How To Maintain Your Gutter Guard

How To Maintain Your Gutter Guard
By Robert Lenney
Robert Lenney is a 7 time U.S.
Patent holder in gutter guard
design, co-author and leading
authority on gutter cleaning. His
gutter guards have been featured
on ABC, NBC, CBS, This New
House, Renovation Nation, Cool
Tools and more. His gutter cleaning tips are seen in
ConsumerReports.org, various TV
network broadcasts and many
newspapers throughout the U.S.
Before I share some tips on how to get decades of high quality performance out of my LeafBlaster Gutterguard, I want to dispel a HUGE myth.
MYTH: Gutter guards are self cleaning and maintenance free.
FACT: This is not true. This is marketing hype propaganda
voiced by some very dishonest gutter guard manufacturers
because they feared nobody would buy their gutter guards if
they mentioned the truth.
“To have a successful performing gutter guard,
homeowners need to know how to take care of it
and realize there is no such thing as a self cleaning
gutter cover.” … Robert Lenney
I’ve been in the guttering industry since 1996 and have cleaned out millions of feet of gutter. I’ve seen every gutter guard under the sun while cleaning out gutters. That’s right, I cleaned out gutters that had a gutter guard on it, every kind of gutter
guard you can imagine! The gutter guards didn’t work because of poor design and because the manufacturer didn’t tell the
homeowner how to maintain it. Their mistakes allowed me to understand how to design a properly functioning gutter guard.
My patented LeafBlaster Gutterguard incorporates a unique design so that it’s super easy to maintain. Follow these tips below
for keeping your gutter guard filtering rainwater properly for decades to come. These tips apply to any gutter guard!
What do I do if I notice rainwater flowing over my gutter?
Look on top of the cover and see if there is any debris on it. Generally, the first cause of rainwater coming over the gutter is
because there is debris on it. With LeafBlaster, the combination of the winds and the rains blow most of the debris off. Because of your land topography and other factors, if your home is situated in such a way that the winds and rains don’t offer the
benefits of blowing off the debris, you may have to lend a hand and clean some of that off from time to time.
Take a brush and screw it on the end of an extension pole, and from the ground (without having to get on your roof), just reach
up and brush off the mesh. This type of brush can be purchased at most hardware stores.
How do I make sure that rainwater runs smoothly down my inside-miter of my gutter?
I need to mention that all gutter guards are challenged by inside miters. There is no inside miter contraption that eliminates
maintenance from these areas. In this situation you may consider having a water diverter installed to reduce maintenance.
A water diverter helps disperse rainwater over a wider area rather than at one point. The diverter is made out of an aluminum
material, perforated with small round holes and attaches to the end of your roof valley just above the stainless steel mesh. You
can get more information on my water diverters at www.RainwaterDiverters.com.
The diverter will eventually collect debris behind it, so at some point you would need to clean that out to make sure that rainwater is always flowing smoothly without being blocked and doesn’t wick back up into your roof shingles. Cleaning behind the
diverter is very infrequent. The diverter will significantly reduce any maintenance needed for brushing off these corners.
You can contact your installer as they may be able to install these for you.
Ice & Snow Issues: Convert LeafBlaster Gutterguard into a heated gutter guard and melt away those annoying icicles, ice
dams and snow loads that can accumulate on any gutter guard. For more information, please visit my website
www.IceMeltCover.com or email me at [email protected].