Are your gutters constantly clogged with pine needles from Seattle’s dense evergreen trees? Do you live near the ocean and worry about your gutter guards rusting in the salty air? Are you wondering which gutter guards can stand up to Seattle’s year-round weather challenges?
Even though pine trees and ocean views make the Seattle area an incredibly beautiful place to live, it also causes the need for more frequent maintenance and expensive remedies. If you’re going to spend the money to get gutter guards installed, then you certainly want to make sure that they can fix your problems and last a long time in this environment.
At RoofSmart, we install hundreds of gutters and gutter guards all over the Greater Seattle Area every year. After 13 years of discussing gutter and gutter guard issues with customers and helping them find gutter guards that work best for them, we’re also well-versed in the gutter-related issues specific to this area.
In this article, we’ll explore which types of gutter guards work best for Seattle’s unique climate, from blocking pine needles to withstanding the harsh conditions of coastal living. By the end, you’ll have the information you need to choose the most effective type of gutter guards for your home, ensuring your gutters stay clear and your home remains protected.
What are common issues gutters face that can be fixed with gutter guards?
Even though gutters are designed to capture and redirect rainwater, the unfortunate truth is that they also collect debris that falls on the roof. Things like leaves, pine needles, and seeds can all accumulate in your gutters and clog them, especially if they get jammed into the downspout.
Here are a few examples of what that looks like:
The clogging can cause your gutters to overflow and spill out onto the ground. Water that collects at the foundation of your home can cause flooding in your basement.
With gutter guards in place, you’ll have a reliable way to keep debris out of your gutters and prevent them from clogging.
If you have a very tall roof with gutters that are not easy to access, this makes it dangerous for you to clean them out. Even for a hired professional, it can still be dangerous. Using gutter guards means you’ll have to clean your gutters less frequently. Depending on the type of gutter guard you get, you might not have to clean them at all.
What types of gutter issues do homeowners in the Seattle area face?
Pine needles
Pine needles are a major issue in the Seattle area. In other places, there are two main seasons where trees produce debris: fall and spring. In the fall, there are leaves, and in the spring there are seeds and petals.
These two seasons are contained to particular times of the year. However, western Washington is densely populated with evergreen trees and prone to frequent windstorms. This is an unfortunate combination because it means that pine needles are blowing off trees and falling everywhere—including your gutters—year-round.
This constant flood of pine needles contributes greatly to plugging your gutters. Since it rains so much in the Seattle area, it is crucial to keep your gutters clear so that they do not overflow
Proximity to the ocean
Due to its location on the West Coast, plenty of homes in Seattle (and the surrounding cities) have access to beaches and waterfront property. If you have a house on or near the ocean, you know that this environment is rough on houses. Typically, having metal gutter guards for your roof is ideal because they are more durable. But some metals are more prone to rusting than others, especially if you’re near the ocean.
Which gutter guards work best in the Seattle area?
Gutter guards provide a barrier on top of your gutter to keep debris out. That way, your gutters don’t get clogged and overflow.
To ensure that your gutter guards are actually solving the problems you’re facing, it’s important to use the right kinds of gutter guards. This section will provide tips for choosing gutter guards that tackle gutter guard issues in the Seattle area.
Blocking out pine needles
The gutter guards that work best for blocking out pine needles are filter guards with mesh or micro-mesh. These gutter guards cover the top of the gutter and have holes that are too small for pine needles to get through. Screen filters also work well, so long as the holes are small enough to keep out pine needles.
These styles lay flat in the gutter, so you will have to clear off pine needles and other debris that collects on the top, but the benefit to them is that the pine needles can no longer get into the gutter and plug it.
Mesh gutter guards look like this:
A top-tier product that we recommend if you want to keep out pine needles and eliminate the need for maintenance is MasterShield. It is the only filter guard that is installed at an angle, which allows debris to slide right off.
Avoiding rusting gutter guards
Gutter guards are typically made out of two materials: plastic or metal. If you live near the ocean and you’re worried about your gutter guard rusting, it’s probably a good idea to get a plastic one.
However, it is possible to get a metal gutter guard that doesn’t rust. It will just require more research and will be a bit more expensive. Often, gutter guard filters are made out of stainless steel. It is more resistant to corrosion than regular steel, but it is still susceptible to it.
The difference lies in the grade of stainless steel. Some brands use 304-grade stainless steel, which is really designed for interior use. Other brands use 316-grade stainless steel, which uses molybdenum to be much more corrosion-resistant.
Which gutter guards do not solve my gutter problems in the Seattle area?
If you’re looking for a gutter guard to filter out pine needles, you should avoid hood gutter guards. These are also referred to as reverse-curve gutter guards due to their design. These guards are curved on the top with a small opening running along the outer edge that lets water into the gutter.
The idea is that water will follow the curve through liquid adhesion and all other debris will fall off the side onto the ground. The problem is that smaller debris like pine needles and seeds follow the same path as the water and still end up in the gutter. So, if you’re looking to keep pine needles out of your gutter, hood gutter guards are not a good option for you.
Here is an example of what that looks like:
As you can see, the needles are all over this roof, and there are also a bunch in the gutter despite having a gutter guard.
Choosing the Perfect Gutter Guard for the Seattle Environment
Finding the right gutter guards for your home in the Seattle area is crucial to keeping your gutters functioning properly. Whether you’re dealing with year-round pine needles or worried about rust from coastal conditions, the right type of gutter guard can make a big difference.
Mesh and micro-mesh guards are highly effective for blocking pine needles and choosing the right grade of stainless steel or plastic can prevent rusting if you live near the ocean. Avoid hood gutter guards if pine needles are your main concern, as they can still allow smaller debris to enter.
By taking the time to evaluate your specific needs and selecting the appropriate gutter guard, you can reduce maintenance, protect your home, and enjoy the benefits of a well-functioning gutter system in Seattle’s unique environment.
For more information on the different types of gutter guards, check out our article “How to Choose the Best Gutter Guard for Your Home” and explore the pros and cons of each type.
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