Gutter shields as an alternative to gutter screens:
This article explains gutter shields, caps, or "helmets" and we describe circumstances in which these attempts to avoid gutter cleanout chores do not work. This article series discusses how to choose, install, diagnose & maintain roof gutters & downspouts, & roof drainage systems to prevent building leaks and water entry.
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The gutter "caps" shown below are appealing to building owners who are sick of cleaning their gutters. These products claim to eliminate the need for gutter cleaning.
The theory is that leaves and debris are washed over the solid plastic (or metal) of the gutter cap (photo below left) while water runs into the gutter through the slots (photo below right) in the gutter cap.
Also see GUTTER SCREENS. And if you are looking for information about the caps used to close the ends of metal gutters, see GUTTER END CAPS.
Watch out: our experience with using solid gutter "caps" or "helmets" to avoid gutter cleaning has not been quite so good. We have observed these problems with solid gutter caps:
If you are going to try using this type of gutter shield product be sure that you
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Continue reading at GUTTER SCREENS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
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