Plastic Gutter Screens – Two Major Issues

 Plastic Gutter Screens, Are They Worth It?

Many homeowners looking for gutter protection will come across the DIY gutter screens you can find at local home improvement stores. Most of these screens are self-installed. Which can also posses a risk of homeowners dealing with ladder safety.  The average cost for these products can range around $2.20 a yard. Which is on the cheaper side for gutter guard products. Does the cost out way the issues? That is the big question.

We recently had an installation that required the removal of a plastic gutter screen. Below are the photos that illustrate how this product might not be the best option for some homeowners.

 

Debris making plastic screens sag into gutter

Issue number one: As you can see with this photo the oak tassels mat on top and actually sag in the screen with their weight. This can result in water damage and issues with water draining safely away from your home.

 

screens ripped up by critters in get into gutter       Debris in plastic gutter screens

Issue number two: This picture is showing how the screen can get opened by birds and thus allowing more debris to get in and completely clogging the gutter.

It is very common for us to have to remove this product before installing our gutter guard. The question for the homeowner to ask themselves is whether this product is worth saving a penny to get and possibly ending up with a bigger problem than before you had the gutter screen.