If you love the shade trees in your yard, but you're tired of their leaves clogging up your gutters, consider having gutter guards put on. The guards keep leaves from falling in the troughs, but rain can still fall in the gutters and drain away as it should. Here's a look at how gutter guards work and the different types of guards to choose from.

How Gutter Guards Work

The guards either fit down in the gutter troughs, or they sit on top. Either way, they are out of sight, so they aren't noticeable or make your gutters look ugly. The ones that fit inside the troughs take up all the room so there is no room for bulky leaves. The guards that rest on top of the troughs block the leaves from falling in.

How To Choose The Right Gutter Guards

Guards come in different styles. The guards that fit inside the troughs might be made of foam or brush bristles. Guards that sit on top are made of plastic or metal. They might be mesh or solid domes with slits for rain to fall through. Some gutter guards are attached with screws and others just snap in place.

Choosing the right type of gutter guards could be a matter of talking to a company that sells and installs them to see what they recommend. You might need to consider how easy the guards will be to keep clean and what type of tree debris you have on your property. While the guards keep out the majority of leaves, twigs, needles, and seeds, you'll still need to rinse out the gutters occasionally, and this may require taking off the guards and cleaning them too.

How To Get Gutter Guards Installed

Professional installation is a good option when it comes to working on your gutters and putting in gutter guards. Your gutters are important for controlling rainwater that rolls off your roof, so you wouldn't want to make an installation error, such as accidentally moving the slope of a trough, and cause your gutters to stop working.

You can get gutter guards through companies that sell and install the guards, so you don't have to worry about working from a ladder to put the guards on. Your gutters shouldn't have to be cleaned out as often once the guards are in place, but you'll still want a gutter professional to check and clean the gutters and guards periodically so you can catch problems with your gutters early and have repairs done when needed.