gutter covers
 

Does anyone in the Lakes Region have experience with a contractor that installs gutters and gutter covers that will keep out pine needles? Anyone with a pine forest around their house that is using a gutter cover that works? surrounded by pine trees, previous gutter needed weekly cleaning. All gutter covers I have read about do not do well keeping out pine needles. And many covers force water to flow over cover and not into gutter.

normally I would say best cover would be chainsaw but that is not practical as there are too many trees, not just a couple.

Possibly the best solution may be to eliminate the gutters except where necessary such as over entrance ways. Install a French Drain around the building to carry the water away from the building.

Gutter covers
 

No gutters now. Would like one over deck. No issues around basement so far.

Gutter Covers
 

I have gutters with covers and pine trees to the west and northwest of the house, and close.
I got the covers at either HD or Lowes, about 3' long, with slits for the water to enter the gutter. Does it gather pine needles? Yes. However, I can reach the gutters from the ground, using a push broom. Just by walking along, dragging the broom across the gutters, sweeping the needles of and onto the ground.
Guess it works for a 1story house, maybe not so much for a 2 story.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Huh? I'm lost so you have gutters or don't?

No gutters now, had 1 gutter the entire length of the back of the house over deck the length of the house. Took it down because I was cleaning the gutter out at least once a week and all the reviews read about covers they did not work. I would like a gutter there but not spending the money if its going to fill up with pine needles constantly. I can reach because of the deck but don't want to be out there constantly cleaning it.

Upthesaukee
 

So you are saying the pine needles are collecting on top of the cover but not getting into the gutter? Many reviews of the the solid covers where water runs over and into gutter have said if it rains hard enough the water does not enter the gutter it just runs over the cover and onto ground or in my case the deck, that would defeat the whole purpose of a gutter.

I use two types of covers that have worked very well over the last 7 years. One is a stiff foam like baffle insert that is in the shape of the gutter. I bought these at Sams Club a number of years ago for cheap! https://www.samsclub.com/sams/gutter...rod14860272.ip

I also use on top of these baffle the cheap aluminum serrated covers. The internal baffles help support the cheap aluminum covers and pine needles stay out. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Amerimax-...Q&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yes once a year you should sweep off the covers but that is pretty easy. I have never taken them apart for a clog yet!

Dan

Taz, if you are asking me (can't see the subject of the individual posts on Tapatalk ) about pine needles on the top of the gutter covers, the answer is yes, but easily swept off. The covers have slits, and in most rainy conditions, the rain does go down into the gutter. Only the heaviest rain, a real gully washer, will run over, but rains that heavy would fill the gutters without the covers and overflow.

I do not miss cleaning the gutters several times a year of the pine needles, and in the fall, oak leaves as well.

Good luck.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Upthesaukee
 

Thanks for your info. Do pine needles get into gutter at all through the slits? If they do then the cover has to be removed to clean them out. Do you know the specific cover, brand etc because I have looked at Lowes/Home Depot and they have more than one kind.

I don't remember the brand, their cost, or even whether it was HD or Lowes. I annually look under the cover over the downspout and have found no pine needles. It is possible in sweeping the needles off the covers, small pieces of needle may fall into the gutter, but wash right out with rain due to their small size.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

I installed stiff foam gutter inserts similar to the ones Dan described a couple years ago. They are available through Home Depot's website for delivery either to the closest store or to your home, with free shipping. I didn't, however, install aluminum covers like Dan did. A couple times a year I brush or blow any accumulated pine/hemlock needles off the top surface of the foam (which is treated and is quite durable). The inserts work well. They are very porous, with a channel at the bottom for rainwater to flow to the downspouts. I have not noticed any rainwater "run-over" even in heavy downpours.

You can check them out here: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rain-Filt...-203009078-_-N