I've discovered a neat little product you can install yourself to help protect your gutters. I was cleaning a ton of crap out of my gutters while I was installing my Christmas lights this year so I did some online snooping and found a company called GutterPlus. They've got a gutter system that doesn't require any nails or screws or any kind of add-on to your roof or gutters. It's a filter that keeps the leaves, branches, and even the snow and ice out while letting the water flow through and away from your house.I didn't really think something like this would work, so I contacted the company owner to talk about it. Joe Iarussi had been installing, cleaning, and removing junk from gutters for over 30 years -- so he knows the type of product that would be needed to do the job. His company sells the Freedom Filter - a high quality gutter filtration system that will not get dislodged, not clog, and not wear out. He even put a 20-year warranty on it.
From the design, I could see it would work. But my concern was that the filter would eventually break down from being exposed to the elements (wind, rain, UV light, and all the problems that come with overexposure to water, like mold and fungus.) Joe explained it has a Biocide that is part of the material and kills the fungus and mold. It's also a fast-drying material and only retains a small percentage of moisture which limits any biological matter from forming. The fact that it allows water to move through quickly also prevents dangerous and heavy ice and icicles from forming on your gutters.
It's very important, number 1, to have gutters. Gutters help protect your home by channeling water away from the roof, siding, windows, and the foundation of your house. If rain runs off the roof and down into your foundation, it can weaken it or contribute to flooding in your basement.
And, number 2, if you have gutters they need to stay free of debris. If they are clogged and cannot move water away from your home, it's the same as not having any gutters at all.
Joe's Freedom Filter will help keep your gutters from clogging and he guarantees it. I'm going to be ordering my set very soon - it's just not safe to keep climbing up on a ladder every month to clean all the pine needles out of my gutters. Sooner or later, something bad could happen.
If you'd like to order your Freedom Filter, or you have any additional questions about it, give Joe a call at 216-319-1942 (email him at Joe (at) GutterPlus.com) or visit his website and check out his Frequently Asked Questions page.
If you need gutters installed first - you can go to our Gutters page and submit a request at no cost. We'll connect you with our network of Gutter Contractors - for free - and they should have no problem installing your Freedom Filter at the same time!
