Swillers: Do any of those leaf filters/gutter guards actually work?

Color me skeptical. The ones we have were on the house when we bought it. They look pretty full of leaves, stems, and pine needles. Others I’ve seen at friends’ houses look equally useless.
So, how about it? Can you recommend a brand that works?
Thank you, my dear web-based friends.

Color me skeptical too. Which is like a burnt yellow as far as I know.

This is the only one that I know works well:

Ask DWags

https://spartanswill.forumotion.com/t23837-dwags-sons-roofing-and-gutters-presents-the-week-7-basketball-thread-msu-takes-on-oakland-at-lca?highlight=Gutters

MSU addict wrote:This is the only one that I know works well:

Too many trees for my weak arms. I’d need to hire Nordy.

AvgMSUJoe wrote:Color me skeptical too. Which is like a burnt yellow as far as I know.

No wonder we don’t like those umaa scummers.

Turtleneck wrote:Ask DWags

https://spartanswill.forumotion.com/t23837-dwags-sons-roofing-and-gutters-presents-the-week-7-basketball-thread-msu-takes-on-oakland-at-lca?highlight=Gutters

DWags won’t be helpful. This is graduation weekend and he’s going to be liquored up all weekend, then hung over all week.

tGreenWay wrote:

MSU addict wrote:This is the only one that I know works well:

Too many trees for my weak arms. I’d need to hire Nordy.

My post is only part in jest.  In all seriousness - you really should review what trees are causing the problem and see if they make sense.  It has been my experience that people who put in trees are clueless and do so with little to no foresight.

When we moved into our current house three years ago there were 2 huge eastern white pines (60 feet or so) right next to the house.    The eastern white pine may be the state tree of Michigan - but I don't live in Michigan and in my opinion that is tree that should never be planted next to a house.  Their annual needle loss is huge - significantly more than most pine trees - as they often only keep one year of needle growth and at most two.  FWIW, removing a 60 foot tree next to a house is a job for a pro not a homeowner.

Before I buy a house I look at what trees are on the property and what I think should be removed.  I factor that into the purchase decision.

Gutter guards are expensive - removing the problem may not cost much more and might be a much better option.  Most tree services give free estimates and the people who come out know their business and are a good resource of what should be removed.  I like to pick their brains.

Remove the gutters.

MSU addict wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:


Too many trees for my weak arms. I’d need to hire Nordy.

My post is only part in jest.  In all seriousness - you really should review what trees are causing the problem and see if they make sense.  It has been my experience that people who put in trees are clueless and do so with little to no foresight.

When we moved into our current house three years ago there were 2 huge eastern white pines (60 feet or so) right next to the house.    The eastern white pine may be the state tree of Michigan - but I don't live in Michigan and in my opinion that is tree that should never be planted next to a house.  Their annual needle loss is huge - significantly more than most pine trees - as they often only keep one year of needle growth and at most two.  FWIW, removing a 60 foot tree next to a house is a job for a pro not a homeowner.

Before I buy a house I look at what trees are on the property and what I think should be removed.  I factor that into the purchase decision.

Gutter guards are expensive - removing the problem may not cost much more and might be a much better option.  Most tree services give free estimates and the people who come out know their business and are a good resource of what should be removed.  I like to pick their brains.

This is pretty much spot on, IMO. Admittedly, I’m loathe to remove any mature tree unless it’s so close to the house that it jeopardizes the foundation. One of the biggest offenders is a tree on a neighbor’s property. It’s an oak that doesn’t even shed most of its leaves until late winter, early spring. I also didn’t realize white pines were such shedders until you mentioned it. Those are likely the worst ones in my yard. The trade off so far has been the nice shade it offers and the smell they put off is really great.
I'll need to inspect what’s actually filled in the eaves, but the current guard covers everything and makes it nearly impossible to reach in and pull stuff out to eyeball.
Looks like I’ve got some decisions to make. I wish this was something to address before or long after COVID, when metal prices weren’t so high. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to sell a few more pigs.

Motown Spartan wrote:Remove the gutters.

Yoopers certainly do hate their gutters.

The hired help doesn't clean out your gutters? I've got five huge maple trees around my house. The benefits of them keeping the house cool in the summer far outweigh the couple of hours I spend cleaning out the gutters.

Jake from State Farm wrote:The hired help doesn't clean out your gutters? I've got five huge maple trees around my house. The benefits of them keeping the house cool in the summer far outweigh the couple of hours I spend cleaning out the gutters.

I really thought the grounds crew would do it. Now I have to hire a separate team to take care of work I refuse to do.



Edit: and oh by the way, I have hired help to keep me cool in the summer.