Angie’s List: Gutter Guards and Robotic Gutter Cleaners

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Fall is here, and while falling leaves might be fun for kids, they can wreak havoc on your home’s gutters. If you don’t like the twice-yearly chore of climbing a ladder and clearing the gutters yourself, a gutter guard system or a robotic gutter cleaner may help. What you need to know before you invest is today’s Angie’s List report.

Cleaning out gutters is a messy – and potentially dangerous – job, but putting it off too long can lead to clogs that cause your gutters to overflow, which creates even more problems.

“It’s washing away mulch, it’s causing water to get in your basement and into the crawlspace, so that’s usually the time when we get calls where people have woken up in the middle of the night and the sump pump is running, running, running and they realize they’ve got water coming in,” Gerry Murray says.

To keep water out, you must keep leaves and debris from getting in. A professionally installed gutter guard system like this one can dramatically reduce debris and last up to 20 years.

“While no gutter guards keep all debris out, they do reduce frequency and the amount of work involved in cleaning your gutters,” Angie’s List founder Angie Hicks says.

“It just fits right in the gutter. It’s got a patented z-bend, we call it, on the back that lays against that hanger. We squeeze it, pop it in and it creates quite a bit of camber – or bow – so it doesn’t just sit flat,” Murray says.

With technology getting better and cheaper, there are other options out there, such as this robotic gutter cleaner. It allows homeowners to safely and remotely clean their gutters. Options like this one run anywhere from $100-$200.

“I’ve had a hard time every year cleaning out the leaves and getting the gutters clear,” Sum Brummett says.

“No one likes climbing up on a ladder to clean out the gutters, but with new technology, that chore just got a lot easier,” says Hicks.

This robotic gutter cleaner allows the operator to stay safe and clean during the gutter cleaning process. It also breaks up leaves and other debris. The small particles that remain in your gutter will wash out through your downspout with no clogging or build up.

Experts say the average price to install mid-range gutter guards runs from $1,500 to $2,000. A steeply pitched roof or a lot of corners could add to that cost. Angie says to ask your contractor about different systems if you have trees only on one side – a basic system for that side, and a high-end one for the other.