Brush gutter guards are designed to fit inside your gutters, allowing their tough bristles to trap leaves and large debris while still permitting water to flow through. Although they are affordable and easy to install, they require frequent replacement and periodic maintenance.
Simple bottle-brush guards can be purchased cheaply and installed quickly, even by someone with little or no DIY experience. In this article, you’ll learn more about how brush gutter guards work, their pros and cons, and if they’re right for your home.
How Brush Gutter Guards Work
Brush gutter guards have been on the market for approximately 20 years and are popular among homeowners and cabin owners with heavy tree coverage or homes featuring hard-to-reach gutters. Like a large bottle brush, brush gutter guards are wound with high-quality galvanized metal or stainless steel, securing the heavy-duty and weather-resistant bristles.
Unlike other gutter guards like micro-mesh guards and gutter screens that sit over the top of the gutters. Brush gutter guards rest inside gutters, filling the space while allowing water to flow freely toward downspouts, preventing clogging from leaves, pine needles, and other debris between their bristles.
The brushes hold onto debris, so leaves can be blown away or washed away by heavy rain or wind. They can come in several sizes to fit standard gutters, usually 5” and 6” in diameter. These guards can fit inside most gutter styles, including half-round, K-style, and box gutters.
Pros of Brush Gutter Guards
Brush gutter guards are DIY-friendly and are one of the least expensive options for gutter protection. You’ll have fewer trips to your roof to clean your gutters without breaking the bank.
Easy Installation
Brush gutter guards are easy to install and can be customized to fit most gutter and roof styles without fasteners or brackets to keep them in place. They are easy to install with minimal tools, making it a great home improvement project for the DIY homeowner.
Affordable
Like foam gutter guards, brush gutter guards are relatively inexpensive. Aside from being easy to install, you’ll only need a few tools to place them in your gutters. Despite their low cost, brush gutter guards still effectively block large debris while allowing water to flow through their bristles.
Low Maintenance
One of the biggest advantages of installing brush gutter guards is fewer trips to the roof to clean the gutters because their heavy-duty bristles trap large debris. Additionally, the space between the bristles allows wind and rainwater to blow or wash away the trapped debris. You can easily remove them from the gutters to clean them and remove debris.
Reddit user Guy72277 shares their experience with brush gutter guards, along with some installation tips:
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Cons of Brush Gutter Guards
Installing brush gutter guards is an affordable and easy option, but they also have disadvantages. You’ll need to determine if the low upfront costs are worth it in the long run for your home.
Risk of Small Debris Buildup
While brush gutter guards can block large debris, they aren’t as effective in preventing pine needles, small seeds, and other small debris from quickly accumulating and clogging your gutters. Some debris is blown or washed away, but some can remain trapped in the bristles.
Brush gutter guards reduce but don’t eliminate gutter cleaning. To extend the life of your gutter system, you’ll still need to clean gutters regularly to remove large and small debris stuck in the bristles and reinstall them afterward.
Requires Frequent Replacement
While brush guards help keep debris out of your gutters, they may need to be replaced every few years. Heavy rainfall and extreme weather conditions can damage the gutter guards over time. Additionally, brush gutter guards can be removed by pests or blown away by strong winds.
Check them once in a while to see if they’re still functioning properly. Determine if the long-run costs of replacing your brush gutter guards every few years are worth the affordable upfront price.
Visible from the Ground
The method of installation of brush gutter guards makes them visible from the ground. Because bristles are easily detectable, they may not be the top choice for boosting your home’s curb appeal compared to the clean lines of a traditional gutter.
Alternatives to Brush Gutter Guards
Looking for other gutter guard options? Explore the different types of gutter guards and learn if they’re right for your budget and home.
FAQs
No. Brush gutter guards require no hardware to keep them in place because they are designed to fit snugly into your gutters.
If you have heavy tree coverage, notice gutter blockages or clogged gutters throughout the year, and have a common gutter system, then brush gutter guards might be a good option for your home.
No. Brush gutter guards do not contact the roof, fascia, or soffits because they sit inside the gutters. Brush gutter guards should not affect your roof’s warranty.
Brush Off Frequent Gutter Cleaning
Brush gutter guards reduce but don’t eliminate gutter cleaning because their tough bristles trap large debris. They are also inexpensive and easy to install inside gutters.
However, their disadvantages include clogging due to small debris, a less aesthetically pleasing design compared to other gutter guards, and a lack of durability. You’ll still need to clean your gutters a couple of times a year, but brush gutter guards make the work easier.
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Main Photo Credit: Inga / Adobe Stock
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