Actual Gutter Guard customer questions , with replies as well as reviews and comments
Email 2-23-21 GutterBrush Customer Craig from Ohio wrote:
Alex, Thanks for your response. Here's a brief description of my situation. I had Gutter Brush for about 6-7 years. They kept the gutters clear as advertised. However, I was pleasantly surprised by what I think was the unintended consequence of not having an icicle problem anymore. I wondered if that was just a coincidence or what. Last spring I decided to replace the Gutter Brush with a Leaf Filter. Now my gutters have remained clear of debris, leaves, acorns and sweet gum balls which is terrific. They are also invisible from street level. However, I'm finding that the "anti-icicle" feature of the Gutter Brush is sorely missed. Now, as you can imagine (Ohio) in February, the icicles have returned!
Hi Tom from Wisconsin;
I am Alex from Rhode Island and i worked outside on roofs for 25 years summer and winter so understand ice problems. Much about ice backups is about the proper amount of insulation and ventilation. Lack of roof ventilation and excessive heat loss at the edge of the roof and wall-tops is the main reason for ice problems and ice build-up. GutterBrush does improve the performance of gutters by decreasing ice build-up. Here is an article that explains the various different physical reasons it decreases ice. Mainly, it keeps a flow channel open for drainage from outlet to outlet at times when snow typically would clog and cause pour-over and then freeze. Here is the article https://www.gutterbrush.com/pa... Also, exposed black bristles warm in the sun aiding melting, and it works very well and is easy to install combined with heat melting wires/cables.
Alex, GutterBrush alex@gutterbrush.com 888-397-9433
Chat (PThur) Question 1-8-21: When falling leaves are dropped onto the surface of the gutter brush, how are they removed? I suspect that when they hit the brush, particularly if wet, that they stay attached to the bristles.
GutterBrush Answer:
Hello PThur:
Thanks for visiting our web site and using the chat feature. I had sent some mail to you and called you yesterday leaving a voice mail. Yes some leaves and debris do lay on GutterBrush and also get stuck in the brush, but the gutter continues to flow. After 25 years working with gutters, we know that gutter guards are just a series of trade-offs. Some features are advantages but features of one gutter guard always has some collateral issue to deal with as a trade off. The biggest problem with typical gutter guards, screens and covers is the fact that they are linear and they terminate at the outer edge of the gutter and when coupled with a small amount of debris will send the water past the gutter. The biggest problem with traditional gutter guards is the fact that they do not accept water well and cause water to miss the gutter. GutterBrush is different in that due to the direction of the bristles it accepts water into the gutter better than any other gutter guard. If you insert a leaf into the bristles, that leaf will actually help to draw the water into the gutter. Andy debris in the direction of the bristles will help the gutter continue to accept water. So yes some leaves and debris do get stuck in the brush but the gutter continues to flow. Leaves and debris lay on, and stick to all gutter guards , even smooth metal covers often are seen for months with a pile of leaves. Multiple wind storms over time from multiple directions do a good job at blowing most of the debris clean. People installing screens often have a huge problem that the leaves lay on the screen creating a flat mat of cereal that causes overflow problems. GutterBrush doesnt terminate at the outer edge in fact all of the edges of the brush are down within the gutter so it does not direct the water past the edge of the gutter. Those devices say "never clean your gutter again", but the owner is faced with having to put up a ladder to frequently clean the debris off the top of the screen. As a contractor, I am going to tell all of my customers that "All Gutter Protection Devices Need Maintenance", therefore i will install one that is fast and easy to maintain. Some maintenance programs might include removing or blowing debris off the top of the brush. Once GutterBrush is installed, debris can no longer clump together creating a larger clump that clogs the outlet tube, therefore once a gutter is filled with GutterBrush, partial maintenance also makes sense. Since the debris cant flow and contaminate another area of the gutter, you MIGHT not need to maintain the whole home, perhaps just a quick visit for the heavy area of leaves near the tree. GutterBrush keeps the gutter from clogging and it works great. Even when a gutter filled with GutterBrush is aat the point where it needs maintenance, it still does not clog. At the point where the gutter starts to overflow just a little during a heavy rain, is when it is time to think about some maintenance. At that point, the flow might be impeded but it is not clogged. Tell tale sign might be that it starts to pour over just a little; not all the water. At that point, there still is no clog but your customer would call you and request some maintenance. The duration is going to be different for every home. Maintenance can be partiaal or complete where you pull the brushes out, bang them on a hard surface, the debris drops out, clean the gutter and reinstall. By talking about maintenance we can assure that a customer is not going to have a clog problem and we can keep the customer happy. GutterBrush greatly decreases the number of visits needed with a ladder. Lastly, i try not to push this point too much, but debris that is stuck in the bristles is not laying on the bottom of the gutter in a pile, rather it is individually suspended in the bristles with air flow surrounding each leaf so by the time you get to the summer, that debris completely cooks. The surrounding air flow, the heat of the summer and the heat of the sun all cooks the leaves . In the fall, much of it has been reduced to a hair skeleton of a leaf and lots of particulate matter flows through easily. I am available to talk further. Alex 401-367-4524 call or text alex@gutterbrush.com