - or https://artofgutter.com/pages/waterlock-micromesh-gutter-guard
I installed these micromesh gutter guards about 9 years ago now, and they are still going strong. I've never had to clean the gutters. Once every year or so I clean the mesh, and usually the spray from the hose is good enough to get that clean, and that's only necessary in certain high debris areas. Most of the debris flushed off.
Depending on location, you may still need to clean the mesh, but only once a year or two vs cleaning gutters several times a year. And cleaning the mesh is as easy as spraying it with a high pressure hose nozzle, or using a brush. Much easier than cleaning out a gutter.
The only thing lacking from Raptor Guard is a drip edge to keep your gutter face clean, which Waterlock Micromesh does have a drip edge, but their mesh is not as fine or strong, so they support it with aluminum underneath.
Here's the difference with and without a DIY drip edge on the Raptor Guard
Since the time I installes these, the brand has changed from "Leafs Out Micromesh Gutter Guards" to "RAPTOR Gutter Guards by GutterGlove", but the stainless micromesh gutter guard design still looks much the same as before, with some very minor improvements.
Overall these have been amazing, and have held up well over the years. I'm happy that I don't have to clean the sludge out of the gutters anymore, and that there's no more waterfall during hard rains due to clogged gutters or downspouts. All it took was a few pinecones and leaves to clog the downspout and back up the gutters. We have a low pitch roof that needs to be cleaned a few times of the year. These gutter guards make cleaning the roof a breeze and safer since I don't need to go near the edge to clean them.
Those gutter guard demos you see at fairs, flea markets, malls, etc are BS because they are staged and clean. Nothing is better than the real world at making a mess of stuff like this. Leaves, debris, moss, lichen, algae, branches, roof grit, seeds, the sun, and wind will all take their toll on these gutter guard products and render many of them useless. Real-life is the ultimate test and demonstration of whether these products will work in the long run. The micromesh styles are the best I've seen. At the time I purchased this, the Leafs Out brand was the best DIY micromesh gutter guard on the market.
These are the improvements I would like to see. An improved method of mounting it (like to the back of the gutter instead of under the shingles. A drip edge that comes out far enough in front of the gutter for debris to drip off without dripping down the face of the gutter. Leaf Filter brand gutter guards have both of these improvements, but it is not DIY, and they only install through their contractors, which I don't like.
Any gutter guards must be angled to dump debris over the edge of the gutter. People complain about debris accumulating ontop of the gutter guard. That happens if the gutter guard is installed flat, or angled back. The Raptor Guards are designed to go under the shingles, and so they naturally take on the roof pitch, which is great for shedding debris, but bad for allowing water to flow over. The best angle is mounting the guard below the roofline, but still angled forward to allow debris to be pushed off by the water, but not angle so much as to allow water to flow off.
â–¼ RAPTOR GUARD PROS:
Keeps gutters clean!
No gutter cleaning = safer for you and cheaper than hiring a gutter cleaning service.
Self-cleaning design reduces the build-up of debris on top. Easy to clean with a floor brush if some build-up occurs.
Absorbs impact from branches and protects the gutter. It's cheaper to replace sections of the mesh than the gutter.
Very well built from aluminum extrusions and stainless steel micromesh.
Durable and withstands sun and elements.
DIY, no expensive install
â–¼ RAPTOR GUARD CONS:
Does allow a little bit of water to drip over the edge when there are leaves and debris on the roof and gutter guards.
Areas with high flow (like water coming off a valley or out of another gutter) can overwhelm the screen and water will flow over the gutter. A diverter on the edge of the gutter may be necessary.
Debris gets pushed over the edge and ends up dripping down the face of the gutter. This makes the face of the gutter get dirty a lot faster. The product could use a wider drip edge so that debris does not run down the face of the gutter.
Dents if hit by a branch, but that may actually protect the gutter from further damage if the mesh takes the impact. It's cheaper to replace sections of the mesh than the gutter.
Time intensive to install
Designed to go under the shingles, however, this can be difficult on long runs where the gutter elevation drops a few inches down the fascia board away from the edge of the roof. I would prefer if it hooked into the back of the gutter.
WATERLOCK Micromesh Gutter Guard appears to be the DIY version of the Leaf Filter brand. They look identical, so it's likely that Leaf Filter is a reseller/installer of the WATERLOCK brand gutter guards. WATERLOCK Micromesh Gutter Guard with Drip Edge can be purchased on Amazon.
OTHER GUTTER CONCEPTS
FLIPCLEAN GUTTERS
Flipclean gutters eliminate the issues present with gutter guards, by eliminating the need for a gutter guard.
Unfortunately they have to be professionally installed. Would be cool to just buy the brackets and DIY the install. The downspout connection also needs to be customized.
The products shown here were purchased by me with the intent to use them. I did not receive any free items, and I am not being paid or compensated for this review. The video, description, and comments may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link, I may receive a commission. Money earned helps to support my channel and bring you more informative videos about engineering, crafting, and DIY.
