If you have trees in the yard or close proximity to your home the answer is yes. If your home as no trees then it is very unlikely you will ever have enough leaves blown in to clog the gutter systems.
If you gutter downspouts empty into an underground drain system you need leaf protection. Because sooner or later the underground drain system will become clogged. This could lead to water backing up into a basement or crawl space. This is just as big an issue if the house sits on a slab foundation. The water can enter into your home under the walls or undermine the slab and cause a structural failure.
The other question is will Gutter Screens really work. The answer isn’t all that simply but, yes they work. It doesn’t mean every few years it wouldn’t hurt to check them any way just to be safe. Checking them every few years is a lot less expensive then cleaning them ever year. Or worst yet you skip a few years because you don’t notice the leaves over flowing the edge of your gutters. It only takes a year of build up before the seeds that dropped in the gutters along with the leaves start to grow. The leaves start to rot combine a little blown in dust and dirt and you have a great medium to start your own gutter forest.
Combine that weight with the weight of the winters ice and snow and off the gutter comes from the fascia board. Even if you live in an area were ice and snow isn’t a concern the clog gutters will hold water. Even the added weight of the water will eventually start to pull the gutters lose from the fascia boards.
Have gutter screens and they don’t seem to be working? The reason is most likely that isn’t one style fits all solution. If your issues are leaves almost any style will work. There are some that are better than others. Even the weight of the leaves and few fallen branches can cause the simplest of screen to collapse and eventually let in the leaves leading to a clogged gutter. Consider a screen with reinforced from and back edges is a good budget minded solution. If you are surrounded with pine trees then you will need more than a simple screen. You’ll need a leaf guard that covers the gutter and lets the water in as the water washes the needles over the edge of the leaf guard.
Once you figure out which is the best for your situation comes the trick of figuring out when is the best time to clean the gutters. After all the leaves a have fallen sounds good but wait no it has snowed or rained and now then there is a brick of ice and leaves. If you’re installing any kind of screening there is no need to wait until all the leaves fall or even start to fall. Do it before the fall and you won’t need to clean the gutters. This is a cost savings when hiring a professional to install the gutter protection.
While gutter protection will cost more than cleaning, cleaning gutters ever year can add up. Skip a few years and the cleaning cost more, even more the gutter fall off or water backs up into the house. Now you’re talking major repairs.
Don’t own ladder tall enough. Don’t like heights? Not sure which gutter protection you need?
Call Quality Building & Remodeling we are glad to help you figure out the best solution. 800-404-3995
Quality Building & Remodeling 