Gutter guards are a handy add-on item for homeowners who are sick of dealing with clogged gutters and gutter cleaning. As you search for gutter guards to install, your main choices will be stainless steel micro mesh gutter guards and solid surface gutter guards.
It’s important to understand the difference between these two types of gutter guards so you can make the right choice for your property and your specific goals. Here’s a quick overview of what you should know about each of them.
Micro mesh gutter guards
Micro mesh gutter guards feature a perforated metal surface that rests on the top of the gutter. These tiny perforations are small enough to keep out debris as small as a grain of sand while still allowing water from rainstorms to enter into the gutter.
These micro mesh gutter guards keep all but the smallest debris particles out of the gutters while allowing the gutters to perform their necessary function. Those particles of dirt and debris that do not pass through the micro mesh gutter guard get washed away by the rain. You can find micro mesh gutter guards that do not need to be installed under your shingles, which makes installation quick and easy and allows you to preserve your roof warranties.
Solid surface gutter guards
Solid surface gutter guards are perhaps the more broadly used type of gutter guard, not necessarily because they’re better, but because micro mesh has only recently started to become popular among homeowners.
In this type of gutter guard system, a curved, solid piece of metal sits over the surface of the gutter, curving back into the gutter along the front. When it rains, the tension of the rainwater curves around the gutter guard edge and into the gutter, while leaves and other types of debris are protected from entering the gutters by the top of the gutter guard.
These gutter guards are certainly effective, but there are some problems associated with them. There is not a true barrier for leaves or debris, which means there may be some types of debris that still get into the gutters, causing potential clogs over extended periods. The need for surface tension can also be problematic, as can the fact that these types of gutter guards are not always the most effective at funneling water.
If water hits the top of the gutter guard too fast, this could potentially overwhelm the opening in the gutter guard that lets the water in, resulting in the gutters being inefficient at best and ineffective at worst. These gutter guards are also known for forming very large icicles, which could be dangerous to passersby or potentially damage the gutters because of their heavy nature.
For these reasons, it is clear why more roof and gutter experts are recommending the use of stainless steel micro mesh gutters. For more information about the options you have and the factors you should consider before making a purchase, contact our team at Nor-Cal Maintenance, Inc. with any questions you have.