"Curious though, anyone ever tried those gutter guard things? Always wondered if they're worth the investment or just another gimmick..."
I installed gutter guards on a property last year—honestly, mixed feelings. They definitely cut down on debris, but smaller stuff still sneaks through. Still better than climbing up there every season, though...
Installed them a few years back and honestly wasn't impressed. Sure, they keep out big leaves, but pine needles and tiny seeds still got through. Ended up cleaning gutters anyway—just less often. Not a total waste, but don't expect miracles...
"Ended up cleaning gutters anyway—just less often. Not a total waste, but don't expect miracles..."
Haha, exactly my experience. Those gutter guards are like the "diet soda" of home maintenance—sounds great in theory, but you're still gonna have to put in some effort eventually. I've inspected plenty of homes where folks thought they'd never climb a ladder again... surprise, surprise, pine needles and maple seeds had other plans. Still, cutting down from four cleanings a year to maybe one or two isn't nothing, right?
Haha, fair enough, but honestly I've had pretty decent luck with gutter guards. Maybe it's because I don't have many trees around my place, but I went from cleaning gutters every fall (and hating life) to maybe once every two years. Sure, they're not perfect—like you said:
"pine needles and maple seeds had other plans."
But hey, I'll take climbing a ladder once every couple years over multiple times a season any day... guess mileage varies depending on your yard setup.
I've tried gutter guards too, and yeah, they're decent if your yard isn't tree-heavy. But honestly, after switching to a green roof setup, gutter cleaning became almost a non-issue for me. Still, you're right—
"mileage varies depending on your yard setup."
