Welcome to our Gutter Cover Wars series, in which we compare the most popular types of gutter protection in Shrewsbury. LeafGuard and Gutter Shell are the first gutter protection systems we’ll examine in the series.
In our head-to-head comparison, we compare Gutter Shell and LeafGuard in the three key categories that matter most to homeowners: price, performance, and upkeep.
Let’s take a look at how they measure up.
LeafGuard: Shrewsbury homeowners can expect to pay a pretty penny for LeafGuard. This is because LeafGuard is one big piece that requires you to replace your downspouts and gutters. It doesn’t matter if your current gutters are in good shape—if you want LeafGuard, you’ve got to get rid of them.
Gutter Shell: Gutter Shell is securely installed over your gutters, so replacing your current system is not necessary. This saves you potentially thousands of dollars on a gutter cover that’s actually tested and proven to be STRONGER than LeafGuard’s one-piece system.
LeafGuard: LeafGuard is a surface tension-based gutter cover. The water flows down LeafGuard’s sloped hood and is pull around the nose of the system and into your gutters. This also makes LeafGuard a great debris blocker. The only downside is that LeafGuard is a single-drop system, which means water has just one opening to flow through. If rainfall gets too heavy, excess water will fly over LeafGuard and land next to your home’s foundation.
Gutter Shell: Gutter Shell also uses surface tension to let water in and keep debris out. Gutter Shell, however, performs in heavy rains much better, as it’s a double-drop system. Any water that is not picked up by the first opening is caught by the second opening. In terms of performance, this makes it a more reliable choice than LeafGuard.
LeafGuard: Shrewsbury homeowners can expect a solid, strong design in LeafGuard. The system lasts awhile, but if a problem does occur, you’re in for a massive headache (and wallet drain). Since LeafGuard is one big piece, you have to install a completely new one if just one area of the system breaks down beyond repair.
Gutter Shell: Gutter Shell requires little maintenance beyond the occasional spray down with a hose. In addition, Gutter Shell is guaranteed to perform and remain clog-free for as long as you own your home. And in the rare event you do need the system replaced or repaired, Gutter Shell’s design makes the process extremely easy.
For homeowners in Shrewsbury, LeafGuard is a decent option. It does, however, have drawbacks—namely, price, its inability to withstand heavy rain, and that it is a single-piece (gutters, downspouts, cover) system.
Gutter Shell, on the other hand, just doesn’t have those problems. It lasts for life, withstands the absolute worst weather, and is much more affordable. That’s why we’re declaring it the winner of Gutter Cover Wars Round 1.
Want to know more about Gutter Shell? Click here to find out more. And to see Round 2 of our Gutter Cover Wars series, in which we compare Gutter Shell and LeafFilter, click here.
