Every construction requires a sound foundation. The quality of the material used defines the building's durability, longevity, and safety. The same is no different for our homes' interior and exterior construction. The interior of buildings such as our homes, offices, and venues require regular maintenance; their problems tend to come up only once in a while as long as they are built with high-quality materials in the first place. However, exteriors can be a bit more challenging.

           The exterior section of our homes, for instance, has to endure a plethora of difficulties such as but not being limited to heavy weather conditions, animal nests, vegetation, pests, rusting, and so on. That is why the design of their layers, technology installed within them, and finally, the quality of their material is of paramount importance. The problem, however, is that many of us homeowners don't place equal emphasis on the exterior sections of our residences. Often, we are led to believe either by our constructors, friends, or even ourselves that the interior area must be preserved by all means while the exterior will be durable enough for anything mother nature and the urban city life is ready to throw them over. Our residences' exteriors need maintenance, period. The question is, what can we do about prolonging their lifetime, and how to best implement this?

           The answer is simple: utilizing and installing the highest quality materials that fit our budget for our exterior elements. Roof shingles, chimneys, sidewalls, and skylights are obvious exterior parts that come into mind when we want to improve our homes. But what about our rain gutters and downspouts? We often think about them as "install and forget" materials, only to realize that they either require maintenance or innovative material designs that render them requiring little to none of that. It is true that if we get our gutter guard installation done by a professional crew, their longevity will undoubtedly enhance. The truth can be said even more so for their materials. The rain gutter guards can come in a variety of select materials, all depending on your needs. However, every home requires specific needs. So you may ask, what is the best gutter guard material to use for my home? To answer that question, we compiled a list of various materials for your gutter guards right below!

What is the Best Gutter Guard Material to Use?

           When it comes to gutter guards, many ask which material is the best to use for our gutter guards? While the answer may seem obvious for many of us, various material types are required for different weather and location conditions. They all have their ups and downs. For instance, while aluminum may be a sturdy and durable enough material for the majority of homes in locations that receive heavy rain year-round, residences located in states that experience all four seasons may be looking for a material such as copper for its higher durability and better resistance to sudden temperature changes. There are niche and legacy materials such as nylon mesh and wood that may perform the required task at hand. The performance of your gutters and gutter guards can ensure that you are happy and carefree about heavy weather conditions or that you will be constantly forced to deal with them.

Pros and Cons of Different Materials for Gutter Guards

           We will examine five varieties of the most popular gutter guard materials. These are wood, nylon mesh, plastic, aluminum, and copper gutter guards. Each and every one of them has its unique pros and cons. However, some of them may be impractical for certain conditions, and some, such as copper gutter guards, may be difficult to acquire due to their high quality and limited availability. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't consider them, though, as the benefit of having their paramount many other varieties!

           The availability of these types of gutters is dependent on the state you live in or the reach of your supplier. Depending on the season or store focus, gutter material suppliers may or may not have each material in their inventory. The gutter guard material cost is affected the same way. Don't fret, though! As we live in the 21st century, you will surely be able to acquire your desired type of gutter material for the best gutter protection system for your home! Without further ado, here is our gutter guard material guide below.

Wood Gutter Guards

           Wood is considered as a legacy model among the types of gutter materials. They are rare and hard to find within residences, except for restoration works. They are expensive, and their cost generally starts up from $25 per linear foot, and the price can go up as high as $50 depending on the quality and rarity of the wood. The first examples of wood gutters and wood gutter guards in the US were made from ancient cedar trees, and this variety is nearly extinct today. Thus, it explains their rarity. Wood gutter guards look beautiful in the right setting! This can be a good option if you want to go entirely natural with a cabin in the woods or prefer altruistic materials instead of industrial ones. However, as wood quality is important and it's hard to attain a sufficient amount of high-quality wood material for your gutter protection systems, we humbly recommend that you consider other alternatives for longevity and efficiency.

Nylon Mesh Gutter Guards

Plastic Gutter Guards

            Plastic gutters guards are another cheap alternative popularly used throughout the 90s in the US. Plastic gutter guards have been referred to as a lifetime solution for your home, predominantly for easy manufacture and distribution. However, just like their nylon mesh counterparts, plastic is cheaper but not as durable as metal. They suffer from the same consequences that nylon mesh experiences by becoming bent, warped, and cracking, especially when exposed to heavy weather conditions such as hail, snowstorms, and heavy rain. They can also break by falling tree limbs quickly during these same weather conditions. Finally, UV light from the sun or your solar lights atop your roofs can also damage them. Thus, we highly recommend that you pass plastic gutter guards entirely to benefit maintenance and cost-efficiency.

Aluminum Gutter Guards

            When it comes to performance and efficiency, few gutter materials beat aluminum gutter guards. With their beauty, durability, and resistance to severe weather conditions, aluminum gutter guards are nearly unrivaled in their efficiency for our home exteriors. They are well suited to handle temperature changes and extreme weather conditions throughout the year without bending, cracking, warping, and, most importantly, clogging. The clogging part is especially through if you decide to install micromesh gutter guards that are virtually maintenance-free and debris-proof. Aluminum gutter guards offer a lifetime solution for keeping your gutter systems free of pests, debris, and any problems related to maintenance. When it comes to gutter material costs, they aren't expensive either. Cheaper than wood gutter guards and roughly the same price as their plastic and nylon mesh counterparts, aluminum gutter guard prices start around $15 per linear foot. They can manage snowstorms, heavy rain, hail, and pretty much anything mother nature is ready to throw at them. If you are looking for a gutter protection system that will last for a lifetime, then aluminum gutter guards are one of your best bets!

Copper Gutter Guards