Please keep in mind that to clean gutterings with gutter guard is more expensive. We have to remove the guard, clean the guard, clean the gutterings and then return the guard to position.
Dirt from normal roof ageing and from Sydney’s pollution as well as fine leaf materials, go through the guard or screen and build up in the gutterings. This causes rusting of gutters and the weight of the build up of mud causes sagging of gutters. We often find plants growing up through the screen. Regular cleaning is still very necessary.
In a heavy rain, water flow from the roof to the gutters, can be inhibited by gutter guard. When a build up of leaves has gathered on the guard, water can back flow into the eaves and usually flows down the wall cavity hitting window or door jambs and flowing internally into the unit. Water can even flow into the ceilings and usually to the light fittings which are at the lowest point of the ceiling. Then water drips into the fitting and to the carpeted floor below.
We would never recommend the guard currently being promoted. This particular guard/screen is installed as a permanent fixture. It is held down by the second row of tiles (sometimes nailed to the rafters) or screwed to the metal roof and fastened to the outside of the guttering. Unfortunately to clean the mud from under this screen guard, necessitates cutting into the guard and trying to hose the mud build up out of the guttering (it usually bakes hard). Lifting the tiles to take off the guard from the battons (nailed) is possible and expensive and when we return it the guard has dips and waves due to stretching from the sun exposure. Then leaves rest in these dips, further stretching the guard. Many customers have plants growing through this guard from bird droppings falling into the mud, so our clients have asked us to remove the guard, permanently.
Also keep in mind that gum leaves are not picked up by the wind once they have landed. They merely gather and lay on the guard and the subsequent weight of leaves can stretch the plastic in the sun causing sag points, thereby gathering more debris.
You may feel we would be biased against gutter-guard "as it does us out of a job". Not true – to clean premises with gutter guard is more work and the danger increases. Hence the clean is far more costly. We have to remove the guard, clean it, then clean the gutters and then reinstall the guard.
We will install our gutter guard if requested, @ $55 per 8metre roll – supplied and installed as we are cleaning the gutters. This guard can be lifted out as it is not permanently fastened, each time cleaning is done. However again, we don’t pretend that it will solve your leaf and gutter flow problems.
You may find maintenance more cost effective to have a regular 3 monthly clean in summer and 6 monthly over the winter in an area which is heavy with gum trees. Many of our customers who have large gum trees on their property, have us more often during the gum leaf drop season (often cleaning 4 weekly or 2 monthly). Gum trees fall heaviest October – April. HOWEVER 6 monthly is the minimum recommended clean for properties with a gum tree in the vicinity.
Our Company, once it receives written
instructions to clean the gutterings automatically on
a specific time-frame basis, will schedule your property for a priority
clean. Our Operators who are employed directly by us (not sub-contracted), are
fully Height Certified and work to current OH & S standards, complying with
all the new requirements. We guarantee our work. Having been in business for
over 20 years we are the experts!