We had gutter filters installed on the rain gutters of our house and we are relatively satisfied with the performance. The stainless-steel filter fabric keeps out the pine needles that clogged our gutters. However, the small openings of the gutter filter fabric have its own weakness from accumulation of dirt and the inability to handle hail.
In 2015 we had the roof replaced and new rain gutters installed. We opted to have a screen installed over the gutters. The screen was good at keeping out the dogwood and thundering plum leaves, but that was about it. The redwood leaves and stems would get stuck in the screen. Needles from the cedar of Lebanon went right though the screen openings and just clogged the gutters.
The screens increased the time for me to clean the clogged gutters. I had to unscrew the screens, grab all the accumulated green waste, flush the gutters, and replace the screens. In retrospect, it would have been better not to have the screens installed at all.
Gutter Filter Cheaper Than Fighting Clogged Rain Gutters
After the annual fight to clean the gutters, I decided to try the ubiquitously marketed gutter filters in 2024. With the conclusion of the winter rains, the gutter filters have operated pretty much as advertised. Obviously, no leaves entered the gutters through the small filter mesh openings. Redwood litter may have rested on top of the filter, but they are easily removed with a leaf blower or broom.
The filter system also rebuffed entry of the cedar needles. Some would be stuck in the fine mesh but were kept out of the gutter. This has helped keep the gutters directing water into the downspouts and not overflowing, which routinely happened with a mat of cedar needles clogged downspouts inlets.
Filter Seams Capture Needles
There are a couple of minor annoyances caused by the gutter filter system, exasperated by the cedar needles. There is a small crease or seam where the lengths of the filter system meet on top of the gutter. The cedar needles and dirt rest in the little crease. The water from the roof flows across the bridge of needles and dirt and drips down the side of the gutter onto the ground below.
Filter Allows Algae to Grow
A similar conduit of water happens when a layer of algae or moss develops across the tightly woven filter. All of the pollen, dirt, dust, and organic matter from the roof gets directed to the gutters. Not all the organic matter passes through the filter and creates a petri dish-like environment. I had to brush the filter clear to get the drizzle of water from dripping on to sidewalk.
Hail Will Not Flow Through the Gutter Filters
What was totally unexpected was a hailstorm that completely blocked the gutter filters from operating. The quarter-inch hail, unable to melt fast enough and drip through the filter, built up an ice layer over the gutter filter. Eventually, at different spots the hail and water slid off the gutter into the car port and sidewalk. Hailstorms are rare where we live in California and I can’t fault the gutter filter system for the hail slide from occurring.
Be Prepared For Aggressive Salesmen
What I did not appreciate was the hard sell of the salesman. I’m not sure if every gutter filter company is so aggressive but you need to be aware of the pressure tactics they employ to make a sale. Like shopping for a new car, if you play the sales game correctly, they will knock hundreds, if not thousands of dollars off of the initial quote.
Considering the price I paid, approximately $1,900, for 80 feet of gutter filter, I’m not complaining. I will save lots of time every year not cleaning out the gutters. I can live the little drips and occasionally cleaning the screen fabric of algae.
