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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 [...]]]> A reader submitted the following information that seems especially helpful for those thinking about Leaf Filter.  Allen is an installer in the Northeast United States.  In his own words…

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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.

A DIY alternative to Leaf Filter

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.

I give LeafFilter 4 out of 5 stars.

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.

Courtesy of Leaf Filter

Keith writes:

(5/27/2011) – I had Leaf Filter installed a little less than [...]]]> Here are a couple of recent Home Owner reports about their experiences with Leaf Filter and their local installers.  First up is Keith who is not having a good time with his recent Leaf Filter installation:

Courtesy of Leaf Filter

Keith writes:

(5/27/2011) – I had Leaf Filter installed a little less than a year ago (for what I consider a hefty price) after the sales person sold me on it. While they were installing it I saw them cutting pieces of ordinary insect screen in addition to the micro-screen that keeps the small grit out. He explained they put it at only the corners to deal with heavy water flow. OK, fair enough though a little slippery of the sales guy who took over an hour of my time demonstrating the stuff not to mention this limitation. Upon departing the installer remarks “don’t worry if it runs over – it takes awhile for the oil from the manufacturer to wear off the micro-screen”. Hmmm… sure enough at the corners where the water flows heaviest it shoots out like waterfalls – a year later! I have 6-inch gutters. This product is simply flawed and misrepresented by sales staff. Don’t believe what they say.

More recently, Keith continues his story:

(6/9/2011) – First, I left a post a in [May] 2011 explaining my bad experience with my Leaf Filter install – deceptive sales pitch, untruths spoken by the installer, still pours over the gutters one year later as if the gutters are not even there. [Strange that] I got a call from a somewhat perturbed dealer telling me to chill out and they would contact me soon. Two weeks later I have not heard a word and am sitting on my front porch during a shower enjoying the waterfalls eroding my landscaping. Thank you Leaf Filter for wasting $2200 of my money.

As is typical, we get a lot of poor reviews of gutter protection products.  Angry people tend to write more than satisfied people.  I’m sure that we can all understand that.  It would be nice, however to get some detailed positive reviews of the various gutter protection products out there.  Anybody?

I first off would like to say thanks to everyone who has left a comment on this web site. I think that everyone needs to have a place to put [...]]]> A thoughtful gutter protection professional by the name of Jay has offered some thoughts and advice from his experience with different manufacturers. He writes:

I first off would like to say thanks to everyone who has left a comment on this web site. I think that everyone needs to have a place to put their experiences in dealing with any product. It not only helps people make an educated decision, but also gives the company a chance to make changes to better deal with complaints.

I have installed many types of gutter protection and have found good and bad with all of them. Unfortunately most of these systems are at the mercy of the crews who install them. Leaffilter is no acception to this rule. But in my experience Leaffilter is by far the best product I have ever installed and had the pleasure of servicing(extremely little service).

Every company I have ever worked for (gutter helmet, hallet, clearwater, leafguard, etc) has had so many complaints and services that they had to hire a service tech( myself) to keep up with them. I am not saying that Leaffilter doesn’t get service. But when we do,we take care of them promptly.

As for complaints dealing with a charge for service. Perhaps we as consumers need to do our homework on the laws dealing with contracts before we make blanket statements about companys taking advantage of people when charging service fee’s. I don’t know about all states laws, but where I live companys only have to service their work for 1 year before they have a right to charge a modest fee for services rendered.

Thanks very much for the comments, Jay.

We would always like to hear from professionals in the field.  Just reply to an existing post or use our Contact Us form.  Cheers!

Even if you don’t care about LeafFilter, you [...]]]> A LeafFilter gutter system owner by the name of Sue is so disappointed with her $9000 LeafFilter installation… but still surprisingly upbeat… that she made a wonderful, smart video to warn inform other people thinking about the LeafFilter system.  We will let Sue speak for herself.

Even if you don’t care about LeafFilter, you should watch this video.

NOTE: Apparently the video has been removed from YouTube for some unknown reason. If anyone has an updated link, we would appreciate hearing about it. Thanks.

I have had Leaf Filter on my home since March of ‘09 and live on a heavily wooded lot in Falls Church Va. I have lots of pines and oaks all around my property. I used to have to go up [...]]]> Reader James writes the following review of the Leaf Filter gutter protection system:

I have had Leaf Filter on my home since March of ‘09 and live on a heavily wooded lot in Falls Church Va. I have lots of pines and oaks all around my property. I used to have to go up on my roof at least 3 times a year to clean out the gutters. Since getting Leaf Filter put on my house I couldn’t be happier. All the water goes right through the screen every time, and the leaves come right off. Also, just a note, when my neighbors gutters came off during the winter, mine stayed on.

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 [...]]]> 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.

I also had the Leaf Filter installed on my house in the winter of 2009.  I live on 5 acres of pine trees.  So I thought this would take care of the pine [...]]]> Reader, Mary Beth recounts her personal experience with Leaf Filter and her local installer.  She isn’t very happy with the result.

I also had the Leaf Filter installed on my house in the winter of 2009.  I live on 5 acres of pine trees.  So I thought this would take care of the pine needles.  IT DID NOT!.  The pine needles do not blow away because it is too cold and wet all winter.  I live in the Olympia, Washington area.

I called the company because the system did not work on my house.  So they sent out someone to look at them.  The day he arrived, we had a cold spell and everything was frozen.  So he took pictures.  He said he would talk to his boss.  I told him I wanted them taken off and I wanted a refund because they did not work.  Never heard from them.

So I called them again.  They told me that they only guarantee that the gutters will not clog.  They do not clog, now they do not work at all.  Now all the water just runs over them.  So now I have to have them taken off so my gutters will work again.  I am now trying to figure out what to use that might work better.

This “no clog” guarantee is quite common with all of the various gutter guard technologies.  It’s a guarantee that they can easily make and keep.  The problem for home-owners is that the guarantee is almost completely useless!  A gutter can be completely clog-free and still not work.  A gutter is not working if the rain water is cascading over the top.

When they make a “no clog” guarantee, they only mean the INTERIOR of the gutters.  If the filter, screen, curve, or whatever is on top of the gutter clogs up and causes the gutter to utterly fail… this doesn’t count.

On my own gutters, I installed this product years ago and it works extremely well.  I can’t remember the last time I had to climb a ladder and clean out my gutters.  And it can be installed for pennies on the dollar compared to any professional gutter system.

Cheap and Effective

The main problem I have found for using ANY cover with your standard open tray gutter is that this type of gutter installation has [...]]]> Joe chimes in with another Reader Report, this time we get a little expert advice and then an endorsement of the GutterMaxx Leaf Protection System.  Here is Joe’s lengthy report:

The main problem I have found for using ANY cover with your standard open tray gutter is that this type of gutter installation has major flaws.

First of all, it is never installed with a drip edge on your fascia board (thats even if you have a fascia board at all, if not, your troubles are compounded… will touch on later) A drip edge is designed to keep water off of your roof line wood surfaces (fascia board, rafter tails, roof decking) otherwise they will begin to rot, eventually causing you to spend thousands of dollars on a roof line repair.  The reason a drip edge is never used with a standard open tray gutter is that the spike or screw has to penetrate it in order to mount the gutter to the home, thus rendering it useless.

Roof Line Gutter Damage

(Image above courtesy of Gutters911.com)

Often, we see a gutter mounted directly to the rafter tails with no fascia at all!  With this type of scenario, the only surface to attach the gutter to is the end of the rafter tails.  In summary, the standard open tray gutter installed on 99.9% of all homes is the cheapest system a builder can put up on a home to get it sold.

Drive around any neighborhood and soon you will see this type of gutter pitching, leaning, falling off etc.  So explain this to me.  If an open tray is eventually going to cause damage to my home and quite possibly fall off, what good is putting a cover on it?  Now you get it!

From what I have seen with many no clog gutter systems out there, is that ONLY GutterMaxx stands tall.  It is installed with fascia, with a drip edge, the gutter tucks up under the drip edge and the nickel plated screws that mount the system to the home are below the drip edge as not to penetrate it.  The hoods have two ways for the water to enter the system, which causes a flushing effect keeping debris in the stream.  And since the internal brackets are elevated, once it enters the stream it is a clear shot out to the downspout.

GutterMaxx in Action

This system is also the only system designed under the premise that stuff will get in!  That’s why it works so well… it was designed to handle debris and not try to keep it all out!  Listen to LeafGuards ads and you will hear something like this, “Keeps ALL debris out that can clog your gutters”.  Really, ALL?  In other words our system can stop nature, think again.

If you look into the history of no-clog systems you soon discover that LeafGuard was the first attempt at extruding a gutter on-site with a hood on it.  It was designed and patented by K-guard approximately 16 years ago.  They franchised it and low and behold LeafGuard was born.  K-guard gave the franchise owners a 2-year no-clog warranty.  Later, the franchises extended that to lifetime to build a book of business.

After putting the system up for about 5 years they discovered that the system had some major flaws.

1. It was too small, it actually will fit inside a standard 41/2″ open tray gutter.  So installing it with a thick roofing material became difficult.
2. The design would not allow the use of a drip edge, and we have already seen what that causes.  When this was discovered they started to put caulking on the back of the gutter when they installed it.  (A short term solution at best)
3. It clogged!  what a no clog system that clogs, heaven forbid, remember the nature issue!  When they went out to unclog it because of the Lifetime warranty the discovered another problem.
4. It was very difficult to access because of the one piece design.  Once installed it was like a soda can!  And finally,
5. Damage issues, if the hood was damaged the owner was forced to buy a whole new run of gutter!  Yep, a one inch dent could cause the owner to purchase a new 40′, 50′ 60′ etc piece.

Imagine getting a ding on your car door, you take it in to get fixed and the repair place gives you a quote that makes you pass out.  Then you learn that to fix the door ding you have to purchase a new hood, the other doors, all the quarter panels, the trunk, everything because its all connected.  One piece is great on paper and in theory but in reality – not smart.

So after discovering and dealing with all these design set backs, they went back to K-guard and asked them to design a system to replace the first attempt.  They did!  the GutterMaxx system was born.  Now, it was not called that when it was presented to the LeafGuard franchise owners obviously because it was going to be their new product.  K-guard looked at the problems and solved them all because, like I stated earlier, they figured out that you cannot stop nature but you can control it to an extent.

K-Guard in Action - so this is identical to GutterMaxx?

No, the system is not perfect, but what it does along with its crown molding type majestic appearance backed up with Lifetime warranties from K-guard, it is without doubt the best system available to date.  Oh! why isn’t it Leafguard?  Well, when they found out that they would have to re-tool at a cost of $65,000 per truck per franchise owner plus re-do all their advertising from a one-piece system to a two-piece system, they turned it down.  K-guard decided to market it themselves through dealers across the country.  Smart choice.

When it comes to price, well guess what, with gutters and so called leaf-free hoods etc, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

Wow!  There’s some interesting history there.  We can now begin to see how these product are all connected.

We’ve got downspouts that are permanently connected to underground pipes, so if GutterMaxx really is designed to allow some debris into the system, it may not work for us.  We need a system that will not allow leaves or large fragments into the downspouts.

Hello everyone.  I had Leaf Filter installed on my gutters.  My experience was completely horrible with Leaf Filter and I had to [...]]]> We are back with another Reader Report – this time it’s Joe talking about his experiences with the Leaf Filter gutter system.  Things didn’t go too well for Joe.  Read his report:

Hello everyone.  I had Leaf Filter installed on my gutters.  My experience was completely horrible with Leaf Filter and I had to work with my local BBB to get the Leaf Filter manufacturer to compensate me for having their product uninstalled from my gutters.

Leaf Filter in Action

They would not give me a full reimbursement for their product, but I was able to get about 1/3 of what I paid.  Every time I see the Leaf Filter being demoed at the home shows by a
certified installer, I approach them and tell them what a disappointing product it was for me.  I have a metal roof and I live in the northwest.  We get a lot of rain here and it is constantly moist.  The mesh filter kept getting clogged with mildew and moss.  I tried
to bleach the filter and scrub out the mesh – but I found out from other disappointed Leaf Filter owners that you have to also scrub out the underside of the mesh too.  Which means, you have to uninstall the mesh entirely to clean it because it gets clogged from the outside in and the inside out.

In addition, leaves would pile up on the gutter.  Because of all of this, water would run right across Leaf Filter and never get into my gutters to being with.  Not a good situation for me – especially because my house has a basement.

The Leaf Filter manufacturer told me that their product should NOT be installed on a house with a metal roof because the filter cannot keep up with the velocity of the water (I have a 6/12 roof pitch, which is not extreme).  The installer told me that they never knew about this.  The installer also told me that they have had so many complaints about Leaf Filter that they will no longer install it and have chosen not to be the regional Leaf Filter installer.

Maybe Leaf Filter is just not for folks that live in wet climates – so I guess your mileage may vary if you live in a drier climate, don’t have a metal roof, and have a roof pitch that is less aggressive than mine (6/12 is the standard where I live).

I would much, much rather clean my gutters twice a year rather than spend the extra money on gutter protection systems.  I will never buy another gutter protection system… and when I get too old to clean out my gutters, then I will pay someone else to do it for me.

Is this just one person’s bad experience?  If you use Leaf Filter, please let us know what you think.  Leave a comment.