Like many homeowners out there, you may find yourself living in an area with the most prolific of shedding trees: the pine tree! While always a gorgeous option for landscaping, this tree is the bane of many, especially when it comes to clogging up gutters. Climbing up on ladders to constantly clean out your home’s gutters just is not anyone’s idea of a good time (and if it is…we’re sorry for you). A question that many homeowners end up asking themselves if there’s anything that can be done to prevent this? Some sort of filter? A way to block all of that debris? Well, that is the topic that we will be exploring in this article.
Not All Gutter Guards Are the Same
When it comes to gutter guards for your roof, the first thing that you need to know is that not all of them will perform equally. While most of these guards are sufficient for various kinds of leaves and twigs, a lot of them will let those pesky pine needles slip through. You will need to do some research to find which one will work best for your home. The installation will also be different, as you want to look for one that will be totally flush with your roof to limit the pine needle influx.
Key Characteristics to Look For
If protecting your gutters from pine needles and all other sorts of debris is your goal, then these are a few of the important things you need to keep an eye out for as you shop around.
- Micro-mesh: A gutter guard that utilizes micro-mesh is going to be the best option for keeping out everything that may fall onto your roof. From leaves to pine needles to shingle grit and pollen, this can do it all for you, which will limit the need for gutter cleaning. Micro-mesh gutter guards have a bunch of teeny tiny holes in order to let the water filter through, but still keep out all particles. Side note: when you have micro-mesh, you will need to gently power wash those mesh filters every 3 or 4 years to prevent too much fine particle buildup.
- Stainless steel or aluminum: These are going to be your two best choices for materials for your gutter guards. Stainless steel gutters will be able to withstand plenty of situations from rough weather and shifting temperatures to errant baseballs tossed by the kiddos. Stainless steel also is rust-proof, expansion proof, and corrosion proof, all of which means it will be incredibly long-lasting. Aluminum gutters are going to be more lightweight, making them easy to put up and able to stand up to temperature changes, though not quite a durable as stainless steel.
- Diamond or V patterns: This is a very important factor when it comes to choosing micro-mesh gutter guards. If the mesh just has a flat or even concave surface, it is more likely to form a buildup of debris. This poses even more of a risk in the winter, as it may ice over all of that debris. The diamond or v pattern on the mesh will help to keep the pine needles and other debris loose, making it more likely to blow off in the breeze.
Do I Even Need a Gutter Guard?
Gutter guards are not exactly a necessity, but they absolutely are a great household item to have installed. Having gutter guards that will help catch all of the pine needles, leaves, and other debris that sometimes makes its way to your roof will mean that you need to clean them out far less often. While you will still need to clean your gutters about twice a year, if you didn’t have any guards on your roof you would have to do it much more often.
You will also find that homes that have gutter guards generally have much healthier foundations. If your gutters were to get clogged up by errant pine needles, they wouldn’t be able to funnel water down and away from your home’s foundation like they’re supposed to.
Final Thoughts
So, with these little tidbits of information you should be better prepared to start looking for which gutter guard will be the best for your home. Let’s do a quick recap of what we talked about here, ok?
- Micro-mesh is your best defense against pine needles.
- Stainless steel or aluminum are the two best materials for gutter guards.
- A diamond or v-shaped pattern will keep pine needles from stacking up.
We would recommend getting several different quotes from vendors that provide micro-mesh. This means that you will be able to get a look at different prices as well as see how they would install them!
We hope that you have found something useful in everything we’ve go over today, and we wish you luck!
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