Choosing Gutter Shields

Gutter shields are increasingly becoming all the rage among homeowners as the home maintenance accessory of choice. Part of this is due to a wild misconception that many people have about these shields. This misconception is that once you have installed one you will never have to clean your gutters again. While it is true that you can have certain types of gutter shields that will provide a dramatic decrease in gutter maintenance, there is still a need to perform periodic maintenance.

Choosing among the different possible gutter shields can be a tad confusing. After all, one shield can often look like another, particularly when you keep in mind what the main purpose is. Use these guidelines to help you choose a shield for your gutters, or whether you even need one at all.

• Purpose. Keep in mind that the main purpose of any shield is to reduce or limit the amount of debris that falls into your gutter. While there are many different ways that this can happen, none of the currently available models will be able to keep everything out of your gutters. What this means is that you will still have to conduct periodic maintenance or repairs on your gutters. If you come across any brands that make the flat claim that you will never have to clean your gutters again, you should view that product with extreme skepticism.
• Materials. Just like anything, there are several different possible materials that you can have your shield made from. Typically the most common type are going to be made from plastic, rubber, or even metallic wire. Before choosing a particular type, make sure that you will be comfortable with what the material is made from, and that it will not clash with your home.
• Styles. What type of style do you want to use for your shield? Believe it or not, many styles will not work with all kinds of gutters. Some are simply nothing more than a simple net stretched over the gutter; while others are a firm covering that is fairly inflexible.
• Ease of use. Keep in mind that you will need to be working with this gutter shield for the foreseeable future. Each type of gutter shield is going to require different skill levels to not only initially install, but to also pull back. Unless you are going to hire someone to initially install it for you, and once again each time you need to clean your gutters, you should pick one that you will be comfortable working with.