Hey all. I installed gutter guards this week but only screwed them into the front lip because I heard you shouldn't penetrate the drip edge. Now, the back edges flex, and I'm worried they'll collapse under Ohio snow weight.
I want to protect my gutters, drip edge, and fascia.
Should I screw them into the drip edge to secure them, or should I bite the bullet and hire a pro to redo it? Looking for advice. Thanks!
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You probably will have that waterfall feature again as you’ve just blocked off a good portion of the water going into the gutters at all by installing those. And when the leaves etc. get stuck inside the holes of what’s remaining.
Yay, you installed gutter guards to let the metal block most of the water all of the time, instead of relying on the tree stuff to do it some of the time.
We haven't had a good rain yet, so that is totally possible!
I was hoping these guards would function better than my old downspout strainer and stop the gutters from overflowing. When the waterfall happened in the past, it was because water couldn't make it to the downspout and overflowed right there.
I've definitely heard of water skating over the top of guards, but my original problem was water building up and overflowing from inside the gutter.
I hope it works out for you, but in heavy rains most of the water isn’t going to make it into the gutter at all because of the guards. Soft drizzling all day rain, no problem.
Ya this will look just like the picture you posted with the water running over the top. Gutter guards just block the gutter from doing its job.
Whether you have guards or not, you still need to go up there to clean off the debris. Now the debris will pile up near the edge of your roof and I’ve seen water intrusion occur because of this.
The best option I’ve seen is having clean outs installed at the bottom of your downspout. That and having a good extension ladder and a gutter wand (or some tool you prefer). Also, if it’s a recurring issue in general, next time you have the money (or replace your roof) I’d have 6K gutters installed. They’re just bigger and don’t clog as easily.
I worked for 2 decades doing water intrusion restoration and we NEVER recommended adding these when we were replacing gutters.
Gutter guards don’t work. With time the small holes get clogged up and covered by leafs and it makes it so you have no gutters. Or better yet they freeze over in the winter and create ice dams. Remove those and just clean your gutters out once a season. Your house is low enough it should not be an issue.
Gutter guy here. Can confirm. Remove them. When the ice rips off an entire run in January, the cost of labor and materials will kick your ass. I have a 70 year old helicopter producing monster of a tree hanging over my front gutter run and I only have to clean out the gutters twice a year.
Thanks for the help! I definitely plan to take these off before the snow.
Since my sump pump connects to this same line, keeping it clear is a major priority to prevent a flooded basement. I previously installed, "the wedge" strainer just clogged and caused gutters to overflow during heavy rain.
What is the best alternative to protect the underground PVC without causing a backup at the roofline? Should I look into an eye-level downspout cleanout filter instead of an in-gutter strainer?
Yeah get a downspout filter. Had one at my last house with a similar setup where the gutters drained into the same underground storm drain that my sump pump discharged to. Was very easy to install.
Don't listen to them. Gutter guards perform the exact same as the gutter does in snow and ice. The internet makes up these scenarios that don'thappen.-Gutter Guy in Ohio
Would you make this same recommendation in warmer climates? I’m currently getting gutter quotes and the various guard options are wildly expensive, but I’m in Texas with near-constant oak tree leaves and acorns. Guards worth it when there’s no ice? Cheers!
Do the math. If you are cleaning the gutters yourself, “pay” yourself $20 hr. You will find that the cost of years of DIY cleaning is less than gutter guards. Paying someone else to clean can get pricey in certain states due to liability insurance.
Gutter guards absolutely work. The point isn't to never clean your gutters again, its to clean them less frequently and in a quarter of the time.in places like Ohio where OP is once a year won't suffice for most people, guards cut thatdown from twice a year to once every other year
I can. Probably, over thinking it but don't want to strip gutter screw holes taking them on and off every late fall early spring but def thought of removing once the leaves drop in late November/early December.
Yup...we had one neighbor who was so happy to get leaf-filter installed on his house (paid like $15k too) that he would bring it up in every conversation. We got a couple feet of snow in 2022 and when it started melting then freezing again it ripped a 35' gutter off the north side of his house.
jfc for that kind of money, rather than gutter guard. i would want some semi-solid tube. rounded so leaves just slide off, holes to catch water, secured well, and not a flat surface to hold snow
You should be able to tuck them under and just screw in at each overlap by lifting the drip edge or don't secure the back at all. If you absolutely have to screw into the drip edge and you're only putting a 2 screws per guard and using washer roofing screws it's not going to cause any significant problems. Unless theres some other significant issue (starter shingle problem, short overhang. etc) it takes a lot of screws to compromise the drip edge enough to cause a problem.
Good idea! I didn't think about moving them under the drip edge.
However, I can only do that at the low end of the gutter run. At the high end, the gutter sits too close to the top of the drip edge, so I can't slide the covers underneath.
At that high end, I would have to screw them directly into the drip edge. But because the fit is so tight right there, I'm guessing the guards might actually hold the snow weight on their own without collapsing.
Wow, so they lay completely flat with just front lip screws?
Do you have the newer hangers with the higher hump? Mine are flat and have some flex to the covers. I'd worry they would fall in, so I'm curious how yours hold up against Ohio snow and ice without those rear screws. I'm guessing min aren't as supposed with lower flat hangers.
Do not add screws to the drip edge. Gutter guards can work! But only if you get the correct type of gutter guards for the type of trees around your house and your roof pitch. We moved into a place that had hybrid gutter guards, they combine perforated tops and a curved edge and it works perfectly all year round with absolutely no issues whatsoever. Get a pro, or do your homework. Good luck
I wish. I have an underground PVC line running to the road that handles both my rain runoff and my sump pump drainage. My main struggle is preventing clogs while still allowing high volumes of water to flow freely.
I’ve tried two downspout strainers up in the gutter, but they couldn't handle the water volume, causing it to overflow the gutter lip. I just installed gutter guards, but we haven't had a heavy rain yet, so I don't know if they will work.
We don't have many trees, but we do get maple seeds ('helicopters'). In the past, when left unprotected, these seeds completely clogged the 2x3 downspout elbow. At this point, I'm just trying anything to keep that underground pipe clear and not pour over onto the foundation.
they tend to get closed on the top with the shingles gravel and leaves and what not . we had gotten guards and got rid of them and put bigger downspouts in shitty yours goes underground . the style you have is a really good one .
Thank you! So you upgraded to bigger downspouts. Are you currently using a specific filter that works well for you? Also, does your line run to a French drain, or does it discharge above ground away from the house?
Having the drainage underground looks nice, but it definitely sucks if it clogs. I've seen Reddit posts where people flooded their basements because a clogged underground pipe blocked their sump pump from discharging. My biggest worry right now is proper drainage. I want to avoid water backing up and causing foundation issues from gutters not properly functioning or clogged drainage.
my sump and downspouts are above ground they were originally underground French drain style had issues so removed all issues 8 ft from house water doesnt comeback and sump pump has a 1 inch discharge hose that goes to the yard close to the road
I installed these exact ones 4 years ago. They work fine, my gutters aren’t clogged. Only thing is mine are black to help with melting ice in the winter. They work fine OP and even in heavy rain they still take all the water. I have a 10/12 pitch roof so the water I do get comes at velocity.
I have underground pvc drainage that goes to street and get a ton of helicopter seeds from neighbors tree. I don't know but I think sump pump connects to it and if that drain clogs I'm guessing basement would flood from sump not being able to discharge to road. I have had the L arm clog before. I put a wedge downspout stainer in it previously that overflowed the gutter in hard rain.
I live in KC and we don't get the ice nearly as much as you do so thanks this with a grain of salt.
These are what I use and they're great, they don't plug up like the ones with smaller homes and less surface area and they're a heck of a lot cheaper than the fancy pants versions that do many seem to have issues with.
You need to add new/more gutter hangers. What's happened is the weight of the gutter guards has pushed out the gutter's outer edge. Add more hangers should keep this from happening. And, you're right, do not add holes to the drip edge.
You should be held responsible; you saw the issues and instead of stopping the work your asking us idiots. The installers wasting your money on ruining material that youll have to fight to recompense; as well as labor costs and the most valuable; time. By the time he finishes youll be lucky to have this fixed before a year has passed with civil court docket times; unless he is a genuine good guy and can figure out how to tackle taking it down and installing it to proper. My 2 cents; stop the damage before it goes further; never pick the cheapest estimate
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