Never Clean Your Gutters AgainGutter Guard Installation in Belle Plaine, IA

Why foam inserts disappoint

Foam wedges are the cheapest thing sold as a gutter guard. You cut them to length, push them into the trough, and the idea is that water passes through the open cells while debris rides on top. In a first season they can look like they are working. The trouble is that the foam is a filter with no way to clean itself. Fine material works into the cells and stays there, and once the pores are loaded the wedge sheds water over the front edge instead of taking it in. Foam also holds moisture against the inside of the gutter, which is exactly the condition you were trying to avoid, and it gives seeds somewhere damp and sheltered to germinate. People find small plants growing out of the top of them. Because the insert fills the trough, checking on any of this means pulling the whole run out, which is more work than cleaning the gutter would have been. It is a product that trades a recurring chore for a hidden one.