Yeah, I hear you on the pine needles. I’ve got two big old pines right over my house, and I swear those needles could sneak through a brick wall if they wanted to. Leaf guards definitely cut down on the big clogs, but it’s never a total fix—just slows things down. I tried one of those “micro-mesh” types a couple years ago. They worked better than the cheap plastic ones, but I still had to get up there and brush the tops off every fall. Not as bad as scooping out muck, but still a chore.
Funny enough, the worst problem I had was actually with heavy rain—sometimes the water would just shoot right over the gutter if the guards weren’t sitting just right. Ended up fiddling with the pitch and that helped, but it’s never perfect. I guess it’s like you said: less hassle, but not hassle-free. If you’re expecting to never touch your gutters again, you’ll probably be disappointed... but if you just want to spend less time up there, they’re worth considering. Just keep your expectations realistic.
That lines up with what I’ve heard. I just moved in last year and already spent too much time clearing out needles. Was hoping leaf filters would be a “set it and forget it” thing, but sounds like that’s not realistic. Still, if it means less ladder time, I’ll probably give them a shot. The rain overflow thing is good to know—didn’t even think about that.
Leaf filters seemed like a no-brainer when I first bought my place—thought I’d finally say goodbye to the yearly pine needle rodeo. Fast forward, I’m still up there every couple months poking at the stuff that sits on top of the filters. Not as much ladder time, but definitely not zero. The overflow thing caught me off guard too...first big rain and it was Niagara Falls off the side. Still beats scooping out sludge by hand, but yeah, “set it and forget it” is a bit of a myth.
Funny how “maintenance-free” always seems to mean “less maintenance, but still some.” Did you notice if the overflow was just in one spot or all along the gutter? Sometimes it’s a pitch issue, or debris just piling up at certain points. What kind of trees are you dealing with—mostly pine needles, or is it a mix? I’ve seen those tiny needles basically make a mat on top of filters, which doesn’t help water flow much. Curious if you tried brushing them off with a telescoping pole instead of climbing up every time?
I’ve seen those tiny needles basically make a mat on top of filters, which doesn’t help water flow much.
That’s exactly why I’m not sold on the leaf filter hype, especially with pines around. Those needles just sit on top and block everything, so you’re still out there cleaning—just off the top instead of inside the gutter. Telescoping pole helps, but honestly, it’s still a chore. Sometimes I think just wider downspouts and regular flushes work better than any filter if you’ve got a lot of trees.
