Which Gutter Guard Works for Oak Tassels?
Advantage Gutter Guard®: The Key to Surviving Oak Tassels
Gutter guards are supposed to protect your gutters from any type of debris that trees can throw at them – including oak tassels. Oak tassels are those sticky stringy things that drop in abundance from oak trees. Advantage Gutter Guard® has been proven to work – even against the tricky stringy things. Find out why.
First, however, we will briefly discuss oak tassels themselves and why they are such a formidable foe for leaf guards and other gutter protection.
The Mighty Oak
Let’s face it – many of us have a love hate relationship with oak trees.
On the love side, oak trees are enormous – not only can they reach 100 feet in height, but the width of their canopy can be double that height. This makes them absolutely beautiful shade trees that are essential to Kansas and Missouri’s ecosystem.
On the hate side, this luxurious canopy drops hundreds of thousands of sticky flower strands known to most of us as stringy things – or if you’re a botanist: catkins.
What Are Oak Tassels?
Stringy things, oak tassels or catkins (whichever scientific name you prefer) are the origin of future baby oak trees. The pollen they release into the air in early spring pollinates other flowers along the mighty oak’s branches resulting in the development of acorns.
Yay for the squirrels and future baby oaks! Woe to homeowners and car owners whose home or vehicle lies below the mighty oak’s enormous canopy!
How to Protect Your Home from Oak Tassels
Stringy oak tassels may be the most frustrating form of debris any homeowner faces. If you have an oak tree in your yard you know why – they are sticky.
This makes them a particular challenge to find a gutter guard that will prevent oak tassels from clogging your gutters. Let’s briefly explore the two most common styles of gutter guards:
1. Screens, Micro-Mesh Guards or Leaf Filters:
Do these work for oak tassels?
No. Screens, micro mesh guards and leaf filters have textured surfaces that allows the sticky pollen to seemingly superglue the oak tassel to it.
Tip: If you have a micro-mesh leaf guard be sure to scrub them clean during oak tassel season. This will keep the filter from clogging and water from flowing over your gutters.
Micro-mesh leaf guards which perform fairly well with other forms of debris are especially dangerous during oak tassel season. The fine mesh clogs with the sticky pollen from those stringy things. The unfortunate result for the homeowner is water pouring over the top of the micro-mesh leaf guard, overwhelming the soil near the home and eventually causing foundation issues and flooded basements.
2. Solid Surface Gutter Guards
Will these work for oak tassels?
Yes, they will if they have the right features.
While some solid surface gutter guards have added texture, Advantage Gutter Guard® has a solid, smooth surface that discourages debris adherence. Typically, once oak tassels are dried by the sun, they will blow off the top of the Advantage Gutter Guard®. Also, because it has a nose forward design, which means it protrudes slightly past the front edge of the gutter, debris is deflected from entering the guttering system and clogging it.
Due to the sticky nature of stringy oak tassels, if your home has many oak trees, you may need to occasionally use a sprayer hose to rinse the top of the gutter guard. This can easily be done from the ground in just a few minutes, far from the chore of digging them out of the gutter. Advantage Gutter Guard® comes with a lifetime warranty that the gutters will not clog. This ensures you can stay off the ladder! Another important factor is that some “solid” surface gutter guards have an additional opening or channel along the roof line, this could be a place where oak tassels collect. Choose a gutter guard that is completely solid and smooth on top, and has a nose forward design that extends slightly past the gutter to deflect debris.
For a more detailed exploration between leaf guards with perforations or meshes and solid gutter covers, check out our blog: Do Gutter Guards Really Work in Kansas City?
Stop the Oak Tassel Battle
Tired of worrying whether your gutters are clogged? Climbing the ladder? Sticking your hand in the gutter goo? Or scrubbing your micro-mesh leaf filters? Give yourself a break and get Advantage Gutter Guard®. Click here for a free estimate.
Advantage Gutter Guard® Estimate
What’s involved with an Advantage Gutter Guard® estimate?
It’s super easy. First, our consultant will begin by briefly greeting you and then get to work. For the next 30-40 minutes he will perform a detailed inspection of your guttering system and home exterior. Next, he will create a custom plan-and-design. Then he will explain the solution(s) and provide your estimate. The whole process typically takes about an hour.
Our motto: No pressure ever – just long-lasting solutions.