9308 Mathis Avenue Manassas, Virginia 20110

Leaf Protection Systems

Rain gutter leaf protection systems include plastic screens, metal screens, flip screens, louvered systems, helmet systems, staircase systems and hooded systems. Every leaf protection system on the market compromises either its ability to keep leaves and tree debris out of the gutter or its ability to collect rainwater during heavy rains.

As a roofing company, we also frown on systems that are required to be installed under the roof shingle and in some cases, products that are actually attached with a screw through the shingle. With all systems, consideration should also be given to the appearance of the product once installed.

At best, homeowners should consider leaf protection systems as a means to reduce the maintenance requirement of gutter cleaning rather than expecting a protection system to provide both maintenance-free service and full water collection abilities.

To maximize the gutters ability to collect water in heavy rains, traditional screening products have an open-mesh design that allows water to flow easily into the gutters. These open-mesh screens may also work well in the Fall with dry leaves. However in the Spring season - these open-mesh systems become a magnet for the various systems designed by Mother Nature to deliver seed. Maple "helicopter" seeds and Oak "spaghetti" pollen stick to the open-mesh like Velcro. Traditional screening systems can also be packed down into the gutter by a layer of heavy leaves or snow and many of the less expensive systems simply won't stay in the gutter at all and are prone to blow away.

To counter the weakness of the open-mesh systems, many manufacturers offer some type of "closed" leaf protection system. Using a helmet, louver or staircase system as a cap - the bulk of the gutter opening itself is blocked off preventing leaves and seedpods from entering the gutter. The downside of these systems is that by blocking off up to 90% of the gutter opening, you also reduce the amount of rainwater the gutter is able to collect during heavy rains.

While we continue to believe there is no perfect leaf protection system on the market, we offer one product we feel provides the best compromise on the market. GutterStuff Foam Filter Insert is a patent-pending design that completely fills the gutter with a non-absorbent foam block. The full gutter surface remains open to allow for proper water collection and leaves and seedpods simply lay on top where they are blown away or washed away in a rain. When cleaning becomes necessary a stiff-bristled broom is all that is needed to clean the surface of the foam.

GutterStuff fits fully inside the gutter and does not interfere with the shingle - protecting the roof warranty - and is not visible from the ground, providing a clean appearance from the curb.

As always - there is a compromise. Because water must drain through the Foam Filter Insert the collection rate of water is somewhat reduced. Our experience has shown this product works well in moderate to heavy rains - but like other systems it too can be overwhelmed during extreme rainfall conditions. For maximum performance we recommend GutterStuff be used in conjunction with our Signature Performance Gutter Systems only.

An increasingly important benefit of GutterStuff is its ability to block access to the standing water that remains in all gutters after a rain from mosquitoes. With both the open-mesh protection systems and hooded systems, there is plenty of opening for mosquitoes to access the standing water to breed. The tight weave of the GutterStuff Foam Filter Insert prevents mosquitoes from reaching the standing water and therefore helps to reduce the mosquito population in a neighborhood. This can also reduce the risk and spread of the West Nile Virus.

We do not offer GutterStuff Foam Filter Insert as a maintenance-free system and recommend occasional sweeping of the surface debris as water flow is reduced to maintain performance. We feel GutterStuff offers the best compromise of an open gutter system while providing a reduced maintenance schedule for homeowners with leaf protection needs.