Anti-leaf gutter protectors

[Sunstone]

Dear guys,

One of my IP's has a great Bowen Mango tree in the front. (Yes an additional benefit for the tenant.) Problem with it is that the leaves blow into the gutters at the front of the IP and according to my building inspector will need to get cleaned every three months. The leaf buildup also speeds up the deterioration of the guttering.

Accordingly have been thinking about the anti-leaf "Leafguard" etc systems that you can put into gutters to keep leaf material out.

Does anyone have any knowledge in this area?
Have you used any systems?
What sort of cost?
Is it worthwhile looking at installing or should I 1) Get someone to clean out the gutters every three months or 2) Don't do anything and just wear the more frequent gutter replacement cost?

Appreciate further feedback on this issue.

Cheers,

Sunstone.

 

[Topnotch]

Have you seen the new product "The Hedgehog"? It just sits inside the gutter and the leaves don't.

It won the Queensland Telstra small business award of the year recently. Not exactly cheap at approx $10 /m but no ongoing maintenance either.

If you want more info you can ring me 0407 961 500 and I can pass on the contact details.

 

[Lissy]

We used a product called "Leafbusters" on our home, and it is brilliant. Not cheap, but brilliant. I'm not sure if it's available outside of Victoria.

 

[Sunstone]

Dear Topnotch and Lissy,

Thanks for the feedback.

Cheers,

Sunstone.

 

[RichardK]

any products that cover the gutter ( and usually the lowest row of tiles as well ) with a perforated steel sheet or aluminium mesh are really good performers. The leaves never get in the gutter and blow away if they happen to fall directly on the sheet, and rainwater falls through the perforations. Works really well for gum trees - Nth Shore of Sydney pre-school has had no problems since we installed it.

Advertised in local papers, or google search 'gutter guard' pages from Australia, lots of sites.

rgds,
Richard

 

[Kevmeister]

Bunning have been advertising "hedgehogs" - I think about $14/metre. Pretty much like a really long bottle-cleaning brush. Different shaps for different gutter profiles, I believe.

 

[Macca]

Hi Sunstone,

Where I live I have quite a few gum trees near our house and they are perpetually dropping leaves. We had leaf gutter guards installed when we had the house built.

You will find that there are a few different types of gutter guards, by far the best types are the ones that keep all leaves completely out of the gutter. The guard we have sits in the gutter, looks good from ground level, but does allow small debris to build up under the edge of the tiles. This is a total pain to clean, it is harder to clean than normal gutters because the debris is jambed in and the gutter guards are hard to remove.

There is a type on the market which goes from the first tile to the outside edge of the gutter and is fixed with a colour coordinated piece of colorbond angle. Looks good from the ground and does not allow ANY rubbish at all, if it is a metal roof then usually goes from first row of screws out to gutter edge.

When leaves are really bad this is the best, I am having a shed built in my back yard and I will definitely be using this type, not the type I have on the house.

Hope this helps

 

[Sunstone]

Dear guys,

Thanks for the additional feedback.

Cheers,

Sunstone.

 

[tonyd]

While we are discussing gutters...

Any ideas on how to keep pine needles out of gutters?
The gutter guards I've seen would be ineffective.

cheers, Tony

 

[RichardK]

The best method is to use a chainsaw

No matter how small the mesh/holes/perforations, the needles somehow get ends on to the guard and slip through.

Richard

 

[Philby]

gutters

Hi Sunstone,
a couple of enviromental friendly sites with leaf litter guard products(if not already aware of)
www.leafbeater.com.au and follow the links
and another site FYI
www.enviroflo.com.au
Good luck

 

[D.T.]

I agree with the chainsaw tactic.

 

[MtDinvestor]

Home Made Gutter Guard

I got quotes for various gutter guard systems for our place on Mt Dandenong - where we are surrounded by Very Tall mountain ash. Lotsa leaves!

The prices were very high so I thought about it a bit - visited my local tank-maker and thought some more.

For 10% of the quote I have a system that has worked well now for years.

We used 50% shadecloth for the leaf excluder, fastened at the top with a thin aluminium tape from a panel-beaters shop, sprayed to match our colour bond.

At the bottom on the gutter's edge, a small L-shaped strip - the tank-maker made enough to go round our house and verandahs for $80 in matching colour bond - with contact cement and screws to hold the shadecloth in place.


Result - Clean water in the tanks and very little cleaning up of the leaves - certainly no trying to fish them out of the gutters.

Saved a lot of $$$$.