When installing eavestroughs, it is strongly recommended that you have gutter protection installed as well. Similarly, if your rain gutters are still in good condition, it is also possible to have a leaf guard installed to protect them. Gutter guards offer many benefits if the choice is made based on the needs of the residence.
Although most houses are equipped with a rain gutter system, they do not all have gutter protection. However, these leaf guards have many attributes, from preventing costly damage to the home to reducing the necessary maintenance. Here are the main benefits associated with the installation of a gutter protection system:
As it prevents leaves and debris from accumulating in the eavestrough, gutter protection makes it possible to reduce to a minimum maintenance on rain gutters. Instead of leaving the eavestrough open for debris to fall into it, making it necessary to clean it out a few times per season, the leaf guard almost completely eliminates the need to clean the rain gutter system.
A leaf guard makes it possible to prevent the eavestroughs from getting clogged. Thus, water drains freely instead of rising up to the fascia and making it rot. As the fascia rots, the spikes and hangers come loose, which makes the rain gutter less sturdy. Furthermore, if the water cannot flow efficiently in the rain gutter, it will tend to rise up toward the roof, which can cause major water infiltration problems. Gutter protection therefore offers the advantage of preventing this type of situation, which can be very expensive to repair.
When rain gutters get clogged, another problem that can arise is frequent overflowing. In such cases, the water falls near home foundations, often damaging flower beds. Water seeping into the foundations is a serious problem that can be prevented with gutter protection. This will in turn eliminate clogs and prevent water from overflowing.
Gutter protection closes off the eavestrough and thus keeps snow and ice from getting in. The rain gutter is hence protected against the freeze-thaw effect, which could warp it. Furthermore, since the rain gutter is free of snow, water can drain freely when snow melts. The service life of the eavestrough is therefore increased thanks to the gutter protection system installed!
Stagnant water that has accumulated in clogged rain gutters is the best place for insects to lay their eggs. Installing a product to cover the rain gutters prevents debris from accumulating in the eavestroughs and therefore water from collecting there. Consequently, gutter protection reduces the proliferation of insects in the rain gutter system. This is a clear advantage as certain insects can carry the West Nile virus.
Furthermore, when the rain gutter is closed with a leaf guard, vermin such as birds and squirrels can no longer get into them.
Since each type of gutter protection system has its own particularities to adapt to each situation, it is important to select the appropriate model if you wish to meet the needs of your home and make sure that it can withstand environmental stresses.
The main objective of gutter protection is to keep debris out of the rain gutter. Thus, it is important to choose a product with perforations that suit the debris size near your home. Thus, gutter protection with large perforations is well suited for a home where there are large leaves, while small debris such as conifer needles, maple seeds and small leaves will be best kept out with micro-mesh, for example. However, it is important to find the best compromise in terms of size: the smaller the perforations, the slower water will be drained.
Steep-pitch roofs and zones with heavy rainfall require gutter protection that allows water to drain efficiently. It is therefore important in these situations to choose a product that offers a good balance between protection against debris and efficient drainage of rainwater. Leaf guard models with a roll-back edge or an inverted slope also make it possible to prevent overflowing.
The weight of snow and ice on gutter protection is considerable. Aluminum products are sturdier than those made of vinyl to withstand such stress. In addition, a product that is secured with screws will better withstand the winter than a product that is simply placed on the eavestrough.
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