Foam inserts for gutter guards--do they work? As an engineer my opinion is that the best application for foam is for packing materials or a great quality mattress but not as a gutter guard.
For a moment pretend that you are a blossom. You and thousands of your blossom buddies fall onto a gutter that is filled with a foam insert. Both you and all your friends are beautiful blossoms, however, your reign as a blossom is nearing an end. Why?
It's because you've been knocked off by some ferocious rain drops or your time as a blossom has expired. Point is that you are now laying on top of a foam insert--a cushion of sorts. But you really don't need a cushion since you are so light in weight.
Now what's in store for you? Are you going to be blown away? Or will you be somehow dislodged and drop to earth? Or maybe stepped on by a raccoon, squirrel, or a bird?
Let's remember that foam makes and excellent mattress. But what about the wind? Is it going to lift you off this comfortable mattress and set you air born once again? Think for a moment, how might this occur? Remember that you are right on top of the gutter lying on this comfortable cushion. Any wind whipping down the roof will simply overshoot the gutter and go off into space. The wind blowing into the roof and gutter will knock you backward to the back of the gutter.
Wind whipping along the gutter will simply blow you toward the other end of the gutter--maybe a couple of your buddies will get air born, but I'm afraid you're stuck there in the gutter. And if you've been wetted by a few rain drops there's no fluff in you to sail away--you're just a soggy mess. And after you dry, you've been flattened on the comfortable mattress. What's in store for you next? Answer: you shall dry, break into many small pieces and accumulate on this comfortable mattress. In time many of your friends will come to your party and all of your together will just shut all holes and openings in the foam and keep rain water from getting into the gutter.
So if you ask the engineer about foam inserts--forget about them. Is it possible that the leaves in the Fall will behave differently? Don't think so. It will simply be more of you accumulating quicker.
If you ask the engineer for a solution to blossoms and leaves getting into the gutter, I will recommend a solid top type of gutter guard.
To find one such type, Google "Niagara gutter guards". Again, if you're a blossom you'll fall onto the top of the gutter guard|You'll drop onto the top of the gutter cover if you're a blossom]. A puff of wind will blow you away if you are dry--no comfortable mattress there for you. But if you're wet and soggy, you're going to lay flat onto of the leaf guard and not be blown away. However, the rain water will gently tug on you as it passes you on its journey into the gutter. In reality within a few minutes you will gently be washed along as you hug the shape of the leaf guard. And guess where you will go?
Answer: Into the gutter most of you go along with the rain water and if there were enough of you from a real close big tree, then enough of you will get into the gutter to clog it. If you ask the engineer, the Niagara type of gutter guard works fine if your tree is at least a hundred feet or so from the gutter and the prevailing winds are away from the house.
Instead of one long fin as the Niagara gutter protector if you Google "Care Free vinyl gutter covers" you'll see a row of louvers. Suddenly the chances of a blossom getting to the ground is much easier. Fewer of you will wash into the gutter than with gutter the Niagara type of gutter guard.
Yet if you ask the engineer for the best leaf guard, I'll suggest to you it's a gutter guard with two rows of louvers. Yes, Mr, or Mrs Blossom, can you imagine not one but two rows of louvers? Go ahead and Google "double row louvered gutter guard" and you'll find a bunch of articles written by me --wow I write a lot. To save you time reading them, Google "Waterloov Gutter Guard" or "The Number One Gutter Protector" and voila, you'll see two examples of double row louvered systems.
Now Mr. or Mrs. Blossom, what are your chances of getting into that gutter and causing mayhem?If you ask the engineer, the answer is zero. In the worst case scenario if you are wet you will wash onto the front louvers and cover several of them, but guess what?
The owner of your tree--Mr Homeowner, will see you resting there and be able to help you along to the ground with a telescopic pole and brush assembly to knock you free and send you on your way to the ground to be with your buddies.
So ask the engineer which is the best gutter guard or the best gutter cover to allow leaves and of course blossoms reach their intended destination--the ground I'll tell you it's the two row louvered gutter cover--nothing else. And would you believe that within a couple dollars per foot, most gutter guards all sell for around the same dollars?
Richard Kuhns B.S.Ch.E. Engineer and inventor. Please click on the links for more information about the best gutter guards and the best gutter protectors.
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