Low-maintenance & No-clog Gutter Options Page

Updated 7 / 30 / 2009

These issues can cost you much more than the most expensive gutter leaf-protection products out there and make the house looking beaten up over time.  Clearly, the less need to access your roof the better.

(c) Safety: this issue with whom ever will be going up and down those ladders several hundred times a decade to clean out your gutters is substantial, since one accident would most likely cost more that these sort of options that should minimize the need to access your roof.

I've done my best to search the world over for the best and most cost efficient solutions to this problem. Below is what I have come up with so far.  I have yet to find a better solution to the debris plaguing gutter function than these products regardless of cost. But I'm always open to suggestions, so feel free to go to our 'Contact' web page and write to me about any ideas or other products I may not have had the chance to concider.

I've written another web page going over the comparisons and log term functional details of the most well known debris protection options out there.  Go to my 'Comparison' Page and read over these options in more detail.

I calculate these low maintenance options itemized on each bid with no pressure to take all or nothing. I would say less than 20% of our clients in the last decade had us install gutters without those options, since natural tree fall-out is such a huge issue in the Northwest here.  Even though I am just a small Gutter Contractor I've personally serviced over 2,300 houses with new gutters since 1992, so you see I do have a sizable amount of research information gathered to form z proper evaluations here.

Again, we are open to your input.

For a detailed No-clog Gutter comparison page
A lot more than just a check list
(click on these images below to go to that web page)

Above left is an actual aluminum LEAFGUARD® gutter cross section profile that I have to show clients the clear difference. The right image shows a more user-friendly leaf screen over my 20oz copper K-5 gutter for about the same cost. which would you rather have?

If you are not local to us and your local gutter contractors do not offer these options, you can get these parts through us.  Simply go to our 'Shipping' page to find out the cost and procedure

First line of defense is the leaf screens I install

The most common concern I get from most potential clients is:

'That will not keep everything out; like pine needles'.

This is true and I don't try to debate that. That is why it is so important to have the larger outlets, which LeafGuard® hinges their warranty on. There is no perfect solution. Even more importantly is the heavy moss growth inside the gutter under these screens. Nothing short of copper gutters will keep this from happening. Most Homeowners never get a chance to see that much moss growth, because they are not able to leave the gutters alone for a decade. Here's what it looks like after a decade or so of trouble free service under the galvanized hinged screens I used through the 90's:

Our clients report that with just the screens alone they find the need to clear out the gutters 1/4th as often. The important thing is how these will keep out the large debris that clog up the gutters quickly: large leaves, pine cones, and branches. A screen with a smaller weave like window screen is too fine and will cause the rain water to flow over the screen and out past over the edge before long.

To the right is a close-up photo of the type of leaf screens I've used since 1998 for use with aluminum or copper gutters with one of the screens shown about to be installed.

Copper screens: are twice the cost and not very strong. In early 2008 they started making them with even thinner copper*. They will end up getting bent out of shape and even dislodging from the gutter within about the same time as these stronger steel screens will last, so they're hardly worth the $. Although, I can still get copper screens for clients getting copper gutters they have opted for these more practical screens. I am still looking for a supplier for better copper screens or stainless steel, but so far they want over 3 times the $ w/o even attachment hardware.

Stainless steel: would work, but they are more expensive than these copper screens, so it is a bit pricy for aluminum or even copper gutters.

Steel screens: are the strongest product I have come across and have a black powder-bake coat over the steel expanded metal. Personally I hate steel, but they do not have to hold water like a gutter, so rust is much less an issue for screens.

Aluminum screens: are too fragile and too light; getting blown off in the wind.

* For copper gutters I had been using copper screens, even though I was not very pleased with the fragileness of them. But they were the only product on the market for copper gutters.  I recently found that the company who makes them decided to use a thinner copper to save costs, in stead of raising prices. I cannot seem to get them to budge on this issue, even after explaining how my copper clients are expecting better than standard. Not less than standard quality and sturdiness. I have since found a source for stainless steel screens that will require a lot more processing on my end, but they will be a good 3 times as strong and not cost you more. I am telling you this now, so you will not be surprised when you see screens that look different than what you would have expected from the many photos on this web site.

These are the best products I have found at any cost to date. I am the only distributors of these screens in the entire Country. The local wholesale distributor stopped carrying them back in early 2006, because I was the only contractor willing to snap on the hinge/clips. Apparently none of the other contractors were willing to do that much work for their clients. Now the manufacturer is looking to discontinue that line altogether. 

(these photos below also show the way I add expansion joints to long lengths of gutters to free up the pressure on the sealed corners, to avoid future leaks from the expansion and contraction of the sheet metal gutters, that is different than the wood structure of the house)

These photos below also show the way we seal the end of a gutter at the base of a valley to catch that water, instead of cutting the bottom of the gutter open there to dump that gunk on the roofing, causing a mossy trail and wearing the shingles from that river of water running down the roof.

Advantages of these leaf screens are:

(a) They are made with a thicker heavy duty metal that will not cave into the gutter or get bent out of shape as easily, like all the other flimsy screens I have seen.

(b) They are heavier, so they are much less likely to blow open or off in high wind situations.

(c) Best of all is the angled position, so leaves and other debris will blow off the roof more readily, instead of piling up over the gutter to decompose and turn to mud; not letting rain water pass through the gutter screen. Which is the problem with most other leaf screens or similar products.

Here is a photo I took of gutters I had installed over a decade prior. This client clearly had not bothered to clean out the gutters since installation, as per my claim. They were filled with moss inside the gutter, but they were still draining. I went ahead and cleared them out anyway at no cost as a courtesy:

(d) These leaf screens allow for easy visual inspection and even possible cleaning w/o removing the leaf screens.  You can simply place a metal or plastic cover over the screen of the Leaf-catchers in each downspouts and spray water from a garden hose right through the screens, flushing the debris down your downspouts, where it simply dumps on the ground.  It can then easily be scooped up from there and disposed.  With this method of cleaning the smallest debris and even roof sand can be cleaned out of your gutters without getting trapped down in your underground storm drain pipes.

(e) With these leaf screens there's over ten times more area for the rain water to find it's way into the gutter than any of the solid hood type covers sold. They have over twice entry area of plastic screens, so they are less likely to ever get so clogged. (simply speaking, LeafGuard® and all the other types of hooded gutter product companies may guaranty that their gutter will not clog, but they will not guaranty their gutters will continue to accept water. There in lies their clever deceptive loop hole).

(f) With our installing only these type of leaf screens is how I show I can afford to maintain my 'No-clog Warranty', since it is a lot easier to clear out the debris from under these gutter screens (not having to replace the whole gutter to solve the problem, like with the LeafGuard® system, as shown to the right).  These screens will still keep out a good 90% of leafy debris, branches, and pine cones that will jam up your gutters quickly.  We do not try to claim they will keep out all debris, hence the importance of the large outlets and Leaf-catchers to handle the small debris that will get through these screens.  This is most important; in the event that later on the company responsible for their warranty is unable to fulfill their obligations for some reason, and you are not stuck with a product that is not working and impossible for you to resolve these issues.

(g) These leaf screens cost far less than any of the LeafGuard® gutters type hood systems you can get.  The cost is only $2.50 per foot installed.  There are dozens of different alternative add-on hoods like the LeafGuard® system that also cost a small fortune, and we link to several of their web sites on our Site Map web page, which is linked at the bottom of each web page we author here.  But even if they worked (which they don't), as far as we have seen, all of those sort of add-on leaf protection hoods have a wholesale cost that is more expensive than our retail cost of the gutters, let alone the screen cost we offer, and they are much more difficult to install.  Why would you pay over twice the price for those sort of hood than the cost of a whole new gutter system even if they did work as they claim?

(h) Our leaf screens are coated with a black powder bake finish that makes them very inconspicuous. We had a lot of difficulty figuring out a way to photograph them to show what they are like, since they blend in so well.  We used to install a thinner gage 3' wide galvanized hinged screens with only 2 clip/hinges per screen.  They were not as thick and sturdy. The worst part was how they were light gray and remained much more visible.  They also had a lot more arch to them for strength.

Do gutter hoods really work?
Example: We had a client named Mr. Bronson, who ordered some covers to install over his existing gutters he got from the Brookstone catalog that use the same principle as the LeafGuard® system.  He had a steep roof on a two story house, so he had us install them.  Within one year he called us back to hire us again to remove those gutter covers and install the hinged leaf screens that we recommend.  He reported that with the other metal covers; pine needles would get stuck in the small opening, where the water is to seep in.  This blockage would encourage the water to pour off the end and caused a water fall over places like his doorway (no joke).  Debris will quickly get stuck in the crevice for the water to seep into the gutter.  Well before it turns to mud as it decomposes, it will cause a waterfall over the edge of the gutter.  As we said above, they may guaranty that the gutters will not clog, but that does not even suggest that the gutters to continue to accept the rain water.  It also does not allow for inspection of the debris build-up in the gutter, let alone anyway for simple access to clean it out.  We have since refused to install these sort of hoods at any price, since it clearly goes against our ethics.

What about pine needles?
We will not kid you about the issue of pine needles. These screens may do well to stop about a 60% to 70% of small pine needles from going into the gutters.  That is why it is so important to have the large industrial size outlet along with the Leaf-catcher strainer down near the ground in the downspouts.  Between this 3 part protection, we have had very little call-back issue since installing these No-clog options on several hundred houses 1996.  There is no better product out there for these issues we have found at any price, no matter what the claim (see our comparison web page for more details).  You will still have the roof sand settle in your gutters, and moss that will grow inside, so it is good to be able to be able to see and get in there to clear it out from time to time, but is not required with our No-clog installation warranty.  We have put these itemized options on each bid, with no pressure to take all or nothing, but not more than 20% of our clients in the last 5 or 6 years have us install gutters without these options, so we have had a sizable number of installations to gather this research from.

Our Larger No-clog Outlets

Our standard corrugated downspouts are 2"x 3".  Most other gutter contractors install the smooth square steel downspouts that are even smaller and they do not get the curved elbows to help reduce the risk of obstructions forming.  These 3"x 4" downspouts (shown right) were designed for industrial applications for huge roof area surface buildings.  They will handle twice the volume as a standard 2"x 3" downspouts.

This 3"x 4" downspout feature is what LeafGuard® hinges there no-clog warranty on.  Keep in mind how it only helps to use these 3"x 4" downspouts for the sole reason of cutting a larger hole in the outlet of the gutter for draining the rain gutter with the debris that still collects in any gutter system.

The local LeafGuard® franchise buy their downspouts from the same suppliers we do, so we decided to offer the same sort of No-clog Warranty with our gutters and hinged leaf screens.  With these more user friendly deluxe hinged leaf screens we install, they are much less expensive, easier to install, user friendly, and we can better afford to manage our warranty this way without having to charge you an arm-&-a-leg to defer the cost of that sort of replacement cost we would have to suffer!  That alone is very telling of their product.  It is not like their product is any more expensive to produce.  Some of their outrageous cost is for the expensive advertising, but the other half demonstrates the cost of the failure rate of their product.  Even with all the clever loop holes they have written into their guarantee.

These larger commercial size downspout allows us to cut twice the size hole in the bottom of the gutter, making it much more likely that the debris will tip into the downspout and flush through.  Instead of the debris covering the outlet and creating a natural strainer in the gutter, which will decompose and turn to mud, so as to not allow rain water pass, causing the gutters to over-flow.  It only makes sense that you need the gutters to continue to drain, or there is little reason to have gutter to be on your house at all.

Placing a strainer up inside the gutter may help to keep your underground sewer pipes clear of this sort of debris, but they are death to gutters.  That is the exact opposite of installing the 3"x 4" downspouts.  Using the leaf-catchers instead (shown below) is a lot smarter, so you do not need to go up on the roof to clear out that smelly debris.

Right after we starting to offer this advantage, we would noticed our customers dissatisfaction of the look of those huge industrial size downspout coming down their siding.  Even if they did not say anything about it, we could see the look on their face.

LeafGuard® insists on using these double size downspouts all the way down the side of your house to the ground only so they can still charge over 3 times as much money for their downspouts, like they do for the cost of the gutter replacement.    They insist on those larger downspouts because even though their gutter is design with only a 1/4" opening for the rain water to get in, a good amount of small debris will still wick in with the rain water, so when their gutters do get clogged, they often have to replace the whole gutter, since there is no way to open them to clear them out.  That is unless it happens to be just a simple straight run, where they are able to remove the end-caps to blast it out with a hose (see our comparison web page for more details).

Since we are not as greedy like the LeafGuard® franchises, we figured out that we could use the same reducer (that funnels the downspout to fit in the underground sewer pipes) up higher on the wall.  The large 3"x 4" downspout is not needed for the dead drop.  It is only needed to make the larger drain hole in the bottom of the gutter.  Our customers have clearly been happier with most of the downspouts being the standard size, not to mention how it also reduces the cost dramatically.  We also are able to use a smaller Leaf-catcher on each downspout as well.

In the last 8 years of doing most of our gutter jobs this way, we have had very little call back for clogged gutters.  We have had no call back for a clogged downspout.  The DMR Gutters system seems to be working quite well. You can contact us for contact info of our past clients.  We did not feel it was a good idea to publish their contact info on the web here for just anyone to get.

This option adds only $40 per outlet to the cost of a new aluminum gutter installation.  Or $60 to alter your existing gutters to these larger outlets.  We are not able to offer the same sort of No-clog Warranty with alterations of your old gutters, mainly since your old gutters would most likely not have been installed properly with a grade towards the outlets.  Proper installation is something we have rarely seen when removing old gutters.  Believe it or not, most gutter contractors do not have their installers use a level to check the installation of their gutters.

Other Types of the Larger Outlet Installations

This option in copper adds only $50 per outlet to the cost of a new copper gutter installation.  Or $75 to alter your existing copper gutters to these larger outlets, but as stated above, we are not able to offer the same sort of No-clog Warranty, since your old gutters would most likely not have been installed properly with a grade towards the outlets.

How do we trust they work as well as you say?
That is a very good question. I feel strongly that you will be quite happy with the results. Of course we would say they are the greatest thing since sliced cheese. I do not think highly of salesmen either. One thing that is different here is that I am not just a salesman. I am still an active installer over the last 15+ years. I do not have any employees to do the grunt work. I am out there in the field in one of the worst areas in the country for lots of rain, which grows big healthy trees for lots of natural fallout debris on roofs. Gutters are not just an option here. They are required by building code.

The only negative feedback I have gotten is how there may be a little splattering of rain water hitting the debris left on the screen, but I figure that when it is raining hard enough to cause this issue, the ground all around it already getting a lot wetter from direct falling rain than a little splattering. I have made numerous alterations over the years to refine the design to solve any feedback and issues I have noticed. A closed unit that has a pull out basket may look nice, but it causes more problems than it solves; out of sight, out of mind. Before it gets serviced the debris has become packed over a foot up into the upper DS pipe.

It is certainly a challenge to design the perfect device that has the best possible balance between cost, function, looks, and longevity. Factors that would not naturally work in harmony with each other. I admit they will splatter a little outside the housing. If I were to make these catchers a lot wider and deeper they would work better and need less frequent servicing, but they would also look horrendous and cost a lot more as well. I recently switched to stronger stainless steel woven screen, from this copper expanded metal seen to the right I had used over the last decade.

I have seen several other faulty catcher designs. The best device would be one that was closed unit and would activate an incinerator when the debris reached a certain volume using the DS pipe as the exhaust flue, but that would be expensive and complicated to install with all the wiring and natural gas piping needed.

I was inspired to make these for our gutter clients. over the last decade and a half I have installed these on most of the gutter jobs I've done, as it is one of my most popular features I offer, and has more to do with the success of my gutter job sales than any other factor.

It has been a process of trial and error to refine it to this point over the last 15 years. I've found these Leaf-catchers that I make to be the best concept out there to date. How could I prove to you that I'm not simply biased towards our product?  Well for starts:

1. I do not have any custom machinery that I had tooled to mass produce these to make me stuck with this one design, like other companies.
2. I have to draw these out on the sheet metal one at a time from a template I made. I cut out each Leaf-catcher one at a time.
3. I could alter the template as easily as drawing a new diagram.
4. I've altered the template several times already, after testing each version out for several years each, and listening to my client's feedback.
5. I've been working with these since 1992, so it has been nearly 2 decade now of development and testing.

Why did you design these:
We have a lot of pine trees with small needles in the Northwest here that will for the most part get through the screens that we install over the gutters.  We would estimate a good 60 to 70% of the smaller debris still get trapped in the Leaf-catcher unit's screened basket.  We do not see how we could design one with a higher percentage without causing more problems than it helps.  It is angled to allow for the debris to fall out if it is neglected for too long.

At $50 to $65 each installed, they are quite the bargain compared to the $75 to $100 an hour a plumber will charge you to clear out your storm drain pipes. These seem to catch even the small debris pretty well, and still let the water pass. If the screen had smaller holes it would plug up quickly and fail to allow water to pass through. Larger holes would allow too much smaller debris to pass through, so this seems to be the best balance. 

How do we operate them?
With these downspout strainers we make, there is no hinge or removable screen to lift up and dump out the debris.  There is no moving parts.  We could make the screen basket removable with this current design, but we go to an extra effort to crimp the baskets into the housing, making them not removable on purpose.  If they were removable, the basket would inevitably get damaged and it would also scratch up the inside of the housing putting them back in place.

It has proven to be a simple task to reach in there with your fingers and extract the debris and simply toss it on the ground and wash your hands off just a few times a year.  Or if you want to make this more sanitary you can carry a small bucket and use rubber gloves.  That debris does not seem to get too nasty with smelly bacteria, as it often does when sitting for many months up in the gutter, since the moisture is not trapped under the debris.  It dries out and has not been nearly as unpleasant as removing decomposed debris out of the gutters.

How is the debris able to get down to these strainers?
That is a good question we hear often enough. Here is our understanding:

(a) As listed above how the gutters were installed will make a large difference as to how well this system will function. From our experience most installers do not bother to use level while installing new gutters, let alone angle them to have a slight grade towards the outlets, as we do on each job.
(b) Also, what kind of downspouts you have will make a large difference. In this area it seems that most gutter contractors are too cheap to buy the curved elbows for the downspouts.  They have their installers cut the straight downspout pipe and fold it to make these angles.  This is a terrible way to do it, causing frequent blockages and also makes for a noisy downspout.  we even see it done that way on the most expensive Street of Dreams show homes with copper gutters.  It is not even ignorance. All these contractors know they are cheating the client and it simply will fail.  The problem is that it is not required to offer more than a 1 year warranty on all construction, so they are able to get away with it.
(c) As stated above, the screens also help a lot to keep out the large debris, like the pine cones and branches, that will damn up and clog up a gutter quickly. Then in a heavy down pour there is a much greater chance of rinsing out the debris into the DS.
(d) The larger outlets also make a marked advantage to the function of the gutters. It is the exact opposite of placing a strainer up inside the gutters.  We have seen in many cases where the standard size outlets will jam up and cause a natural strainer in the gutter, where the debris decomposes turning to mud and not let water pass, so the gutter overflows.

We are not trying to say we have a perfect solution, or that we will not be making more improvements in the future. It is tricky to work all these different details together for the best possible advantage. We hope that we are fortunate enough to come across information and ideas to improve it that much further. We are always open to good ideas.

We have not seen a better device to handle this issue in an efficient manner at any price, let alone a reasonable price. We install them about hip height, so you do not have to bend over to clean it out.  These Leaf-catchers cost $50 each to be installed with your new aluminum downspouts, or $75 to be installed in your existing downspouts. A little more for copper of course.

If you are not local to us, you can still order these through this web site from our Shipping web page.  You will also find detailed instructions how best to install these Leaf-catchers on your place, or have a local contractor do it for you.

Here is some solid copper Leaf-catcher parts we make, sell, or install

These option in copper adds a cost of $65 each to be installed with your new copper downspouts.  Or $97.50 to be installed in your existing copper downspouts.

A little history of these Leaf-catcher units:
They were originally designed by a gent here in Portland Oregon several decades ago. He was a gutter contractor, and later retired. Then Gutterman's Supply copied his design. I was ordering 50 units at a time from them paying $3 extra per unit to have them use copper screens instead. They do not run a very professional operation there and I was having to wait over 3 month for them to get around to filling my order. I could not wait that long, so through my frustration I finally made up my own patterns and made some other improvements that I felt were needed.

The few installers who buy the LCs made by Gutterman's Supply will install them close to the ground, right in the underground drainage pipe for simplicity.  They also will not have a copper screen.  From what we have seen those screens are broken through within the first year or two.  The pounding of the water and debris is too much for those fragile screens. We have seen some with steel screens, but they will begin to rust within a few years.

We noticed this problem before we began to install them, so I made sure Gutterman's Supply did not use the aluminum screens for the LC's I ordered.

We feel we have the best design out there for this purpose.  Stay away from the plastic strainers, because the sun will ruin them in short order.  We also attach them to the wall with the better pipe cleats and stainless steel Philips screws, instead of the straps and nail like you most likely have on your house now.  This makes it easily removable and reposition for cleaning or painting behind the downspouts.

What to avoid:
There are not a lot of similar options out there, but above is one solution made by the makers of plastic gutter parts.  It was a good attempt, but as you see it still clogged and when it does work, it dumps gutter water and gunk on the head of people using the walk way under this contraption, and too high up to reach to clear out the blockage.

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I just stopped in (7-19-04) to ask this little old lady if I could take these photos. She reports how she hates them and knows she needs new gutters.  Sadly, we were booked too far out and she went with another contractor that was ready to do the replacement the very next day.

This is the ultimate in a no-clog outlet design, but it is not an option I normally include in our bids, unless specifically asked for.   This was the finished product from the wishes of a customer in West Linn Oregon.  The customer had a 55 foot gutter, with a lot of pine trees above the roof.  He was fed up with the constant grief he would get from the constant debris filling the gutters.  He requested to have the gutter split in half and dump into a basin of some sort.  Knowing that what he described would look terrible, and we would have nothing  to attach the basin to, we came up with this one piece unit that is also part of the gutter it's self.  We covered the top of the basin under the eaves with a screening to keep the critters out, but we left it openable, in the case it ever needed cleaning.

It then goes into a 3"x 4" downspout pipe, which is twice the size of a normal downspout.  It cost this clients in West Linn an extra $450 over 10 years ago, instead of only $50 like the over size outlets we normally install, so it may not be for every one, and does look a bit extreme.

This is a custom aluminum catcher basin to catch the rain water from a different kind of narrow valley.  It was made from a straight 3' gutter.  Again, with each end mitered, instead of just slapping on a pair of end-caps.  It has a 3.5" x 4.5" funnel mounted in the bottom as the outlet, reducing into a standard size downspout going straight down the corner of the house.

The cost for this was calculated from the basic cost of the gutter needed to make this: $17.50 + the cost of mitering 3 corners: $120, + installing this funnel in the bottom: $50 = $187.50 total.

This was the finished custom product for the downspout feature for a gutter over the back deck on a house in South West Portland Oregon.  As you can see from the glass sliding doorways how the gutter on the back deck was so low, it was just higher than a tall persons head.  We came up with this one piece unit to keep the down spout up as high as possible, since the headroom clearance was at a minimum.  We had to design it open at the top, since there is so little slope to it.  It then goes into a custom 3.5"x 4.5" downspout reducer that funnels into a standard 2" x 3" downspout.  the picture below shows just one side of the gutter over lapping into the custom tray.

We charged about $150 extra for this custom scupper tray or $200 in copper, depending on the length of the eaves, instead of normal downspout cost.

This is a custom aluminum catcher basin to catch the rain water from a narrow valley.  It was made from a short straight gutter, with each end mitered, instead of just slapping on a pair of end-caps.  We flattened the back side to make the bottom a bit wider and made a new higher back side.  It has a 3.5" x 4.5" funnel mounted in the bottom as the outlet, reducing into a standard size downspout.  There is a double 'A' offset elbow right under it to divert the rain water back to the downspout on the siding.

We didn't need to go to this trouble to miter the ends, but it just makes it look a little nicer, without going to too much trouble like the scuppers we custom make.

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Below is a photo of our
Better Business Bureau's
NW Business Integrity Award
for the year 1998

We were also a 1997 finalist for this same award. See our referral web page to see how we managed to be honored with this special award