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There aremany different kinds of gutter protection systems available today. Thedifferent basic types of systems include ,gutter covers, gutter screens, or gutter filters. All of them are intended tolet the water drain into the rain gutter while keeping possible debris (leaves,tree flowers, seeds, seed pods, twigs, etc.) out of the gutter.
Without any protection system, debris will collect in the gutter, partially orcompletely blocking the planned flow down the downspout. If the rain gutterbecomes full of water, it will then flow over the edge, falling to the groundor running down the fascia board or the wall of the house. Various kinds ofdamage can result. To avoid these problems the homeowner needs to regularlyclean all debris out of the rain gutters, or install some kind of gutterprotection system.
Different strategies are used indifferent system designs. Some use some type of coarse screen or plate withsmall holes or slots. The water goes through the holes, the debris doesn't.Often the debris remains on the surface, dries out later, and is blown off bythe wind. Essentially, this is also the principle of the new filter device,which uses open cell foam instead of a screen. Other systems will create a flowpattern where the water goes one direction and the debris another.
If the particular device iscompletely successful, only water will enter the gutter and there will be nodebris to accumulate there. As a result, the homeowner should never have toclean out the rain gutters again. If the system is less successful, there maybe some debris that accumulates. Most of these systems greatly reduce therequirements for periodic maintenance, but do not entirely eliminate it.
The different names are notdefinitive. Covers and guards both may have holes in them, or not. It seemsmore a matter of choice by the manufacturer as to what someone thought soundedbest.
So, if you decide to install sucha system, how much will it cost? Here is a little information to get youstarted in the right direction. The two most common gutter types are K-style orhalf-round gutters. Different types of covers, screens, et cetera havedifferent features. They may be made from aluminum, steel, copper,polypropylene, a special polypropylene foam, or PVC. Go to GutterSupply.com fordescriptions of many different types and styles.
The least expensive materialavailable at GutterSupply.com is a Diamond PVC Snap-In Cover. It comes inthree-foot sections and costs $0.58 per foot. If the average house requires 120feet of rain gutter, the material threshold price for the least expensive typeof gutter cover job is around $70, not including any additional clips orhangers, if required. The next step up, cost-wise, in the cover group is morethan twice as much, at $1.77 per foot in 4-foot sections. The base materialcost for the average house has now jumped to around $215. The most expensivebasic material in this group is for a cover made of powder coated steel at$3.75 per foot. This style of cover, in copper, goes for $7 per foot.
As a group, aluminum or steel are the least expensive. Typically, they come in precut sections three or fourfeet long. They are available to fit either K-style or half-round gutters.Installation consists of laying the screen into the gutter or clipping thescreen onto the gutter. Retail prices for the material run from $0.82 per footto $1.36. Some kinds of screens are also available in copper. The cost forcopper is considerably more, up to $5.04 per foot. If the average houserequires 120 feet of rain gutter, the base material threshold price for theleast expensive type of gutter screen is around $100 to $165. Of course, thisdoes not include installation.
The group of hybrid gutter guards includes different styles and designs rangingfrom $0.89 per foot to $4.30 per foot. Materials include aluminum, copper, orpolypropylene.
A gutter filter system is the most expensive of the non-copper systems. Itconsists of a specially shaped block of polyether-polyurethane foam as thefilter material. This block completely fills the K-style or half-round gutter,providing a flat surface top. The foam blocks come in four foot lengths and arevery simple to install. The price for this system runs $5.30 to $7.70 per footdepending on the type and size of your gutters. This puts the base materialcost at $640 to $925 for our average size home.
We have a total range of material cost (not including installation) for 120feet of a gutter protection product that ranges from $70 to $925. However, mostof the products cost between $1 and $2 per foot, so the material cost for anaverage house requiring 120 feet would be $120 to $240 plus installation. Youget rid of some repetitive home maintenance work and guard your house againstvarious kinds of serious damage.
Sock Woodruff is founder and partner of GutterSupply.com, the leadingmanufacturer and distributor of gutter supplies, gutter machines, guttercovers, and related tools and equipment.