TikTok Warns Homeowners To Not Waste Their Money On Gutter Guards

Gutter guards sound like a great investment on paper. They're meant to stop debris from falling into your gutters, whether that's leaves from a nearby tree, silt and mud from storms, or twigs and rocks from animals. Rather than having to do the labor-intensive task of cleaning out your gutters twice a year, these plastic coverings are supposed to negate that need. However, they don't always work as they should, which could lead to major problems down the road. That's why TikTok gutter professionals are warning homeowners from installing them in the first place. 

Having these shields in place usually makes people complacent, which means they don't check their gutter systems as often as they should. They assume the shields are doing their job, and that no waste, plant debris, or dirt can get through. But the reality is that something always gets through, and you will always have to perform maintenance on your gutters each year. Here is what the TikTok experts have to say. 

The Gutter Guyz — who have been cleaning roofs, house exteriors, and gutters for 20 years — shared a TikTok video on their account explaining why gutter guards are best avoided. In the video, an employee removes the shield, revealing plants growing in the thick layer of shingle dust. This is dust and grit that runs off the shingles, and since the homeowner didn't think they needed to clean their gutters in quite some time, it accumulated enough to support weeds and plants to grow in the gutters. 

While they might screen your water system from some debris, they're not totally foolproof. You still have to clean your gutters bi-annually to ensure they don't have blockages, so you're paying good money for a faulty system. The average U.S. house has about 200 feet of gutters, and the average cost of guard installation is between $800 to $2,000. The price fluctuates depending on material and style, but it's a pricey investment for something that doesn't take "gutter cleaning" completely off your chore list. Not only that, but they make the chore more complicated. Some shields are tricky to remove and reinstall, and you'll need to scrub them down in addition to the gutter itself. They also promote mold and algae growth, make it challenging to spot blockages, and promote icicles forming during the winter thanks to water dribbling over them. Your money might be better spent elsewhere.