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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.

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!

Here’s the skinny kiddo’s.  The reverse curve system DOES NOT WORK!  I’ve been a gutter installer for six years now, the last three have been working with leaf protection systems, in particular, K-Guard and [...]]]> Professional gutter installer Rusty Shackleford offers some comments and advice for gutter guards in general.  Some interesting thoughts here:

Here’s the skinny kiddo’s.  The reverse curve system DOES NOT WORK!  I’ve been a gutter installer for six years now, the last three have been working with leaf protection systems, in particular, K-Guard and Leaf Slugger.

Since November of 2006 I have subcontracted all of the warranty/service work for a couple of the big leaf protection devils… er, dealers…yeah, dealers.  In less than a year, I have been to over 600 houses to service protected gutter systems… mostly K-Guard but also topper systems that install on existing ogee style gutters.  They all clog!

Yes Joe, K-Guard does let in debris, but it does not flush them out!  Have you ever taken the time to watch a gutter drain?  There is nowhere near enough velocity in the water to flush the gutter.  There is not enough room on a facia board to pitch a gutter enough to push debris out, most of it settles on the bottom of the gutter around the downspout outlet, starting the clogging process.

Most of the companies that sell these products are a bunch of crooks!  They are companies owned and operated by SALESMAN, NOT TRADESMEN!  They sell their systems for upwards of $40+ a foot!  They justify it with a bogus lifetime warranty. All they are doing is selling a lifetime cleanout contract.  Yeah, they will clean your gutters… when they feel like it!

Oh Yeah, reverse curve systems overshoot in a moderate heavy rain and do not work well on metal roofs or steep roofs.  I have tested several systems out there and there is only one style that works… stainless steel micro-mesh systems.  There are only four companies that I know of that produce these systems… they are Leaf Solution, Leaf Filter, Gutter Glove and Mastershield.

Leaf Solution, in my opinion has the smartest design.  The one thing that these companies have in common is that they will all refund your money if your gutters ever clog.  If these systems are installed properly, they will not clog.  You can pile leaves and debris on top of them and they still take in all of the water.  Take it from me, I have seen it all and tested it all, my mind really is in the gutter… week in and week out.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately attempting to find the best solution for keeping leaves and plant material out of our gutters. We currently have *no* gutters on the house due to the renovation. I don’t simply [...]]]> [originally posted a few years ago, but let's use it to kick off The Gutter Club]

I’ve spent a lot of time lately attempting to find the best solution for keeping leaves and plant material out of our gutters. We currently have *no* gutters on the house due to the renovation. I don’t simply want to install open gutters and leave it at that, because the house is so tall now that I have no way to reach the gutters for cleaning.

So I’ve been investigating solutions. There are TONS of them. Everyone seems to either love or hate any one particular solution. And most people agree that none of them work perfectly… and some don’t work at all. Here are a few that I have looked at.

Leaf Guard
Gutter Maxx
Leaf Filter
Gutter Filter
Gutter Stuff
Gutter Brush
Alcoa Leaf Relief
DIY options

We had Gutter Maxx come out and give us an estimate. GutterMaxx is like the next generation of LeafGuard. It looks like a quality product, but the price is ridiculous. For the ~100 feet of gutters (with all the pipes, downspouts, etc.) and the GutterMaxx topper, they wanted $4500. We talked them down to $3600, but that is still way more than our original open-gutter-only complete quote of $1200.

Today I had the local representative for Alcoa Leaf Relief come out to give an estimate. I wasn’t please by his unprofessional appearance and the fact that he seemed to work out of a station wagon packed with work stuff. I think that the Alcoa product is exactly what we need, but I’m wary about working with this particular guy.

No estimate back yet, but he indicated that Leaf Relief “isn’t the cheapest solution on the market.” Great. According to many other sources, this product *should* cost about $5-7 per linear foot, bringing us to $700 for installation on top of $1200 for the gutters themselves… for a total of $1900. Let’s see what he comes back with. I predict that it will be in the $3000 range. If so, I will laugh in his face.

Oh, and I did some research regarding the Alcoa 10-year No-Clog guarantee. It’s basically useless because it only kicks in if the INTERIOR of the gutters clog. If you’ve seen the product, it will be obvious that this isn’t its weak point. I have no doubt that the interiors will stay clear. The potential failure point of Leaf Relief is debris piling up on top of the perforation such that water runs off the top of the gutters. Sure they aren’t clogged, but they aren’t working either! There is NO guarantee that this won’t happen.

=== UPDATE ===

1.5 years after posting my thoughts on gutter leaf protection I went to Home Depot and paid $50 for a stack of Do-it-Yourself gutter guards. I installed them in about 1 hour and here it is, a month later, and they are working absolutely fine.

The bottom line is that the gutter protection “industry” is not worth your time and money. Just do it yourself.

=== UPDATE 2 ===

I’ve now had my Home Depot DIY plastic gutter filters installed for about 8 months and they are working flawlessly! Seriously. The leaves and debris just blow off my roof and filters. I’ve lifted the filters off of the gutters and looked inside. Totally clean with the smallest amount of grit that doesn’t even require a thought.

Why oh why didn’t I install these things from day one?