Did you know that failure to clean your gutters can lead to mold, pests, and roof damage? While gutters need cleaning only twice a year, not everyone has the tools to access their gutters.
Depending on the slope of your roof, gutter cleaning can be dangerous, requiring the help of a professional. This expense quickly adds up, depending on how many trees you have and how long it takes to remove debris from your gutters.
To save time and energy, homeowners are installing gutter guards. But are gutter guards worth it? This article takes a look at the benefits of these gutter add-ons, so be sure to keep reading.
Pros of Gutter Guards
There are tons of benefits of gutter guards. First, they help prevent mice and insect infestations. Since gutter guards reduce stagnant water in your gutters, your home is less attractive to birds, mice, bats, squirrels, mosquitoes, and spiders that might breed in your gutters.
They also provide a physical barrier so possums, birds, and other rodents from getting behind your home’s facia boards and entering your home.
Gutter guards also reduce the need to clean your gutters. While you need to remove debris from them, it’s not nearly as much work as cleaning gutters without these guards.
Another great benefit of the best gutter guards is they help protect against winter ice damns. When water accumulates and freezes in your gutters, ice damns form as they attach to debris. Since gutter guards keep debris out, they can reduce the incidence of gutter guards.
Gutter guards can also add a layer of fire protection if you live near areas prone to brush and bushfires. Gutter guards work to keep embers from contacting the dry leaves and debris in your gutters.
Certain gutter guards can protect your home by serving s a barrier between debris and lighted embers.
Cons of Gutter Guards
Although gutter guards are a great addition to any home, they have several drawbacks.
For starters, they don’t prevent small items from falling in your gutters, such as pine needles and seeds. They’re also not 100% maintenance-free, although the level of maintenance will be significantly less.
Gutter guards can become less effective if they dent, so be sure not to lead a ladder against your gutters when you do clean them or hang up seasonal lights.
If you fail to clean your gutter guards, they may sag as debris accumulates.
Overall, gutter guards are a great investment. You can even have a trusted roofing company install them!
Are Gutter Guards Worth It?
So, are gutter guards worth it? Yes! While there are pros and cons of gutter guards, the benefits outweigh everything else.
Gutter guards can save you time and money on gutter cleaning services and may keep pests out of your home.
If you enjoyed reading about the benefits of gutter guards, then be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more great content!