If you have been responsible for a house for any reasonable amount of time, then you have probably run into problems with your home’s gutters and downspouts. While they are a vital part of any roofing system, they are also very prone to getting clogged or damaged over time.
Leaf guards provide a direct answer to this problem, offering some extra protection and helping to minimize how often you have to unclog them. But why are they so important?
What are Leaf Guards?
A leaf guard is basically any device or layer of material that protects your drains from being blocked up by leaves and other debris. This could be a flat mesh that goes over the entire drain, a cage at the top of the downspout to catch solid objects or various other kinds of protective barriers.
While leaf guards might seem like a simple concept, they can be incredibly useful in the right circumstances. Many homeowners do not realize just how valuable this kind of protection can be, especially if they have not run into serious drainage-blocking problems yet.
What do Leaf Guards Offer?
The main benefit of leaf guards – regardless of their type – is that they can keep debris out of your gutter and drain system. This can be more important than you might think, with many gutters eventually clogging due to a slow debris build-up and refusing to drain rainwater properly.
If left without proper checking or protection, gutters could even suffer damage from constant blockages, requiring repairs. At the very least, they can overflow and completely nullify the point of gutters, pouring rainwater straight down the side of the house anyway.
Leaf guards are a direct solution to this, offering a small layer of protection that has a huge impact on your gutter systems. Not only can they stop larger pieces of debris from even getting into the gutter, but they have a high chance of catching smaller ones, which can dramatically reduce the chance and recurrence rate of blockages.
While leaf guards can’t permanently protect your gutters from blocking (since there will always be a slow build-up of dirt or debits), having a leaf guard installed can make a massive difference to your home. By reducing the constant need to unclog your gutters, you can save a lot of time and money without having to worry about long-term gutter damage.
Is a Leaf Guard Worth Getting?
A leaf guard can be a small but useful addition to your home, adding some major benefits for no real downsides other than the installation cost. While choosing the right kind of leaf guard is still important, they all serve the same general purpose, meaning that any home can benefit from them.
Whether you have suffered gutter problems before or just want to future-proof your homes against potential future issues, it is worth considering leaf guards. It does not take very long to get them set up, and once they are in place, they can dramatically reduce the number of times you need to get your home’s gutters emptied
