March 12, 2010 3:33pm by Team | 
A while back, a reader named Joe posted a review of LeafFilter. He wasn’t having the greatest experience. He came away quite dissatisfied with the product.
Jimmy, a self-identified LeafFilter installer (http://mynewgutters.com) offers the following rebuttal to Joe’s review:
I am a LeafFilter dealer/installer. LeafFilter works perfectly with a metal roof. It is the best gutter guard on the market for a metal roof application. The main reason is that it mounts just to the gutter. It does not need to be mounted to the roof under the shingles like most gutter guards. The LeafFilter gutter guard is the only micro-filtration gutter guard that does not mount under the roof shingles.
I install it all the time on gutters that handle water from a metal roof. It sounds like whoever installed the system [on your home] has a lack of experience. One of two things can be done if you are having a problem with water over-shooting the gutter guard from a metal roof… or any roof. If one of the steps below are taken, it will fix the problem.
First, you could install the service screen/valley screen which is a more porous filter that will handle the extra water flow. 90% of the time, this will fix the problem. Second, if the problem persists, what will need to be done is you will need to have a six inch gutter installed, in turn you will have more of a filter surface to handle the extra water flow. If you have any questions on this give me a call at 877 573 2653.
If LeafFilter is properly installed, and the right steps are taken when a problem arises, it can be eradicated 100% of the time. I believe LeafFilter is they best gutter guard on the market with over 700,000 ft installed personally from our company. We never had a call back we could not fix and we never had a single clogged gutter!
While we admire Jimmy’s desire to back up his product, we at TheGutterClub have a known stance on “clogged gutters”. This is never the issue. The gutters don’t have to clog to be completely useless. Over-shooting water is the main concern with gutter failure, and nobody ever wants to guarantee that this won’t happen.
But anyway, thanks Jimmy for your rebuttal. Please let us know if you would like to share any of your other experiences in the field.
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I would like to share with others what I have learned about LeaFilter since becoming a dealer in 2006. Note; I am not going to claim to have installed an unrealistic amount of the product like others. But, rest assured it is a fact that I have installed thousands of feet of the product on customer homes in the Northeast. When I discuss this product with my customers, I always attempt to point out both pros and cons that I have learned. I want them to make an educated decision before moving ahead with an installation. We do NOT pressure our customers.
So that being said, here are the facts. Once the LeafFilter has been installed and the stainless steel (Zela) screening becomes wet, it will catch the majority (99%) of the rain water. If you have valley areas on your home (where two roof fields join together making an inward angle) you will need to have the valley screen (different from the normal Zela screening) installed. The valley screen is able to handle more water flow which occurs in valley areas. If the installer does not use valley screen, then it is very likely you will experience water overflow. In some cases we have had to install diverters even when using the valley screen. So this is dependent on the size of the valley and roof pitch. I would NOT recommend LeafFilter for pitched metal roofs. Reason; the runoff is too fast for the screening to absorb water and I know this to be a fact.
When installed properly, LeafFilter will keep debris from collecting in the gutter. However, debris is likely to collect on top of the LeafFilter. This is what the product was designed to do. This is NOT a maintenance free product like some claim. Because LeaFilter sits directly on top of the gutter, at times it may act as a shelf for the debris. The higher the roof pitch, the more accumulation. LeafFilter was designed with a pitch so debris will in most cases eventually run off, but it may take time and several heavy rains to do so. You may need to spray or brush debris off in some areas. If it bothers you and you don’t want to wait for the debris to shed naturally, then you will need to clean it off. I have also had situations where mold and moss have grown on customer roofs and then onto the LeafFilter. The stainless steel screening will clog when this occurs. This is more likely to occur on areas that get no sun. I have had to clean the LeafFilter off with either a house cleaner such as Zep, Jomax or products similar to Clorox Cleaner with bleach. Usually we just have to spray, wait ten minutes, rinse off and the mold is gone. I always suggest having your home washed at least once a year and when doing so, wash off the LeaFilter and this will help deter dirt and mold growth. Another issue I have ran into in the past. The stainless steel screening has a natural bend to it. The installer needs to insert the screen into the PVC base with the bend down. If not, then some rain water will likely roll over the screening. I learned this the hard way. When the screening is adhered to the PVC base, the installer must use GeoCel 2320 as specified by the manufacturer. This is one of the best construction adhesives on the market and does an excellent job at locking the screening into place. I have seen pictures online of screening coming away from the PVC base. All I can say is the installer must have used an inferior adhesive or not enough. In six years, we have had no issues in regards to the screening coming away from the base because we always use Geocel and a lot of it. What else? When the installer screws the PVC base onto the front lip of the gutter, he must make sure not to attach the base too tightly. Being PVC, the material naturally expands and contracts depending on the season. The PVC base will appear to be wavy if not installed properly. There are reasons why this product should NOT be sold to do it yourselfers. The installer needs to know what he’s doing for a successful outcome. I have been installing gutters for 27 years. I can tell you there is no perfect gutter protection product on the market. I give LeafFilter 4 out of 5 stars. The PVC base will not last as long as aluminum because of stresses put on it by both cold and hot weather. Do not install this product in real cold weather. Reason; it will crack when being cut. Well I hope you find this information helpful and good luck.