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Sam Wasson is a content writer specializing in gutters, roofing and pest control. He has more than five years of experience in content production, writing and critical research. Sam creates accurate and informative content through thorough analysis, firsthand testing and industry experience. Sam’s content and data have been featured and referenced in various online publications.
Installing gutter guards is a medium-difficulty DIY project.
Measure carefully and buy a little more than you need to accommodate trimming ends or making mistakes.
Hire a gutter guard installer if you’re uncomfortable working on ladders.
You can install gutter guards on your home with moderate do-it-yourself (DIY) experience. Installing gutter guards can protect your home’s drainage system and save you time and money on gutter cleaning. However, this gutter job requires ladder work and has inherent safety risks.
Our team purchased gutter guards for do-it-yourself projects and underwent a series of mock installations of brush, screen, foam and micro-mesh guards. Based on this process, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide to help you safely install your gutter guard system.
The gutter guard installation process starts with collecting the necessary tools and measuring your existing gutter system. Practice basic safety tips for working on rain gutter systems and learn when to call a professional instead of ascending the ladder yourself.
Gutter guard installation steps vary depending on the product and the company that produced it. We’ll break down the standard steps for installing gutter guards, then dive into the installation process for common gutter guard systems, from brush to micro-mesh guards.
Your DIY gutter guards may have specific requirements, so thoroughly read the instructions before starting installation. Also, check out the website of the company that produces your guards. Many providers host helpful instructional materials you can’t find on their Amazon or third-party retailer pages.
You don’t want to get halfway through a project only to realize you need more materials. If you purchased your guards from an online retailer, you may have to wait several days or more than a week for your additional guards to arrive.
Roof and gutter measurements are often deceiving, as valleys, inclines and multiple roof tiers can significantly lengthen your total linear feet of guttering. Because of this, we recommend taking the time to measure the length of your guttering.
Take the following steps to measure your gutter’s length accurately:
Once you have the measurements for each gutter section, combine them to determine your home’s total linear feet of guttering. DIY gutter guards typically come in packs of 30–50 feet of materials. We recommend buying the amount needed to cover your total linear feet of guttering plus an additional pack in case of a mismeasurement.
During our test installations, we encountered numerous small problems that required us to alter gutter guard sections — for example, frames that needed to be clipped down to size. Having additional materials for these situations comes in handy.
You’ll need the following tools for most gutter guard installation projects:
We recommend using an A-frame ladder over an extension ladder. A-frame ladders don’t need to rest against your home, making them safer and less damaging to your siding.
If you don’t have an A-frame ladder, use a stabilizer to avoid resting your ladder on your gutters. Stabilizers displace the weight of your ladder onto your siding or roof shingles to provide a stable and safe connection.
Working on a gutter or roof system is dangerous regardless of your skill level and DIY experience. Any roof work carries a degree of risk, and accidents may result in serious injury to you or damage to your home.
Take the appropriate safety precautions when installing your new gutter guard system. We recommend the following precautions:
Clean your existing gutter system before attaching gutter guards. Installing gutter guards on clean gutters is faster, safer and easier than working with a clogged mess. This pre-installation cleaning also allows you to spot and address any cracks, gaps or leaks before putting on a guard.
Take the following steps to clean and prepare your gutters for guard installation:
Each type of gutter guard has its own installation procedure. We explain the installation method for the following types of gutter guards based on our evaluation process. We also recommend reading the instructions for your specific gutter guard before installing it.
Brush guards are easy to work with and typically require no additional tools to install. Slide them directly into your gutter section to install these guards. During our mock installation, we noticed two major problems with brush guards.
If your gutters have hidden hangers — hangers that rest inside gutter sections, as opposed to exterior-facing hangers that rest beneath gutter sections — you’ll need to insert the guard under them and push the guard along the gutters. The product we tested came in 1-foot sections, so this presented only minor difficulties. Some DIY brush guards come in much longer pieces, making it more difficult to install them on gutters with hidden hangers.
We also noted that the wire at the center of the guard extends past the brush bristles. If installed end to end, this resulted in a 1- to 3-inch gap between each gutter guard section. If you experience this problem, push the wire tip past the next section’s end into its bristles. Alternatively, you can use a pair of tin snips to remove the extending wires.
Foam guards function similarly to brush guards. They sit inside your gutter system and use their sponge-like material to block debris while allowing water to pass through. These guards work better than their brush alternatives but degrade more quickly.
The only additional tool you’ll need to install foam gutter guards is a razor knife to cut sections down for size adjustment. If your gutters have standard, outward-facing hangers, these guards are simple and easy to insert. You can place the guards directly into your gutters. You can either remove the section’s end cap and slide them down or place them on top of each gutter section and push them down bit by bit.
If you have hidden hangers, you must push these guards under the hangers to install them. While this wasn’t difficult for brush guards, our foam guards were a much tighter fit. The foam guards had a tendency to snag or push the gutter section into the downspout or off the hangers entirely. If your gutters have hidden hangers, we recommend not using excessive force when pushing these guards down. If you hit a snag, stop and move down to the end of the guard. Gently jostle it and pull it down toward the cap instead of forcing it.
Gutter screens are more difficult to attach than foam or brush guards but offer a more secure hold. They resemble a perforated metal or plastic sheet with screw holes along the front. You can typically find these guards in home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Lowes.
To install screen guards, place them atop the gutter section and adhere them directly to the gutter’s edge with screws or snap-on attachments. Some screen guards fit snugly atop your gutters, while others extend behind the roofline and under your first layer of shingles.
The guards we used had small holes that allowed us to screw them onto the edge of the gutter sections. The hidden hangers on our gutters were once again a problem. They protruded a few inches above the gutter, so we had to place the guards between them. Depending on the length of your gutter guards and how far apart your hangers are, you may need to use tin snips to cut the guards down to size.
Micro-mesh gutter guards are the most effective for keeping debris out of your gutter system. Micro-mesh guards are typically made from high-grade stainless steel and resemble finely woven mesh filters.
Although they proved the most effective type of guard in our testing, micro-mesh guards are among the most difficult to work with. To install most models, you’ll need to place the guard on top of the gutter system, sometimes slipping the back of the guard underneath your first layer of shingles. Then, you’ll use clips or screws to attach the front portion of the guard to your gutters. Professional brands sometimes require additional attachment directly to the roof’s fascia, but this is uncommon for DIY products.
We noticed that the materials of this guard were thinner and more bendable than other DIY guards. This pliability means you’ll have to be more careful when handling them to avoid causing dents.
The gutter guard we installed had a thick aluminum frame that held the mesh screen together. You’ll need to screw through this frame or use clips to attach it to the outside of the gutter. While attaching the guard wasn’t difficult, we noticed that the frame extended too far past the edges of the screen and created gaps between sections of the guard. We used thick tin snips to cut the frame and overlapped each mesh screen to eliminate gaps.
Some hidden hangers have indents on the top to allow screen guards to slide in. Our hangers had these additions, but upon installing our micro-mesh guard, we noticed a gap of one-eighth inch between the edge of the guard and the gutter. As with the other guards, we needed to cut the guards down to fit each section between the hidden hangers.
While installing gutter guards is a relatively simple DIY job, you should contact a pro in some situations.
If any of the following are true, consider hiring a pro for your gutter guard installation:
Professional gutter companies typically offer at least one gutter guard brand for installations. Some companies are willing to supply specific guards at request, including popular DIY brands. If a professional installation company doesn’t install your preferred brand of DIY gutter guards, you can purchase them and hire a contractor who has experience working with gutters to install them.
Follow the steps below to find a reliable gutter installation professional in your area:
You can choose between professionally installed gutter guards or DIY brands. Professional installations bring a level of quality and expertise that you can’t find with DIY jobs. Hiring a professional gutter company will cost you more, but you’ll likely get a long-lasting warranty and additional services such as gutter installations.
Some DIY gutter guard brands, such as Raptor, are comparable to professional products in material quality and design. DIY gutter guards are much less expensive and give you complete control over the installation, but they can be risky to install on your own.
You’ll need the right tools, materials and experience to install gutter guards as a DIY project. Carefully read the installation instructions on your chosen gutter guard, as each type is different. Check the product’s website, as it may host additional instructional information, such as videos or guides.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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