Gutter covers aren’t a new invention. Since the 1980s, many products including gutter inserts, plastic and metal screens, and metal gutter shields have come and gone because they haven’t provided a proven solution. Most often the problem lies in the design of the product, especially in how the gutter cover is affixed to the gutter itself.
Gutter cover brackets have three jobs:
- To securely attach the plastic or metal gutter shield to the gutter.
- To strengthen the existing rain gutters.
- To help support the weight of snow, ice and debris that lands on the gutter system.
How Different Gutter Protection Systems Attach to Gutters
Because there are so many gutter protection system designs, they all attach in a slightly different way. Here are some ways that different materials and designs are affixed to the gutters or home.
Plastic or Metal Screens
Although some of these products are screwed to the fascia or even to the edge of the roof deck, most are simply laid over the gutter and pushed up under the last row of shingles. They’re easy to install because they don’t do much other than sit on top of the gutters. They don’t provide any additional structural support and they can only hold as much weight as the material itself.
Gutter/Gutter Guard Combination Systems
A one-piece system attaches to the fascia board and replaces your existing gutters, and includes internal plastic brackets to support the hood. As you might guess, these brackets will eventually crack just like any other plastic that’s exposed to the elements. When that happens, the entire section of the gutter and gutter guard must be replaced, so you’re left with a significant repair expense. If your gutter sustains damage from a tree branch or other accident, you’re left to replace the entire section.
Metal Gutter Shields
There are many designs that include both a ribbed and solid panel gutter cover. They do not use the roof as support for the cover, but instead insert a screw through the lip of the panel into the gutter. These products claim the strength of the panel will support the gutter cover, but independent testing has proven these metal gutter shields can support only 35 pounds of weight.
One ribbed gutter cover brand is supported by a plastic clip system which includes nails inserted into the fascia board. The sun and weather can soon take a toll on plastic brackets, leading to cracking and breaking under heavy weight and over time.
Unlike the previous products, Gutter Helmet® is supported by a 48-gauge aluminum bracket with twin beams that transfer the weight of the helmet from your gutters to your roof, making it the strongest and best gutter cover on the market. The inventor of Gutter Helmet understood that a gutter protection system has to reinforce the existing gutter system, not replace it. In this way, Gutter Helmet is designed to increase the life of your gutters.
Get a Free Gutter Guard Estimate
Save yourself the hassle and headaches of a problematic gutter cover system that will not last. Choose Gutter Helmet®, the best gutter covers for strong, solid protection! Call us at (800) 824-3772 to discuss your gutter protection needs. We’ll happily arrange a free in-home consultation with your local Gutter Helmet dealer.
