If you have ever gone through the agonizing process of dealing with gutters, you would certainly know that it’s…well, agonizing.
Here’s one for you. Have you ever realized that every single gutter cover company claims they are the best? It actually gets comical after a while. They all seem to have the “latest patented technology” and all have 100% effectiveness. Wait…some of them go the honest route. They tell you that no gutter cover is 100% effective. They say that you will still have to climb up that ladder at least a few times a year.
Well, what is someone supposed to do when they have to maintain gutters that are about 40′ high? There ain’t no way this old man is getting up there.
It’s the same old story. These are the things I deal with when I move to a new house. I guess it’s only been twice now, just try to ignore that. Each time, I go around and figure out what needs to be done. I just do it. I don’t wait. The longer I wait, the more something rots or gets clogged or prices go up. Plus, I like doing these things. I have a certain affinity for “systems.” I like to watch things work. Who else takes pictures of gutter cover installations?
Here is my situation. We have about 136′ of gutter. They are all clogged with oak leaves. There are no pine needles. When it rains hard, the gutters fill up and overflow. This makes my face turn red. There are two reasons why I don’t pull out the big 40′ ladder and clean them out right then and there…one being I don’t have that 40′ ladder and two being I don’t like the feeling of lightening running through my body.
The whole reason for gutters is to stop the rain from pouring down and the water sitting against the house foundation. This keeps the basement dryer. Gutters are very good, but we, as a species, have yet to perfect a cover that stops debris from filling them up and stopping their functionality. You would be amazed at how few leaves to takes to clog a gutter.
You are lucky I didn’t have this blog when we moved into the other house. I went through this whole fiasco then. I would’ve dragged you through it with me. The difference there was the highest gutter was about 14′. That was nothing. If I tried to climb a ladder to reach parts of the gutters here, I probably would get “shaky leg.” If you have ever climbed something high, you know what I am talking about. I remember one time I was at the very top of a 100′ oak tree and my leg started to shake. I guess that’s the body’s way of telling you to get down.
Since I am not about to do the gutter thing here, I decided to call some professionals. I had a gutter cleaning company come over yesterday and they gave me a price of $125 to clean them. That was fair, but the problem is that the cleaning really doesn’t solve the problem. They would have to come at least twice a year. I decided to try to solve the problem. Later on, I called another gutter company, this time, one that installed gutter covers.
Back at the other house, I installed “Leaf Relief” gutter covers that worked very well. I was, and still am, very happy with them. I put them on when we first moved in and never had to clean them out again. I checked each year and they were spotless. Because of my experience with them, I really want them on this house.
I spoke with the other company on the phone. He gave me a price of $7.50 a foot to clean and install the Leaf Relief gutter covers. That wasn’t a horrible price, but about twice as much as the actual gutter costs to install. Weird, isn’t it? I can tell you from experience, gutter covers are really easy to put on and there really isn’t much material to them at all. Why they cost that much to install is beyond me. At that price, this job would be costing at least $1,020. I would pay it if I had to, but I am really trying to find another way.
Since I was making a trip to Home Depot today anyway, I thought of a great idea. Why not buy some gutter covers from the Depot and install them where I can reach? If I do that, I can at least knock a couple of bucks off the job.
When I got there, I looked through the gutter covers and one type stuck out. It was the Amerimax Home Products 4 Ft. White Solid Gutter Cover. These were about $1 per foot and seemed to remind me of a few other big name brands. I thought to myself, “Heck man, what the freak, let’s go for it.” I bought 44′ worth.
There are two spots I can reach on this house…one in the back, over the porch and the other the front of the garage. If I could install the 44′ worth, I would be saving $330. Not bad.
I gotta tell ya, I really like installing gutter covers. Seriously. I cleaned the gutters out and slid these covers up, under the shingles. Then, I clipped the fronts around the lip of the gutter. They were secure after that. I went one step further and screwed two self tapping screws in the front edge of each cover, just to be sure. The screws are rust proof…yeah, that would be a mess.
After I installed them, I got the garden hose out and sprayed the roof. I watched the water slide around the nose of the cover and enter the gutter. What a great feeling it is to hear the water running down the downspout. The cool part is watching the water “cling” to the gutter as it goes around the bend.
While the first (and cheaper) guy was here, I asked him if he could install the covers if I got them. He agreed, for a price. I am sure I can negotiate a decent price with him to install the rest of the covers. I am pretty sure that he got the impression I am not the type of person that has a gutter cleaning company come over twice a year. As I said, I like to “fix” the problem.
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Thanks for your blahg on the Amerimax gutter cover, i bought 1 to try it out and I think I like it. But now after reading your story I will do my whole house for sure. all 172 feet of it. Thanks again.
David
The gutter covers have been working very well and are a great price. Just make sure to trim the covers where the gutters come to an end and fold the cover in. There are instructions on the back of the gutter covers.
The main complaint about these gutter covers is that birds and bees make nests in the gutters. They get through the space at the ends of the gutters when people don’t follow the directions.
I installed these covers when I also discovered them at home depot(they’re cheaper here but lowes also has them) I’m very satisfied with them. I have tried other devices(hinged; rolled mesh but none work as great as amerimax. I also used clear gutter caulk to seal each section and to help close up any small holes at the ends where I made the end caps. When I saw this blog I had to add My two cents worth. Happy guttering!!!!!!!!!
You should see this website a 50 yr old roofer and gutter man designed this product. It is sold for 2.33 ft and up all over the states.
I removed Amerimax gutter covers after one winter and trashed them. Ohio winters aren’t severe but there is plenty of wet freezing weather. The icicles caused by the gutter covers were awesome. There were never any problem before so I’m back to cleaning gutters.
I am not sure how gutter covers caused icicles. I am also not sure how this particular brand would cause icicles. Icicles are caused from…well, you can read it here:
http://hes.lbl.gov/hes/makingithappen/no_regrets/icedams.html
Nice pictures. I also used SS screws.
I don’t think the ice problem was this brand. I emailed Amerimax and they were very nice and said they had no other complaints. The gutters drain a lot of roof on a one story house but there were never any icicle problems until I installed gutter covers. The attic is very well ventilated over insulated ceilings. Snow doesn’t melt on the roof until the outside temperature gets above freezing. For me gutter covers were another great idea that didn’t work out. At the price it wasn’t a financial disaster.
I read that gutters in general can cause ice problems. We’ll have to see how it goes. On our last house, I used Leaf Relief gutter guards with no problems at all. The winters there were pretty bad. It was semi-upstate NY.
The house we are in now is very well insulated, but I’ll keep my eye on them. At least they are only a buck a foot.
I am researching Amerimax this evening, and have to wonder where you live. We are in Wisconsin, and last fall, my husband did the same thing. He was sick of cleaning out the gutters all the time, and we have a 2 story older home. So he went to Home Depot and bought these exact guards. As I am writing this to you, there is a team of 7 guys outside in frigid temperatures trying to save our roof. These guards may work well on water, but ruin your home in winter. We recently had a snowfall, and instead of the water running into the gutters and down the spouts, what happened is these Amerimax gutter guards let the snow pile up on them, snow doesn’t blow off a rooftop. So the water melting from the heat of the home under the snow layer has no where to go. It has dammed up and created icicles almost 6 feet long. the ice in the gutters is causing the gutters to sag. To make matters worse, the ice caused a back up of water and the water is leaking down to the first level of our home. It dripped into the cupboard above our refrigerator, we came home this evening from work and water was spewing from the fridge, which is a brand new 2000.00 refrigerator with all the bells and whistles and is now garbage, our roof is collapsing, and they are trying to save the other 1/2 of the roof. What is frustrating is there is about a 3 foot section that my husband ran out of the guards, and decided not to do that part and wait until spring. That part of the house is perfectly fine. So we called Home Depot, this has been happening to a lot of residents in my town, and Amerimax is sending a representative to the house to “settle” up and assess our damages. I’ll be filing a consumer complaint against them and my husband now wants to sue Home Depot for selling a shoddy product. This is going to cost thousands of dollars, the roof, dry wall on 2 levels, new cabinets, facia, new fridge, my brand new pergo floor was soaked and now that is ruined. It wasn’t worth the money that this “miracle” cure cost. I told my husband that from now on we do it the old fashioned way, the way it’s been done for years. We will go out there the 3-4 times a year and clean the gutters by hand as we’ve done our whole lives. It’s not worth the cost, inconvinience, not to mention the danger our boys are facing and their friends and our neighbors climbing out in the dark on an icy roof to get the problem resolved. Oh, and I told them to rip those Amerimax covers off and save them to show the lawyer.
Hi,
This line that you wrote is an indication to your problem:
“So the water melting from the heat of the home under the snow layer has no where to go. It has dammed up and created icicles almost 6 feet long.”
There shouldn’t be any snow melting on your roof from the heat from your home. Ice dams are created from a poorly insulated roof.
You can read this page for more information:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK1068.html
Icicles that are 6 feet long indicate that you have some serious heat loss from your home.
I have heard of these problems occurring with gutters alone, with no gutter guards. Your case is tricky because you say the area that was not covered by gutter guards is fine. Is that area near the side edge of the roof?
The Amerimax gutter guards are very similar in design to high priced gutter guards, so I am not sure that company is at fault.
I am no pro, so I am sure you can get better advice from someone who knows more about this kind of stuff.
Please follow up with what happens in your situation.
By the way, we live in Connecticut.
Jay,
The Amerimax guards you installed look much different than the “new and improved” version which Home Depot and Lowes are now selling, which you can see on Amerimax’s website. The new version has a profile that looks more like the Englert LeafGuard gutter. However, it appears to me, given the angle of the edge of the new Amerimax guards, water would not travel into the holes of the Amerimax guard, particularly in a downpour, but would instead cascade over the side of the gutter, defeating the purpose of the gutter. In contrast, the old style, which you installed, looks like it would capture the water. Is the product you installed different from what appears on the Amerimax website, or are they the same? If they are the same, any comments on the effectiveness of the water drainage issue in a downpour?
Thanks for posting pictures on your site.
Barry
My gutters used to clog all the time with leaves and pine needles from all the trees around my house. my husband hated getting out the ladder and cleaning them. I finally installed a gutter guard so that we wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. It’s called Gutterglove Gutterguard. It’s has a stainless steel mesh on an aluminum frame. It looks and feels pretty heavy duty. I ordered it and installed it myself. I am so happy with the way it is preforming. We don’t have to clean the gutters anymore. It was well worth the investment and I would recomend it to everyone!
I looked up the Gutterglove Gutterguards. They look very nice. How much do they cost?
I think I paid about $7.00 a ft.
This article caught my attention and I felt a need to respond. I own an exterior remodeling business in Ohio and have been in business since 1975. I use top quality products and take care of my customers, resulting in approximately 85% of my work coming from repeat business and referrals. That being said, I would never consider installing this type of gutter guard product on my customers’ homes. It simply does not perform very well over the long term. I’ve tested many types of gutter guard products and know this for a FACT.
First of all, let me state that I do agree with “jayadmin” about what’s been said here about the ice dam and icycles issue… that is a problem associated with insulation, not the gutter guard. Gutter guards do not cause ice dam.
The main problem I’ve seen with these Amerimax gutter covers and other similar “cap” or “helmet” type covers is that small debris builds up in the slot over time and then water pours over the front of the gutter when it has nowhere else to go, especially in heavy rains. I’ve seen it time and time again… leaves, maple seed pods(helicopters), pine needles, and other small debris simply gather in the slot over time and clog it.
I do not recommend purchasing this product. There are several others out there that certainly outperform this type of guard. You will most probably pay at least $5-$8/ft. for these products INSTALLED, not the $1/ft. material cost associated with this product, and not the $12-16/ft. installed cost associated with several of the other “helmet” type products out there. There is a “middle road” I recommend people try to take when making purchases associated with home improvement. Don’t take the road traveled by those shopping on price alone… in a lot of cases you’ll end up getting what you pay for on the low end, and beware of the road taken by those who think high price automatically means greater value… unfortunately there are many people out there today ready and waiting to “rip you off”. Generally, if you find the right qualified reputable contractor, you’ll be able to find high quality products installed at a fair price for the value that you’re receiving in return.
Thank you for leaving this comment. It’s very insightful.
I agree with you; this type of gutter guard might not be for everyone, especially those who have white pines (or similar trees) or maple trees near their houses. As I stated above, we don’t have those types of trees located where they would cause a problem.
I have always been a fan of Leaf Relief gutter guards, but at the cost I was quoted, no thank you.
Please take a look at my post here:
http://www.kwaree.com/blog/2009/04/01/amerimax-gutter-covers-the-verdict-is-in/
After one season (summer, autumn and winter) using these very inexpensive gutter guards, we have one leaf caught in the slot area. This is for the entire house. Not bad, considering we moved in here with completely clogged gutters and these only costing about a $1 a foot.
I guess if there ever was a time where the slot completely clogged up over time, I could call that gutter cleaner to come back and get a brush or something to clean the slot. I would rather spend $125 every five years than spend that money every year.
I am trying to figure out how to put them of. I know my gutters are the same as all others but I am having trouble getting the front of the gutters gaurds over the front edge of the gutters.Is there a trick to it. It looks like it will work good.I showed my sister the ones I bought and her husband got some, put them on and today we had a downpour and the water did not come offer the gaurds. It went right into the gutters. I’m Impressed.
If you place a screwdriver into the slot under the nose and push back on the nose – the front of the screw driver will push the gutter cover onto the lip of the gutter. hope this helps
I have these Amerimax gutter covers – they work great – You probably didn’t test the new style they sell. I have no problems with junk in the slots and I have pine and maples – these trees are the real test.
Installed 120′ worth of Amerimax on 3 different house sections. 2 of the 3 sections dribble water back into the eaves so heavily that it leaks out the eave’s vents. I installed them as per directions with the gg lip under all the existing shingles. Apparently, the gutters were installed too close to roof’s edge & the angle of the gg is not steep enough. Thus, 2 sections allow water to push back up under the shingles into the eaves. If you take a small sample of the gg’s into the bath & watch water pour from the bath spout onto the gg, you’ll find there’s an angle at which the water backs up & would push up under the shingles. Unless ALL the shingles do their self-sealing against the gg’s, I have a real problem & will have to yank out all my work.
Snapping the gg’s onto the gutter lip was easy for my older gutters, VERY tuff for my custom-rolled gutters. I finally settled on a 1”-wide paint-can opening tool which has a narrow lip, about a 3″ straight run & then a red-vinyl covered hook. It was the perfect tool to reach into a slot, hook over the slot & pull hard onto the lip…actually lever-ing the section at times. It was such a tight fit that I could only do it a section at a time. The 1st sections installed would then pop out so I started screwing the 1st corner, working my way down & screwing the last section. The Big Boxes sell special white gutter screws next to the gutter guards themselves. I had to pull so hard that I’m not going to install the last sections from the roof.
With this tight a fit, it’ll be a serious nuisance to ever remove them for cleaning.
This is great information. I am going to be installing this product this weekend on a beach house on the Coast of Maryland.
I am going to install it on 1/2 of the house in Sept and see how it performs. Then I will install the remaining portion in November.
Thanks for all the info and opinion.
Does anyone have a picture of what the Amerimax leaf guard plus looks like after it is installed? I’m having trouble finding information on how they are properly installed on the traditional Amerimax gutters.
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