April 2018

GUTTER COVERINGS Which (If Any) is Right For Your Community? By Dan Fusco, CMCA, Vice President Associa - Community Management Corporation

As associations begin to schedule spring gutter cleanings, many boards contemplate the installation of gutter coverings....

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S ifting through the information on the numerous options available can be daunting. There are gutter screens, guards, filters, helmets and inserts and variations of each. Additionally, the costs vary consid- erably. While some gutter coverings are sold in standard three or four foot sections, coverings that are adjusted per linear foot can be as inexpensive as $2.80 for plastic screens and go up to an installed price of $14.00 per linear foot for helmets. Bulk purchases can reduce these fees from $1.75 to $5.50. The majority of gutter cover-

ings, with the exception of the helmets (which are installed by a professional contractor), can easily be installed by a superintendent or handyman. Metal screens can be hinged or the drop-in type for standard “K style” gutters. [sic] Plastic or metal screens are the easiest to install although they will allow some bugs and debris to get into the gutter. The gutter cover looks like a cap over your gutter. Water flows from the roof over the cover and into a slot along the front edge. Foam filters are water-permeable

inserts. They can be treated to resist mold, repel insects and should also be treated with a fire retardant. Foam filters fit both “K style” and half round gutters. The black polymer can dry some of the leaves that fall into the gutters which may eventually y blow away in the wind. Gutter helmets, similar to guards and covers, extend over the width of the gutter. Gutter helmets can be extremely effective on buildings that are surrounded by large trees such that very little debris winds up in the gutter.

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