Home Improvement

Falstaff said:

Does anybody have leafguard gutters or something similar and like them? Our new house is surrounded by oak trees and I'm already sick of cleaning gutters and half the leaves haven't even fallen.

Click to expand...

When I lived in an oak forest in CA, I self-installed something similar I got at one of the big-box stores and unless they've improved them a lot, I wouldn't bother. I had to lift them off every year to clear out the "flowers" from the trees that fell through the mesh and to remove the leaves that stuck to the material. It seemed like every time the rain came down in buckets, I was out there in a rain suit trying to brush away the leaves so the water would run into the gutters and not over them. I removed them after a couple of years.

I had a house with one of those hinged mesh covers. It was FAR easier just to clean the gutters a couple times a year than it was to maintain that bullshit.

Thanks for all the input! Not going to worry about this, sounds like a nightmare.

Hateyou said:

I haven’t ever been in a heavily wooded area on the houses I’ve had but we did get some in my first house. I just climbed up with a leaf blower and blew them all out. Then muck out the heavy/wet stuff by hand.

Click to expand...

This is what I'll end up doing, but wasn't sure if I could save myself 30 years of doing this by cheating somehow.

Hateyou said:

I just climbed up with a leaf blower and blew them all out. Then muck out the heavy/wet stuff by hand.

Click to expand...

No, no, no. The heavy/wet stuff means you need a bigger leaf blower, obviously.

Deathwing said:

If trees are tall enough and close enough to get leaves in your gutters, you should consider cutting them down. Them fucker's roots coming for your foundation or septic tank.

And if they're walnut trees, cut them down anyway.

Click to expand...

Wind can carry leaves a long way. I had a bunch of oaks that were 50 feet away minimum and my roof was constantly covered.

Lanx said:

speaking of gutters, since i just did a powerwash clean, i have this on 3 out of 4 gutters

i'm assuming theyre clogged, is the only way to clean it and "eject" it out is to take it apart and stick a hose down it?

Click to expand...

That's why you keep your gutters clean. If your downspouts go into the ground, as mine do, you don't want leaves clogging shit up.

Lanx said:

well i mean, i don't know the history of these gutters, lulz

Click to expand...

But if they're going into the ground they drain somewhere. If you let leaves clog that up, your gutters become useless, your downspouts will over flow, and you'll have water where you shouldn't.