Leaf guards were on my radar, but honestly, I got distracted by the hail dents and never circled back. My gutters look like they’ve been through a golf ball driving range—seamless or not, hail just doesn’t care. I’ve heard leaf guards can be a pain if you get a lot of pine needles, though. Anyone have luck with those in a spot with tons of trees? Or do they just end up clogging in a new and exciting way?
I did the install myself too, and let’s just say my ladder skills are… a work in progress. At least seamless means fewer leaks, but I’m still patching the occasional spot where a branch decided to get cozy. Has anyone found a gutter material that actually shrugs off hail? Aluminum sure doesn’t.
My gutters look like they’ve been through a golf ball driving range—seamless or not, hail just doesn’t care.
That’s the story of every property I manage after a good hailstorm. Aluminum dents if you so much as look at it funny. I tried steel gutters on one building—definitely tougher, but still not immune to big hail. As for leaf guards, pine needles are their kryptonite. They just mat up on top and you’re back on the ladder anyway. Honestly, sometimes old-school cleaning is less hassle than unclogging “clog-proof” guards...
Steel gutters definitely hold up better than aluminum, but I’ve still seen them take a beating. Had one property where we swapped out the old aluminum for steel after a particularly nasty hailstorm—looked great for about a year, then another round of golf ball-sized hail came through and left it looking like a washboard. At least they didn’t split or leak, but the dents were impossible to ignore.
Leaf guards are another headache. I tried those mesh ones on a place with a ton of pine trees, thinking I’d finally get a break from climbing ladders. Nope. The needles just piled up on top and turned into this soggy mat that blocked water even worse than before. Ended up having to pull the guards off just to get things flowing again.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the old-fashioned way—just cleaning them out every season—is less hassle in the long run. Not perfect, but at least you know what you’re dealing with.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the old-fashioned way—just cleaning them out every season—is less hassle in the long run.
I hear you. I tried those fancy guards too, thinking it’d save me time, but with all the maple helicopters around here, it just made a different kind of mess. Sometimes low-tech really is less stressful, even if it means a bit more elbow grease. At least you know what you’re dealing with and can budget for it.
I get what you mean about the guards. I put some on after a nasty hailstorm dented up my gutters, thinking it’d be a win-win—less cleaning, more protection. But honestly, between all the pine needles and those little seed pods, they just ended up clogging in different spots. At least when I just clean them out myself, I know exactly what’s in there and if anything looks weird after a storm. Sometimes the old-school way is just easier on the wallet and the nerves.
