So, you have decided on the best gutter guard solution for your project. Perhaps an integrated gutter mesh system, mesh panel, vinyl guard or other DIY gutter guards; now, you need to find a suitable installer that can correctly secure the gutter mesh to your gutters and roof.
Some gutter guard products are especially DIY-friendly. However, these products are typically less durable and require more regular gutter guard replacement. The most durable and permanent solution is the integrated gutter mesh system, typically installed by a gutter guard installer.
There are several gutter guard installation options; roofing companies, accredited gutter guard installers and companies, local gutter guard installers and handypersons, and the option to install gutter guard yourself.
Continue reading to find out where to find an accredited installer in the gutter guard industry and gutter guard installation techniques.
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Who should install gutter guards on your project
Roofing companies
Many new homes choose to use the roofing company involved in the home’s construction to install the gutter guard at the end of the project. This is often ideal for many projects because it minimises costs and simplifies project management.
However, some roofing companies do not install gutter guards or may not have the experience needed on more complex guttering installations, such as those involving box gutters or those using bracing. A project may require a specialist gutter guard installation company in that case.
Roofing plumbers
Some roofing plumbers will also include gutter guard installation services as an addition to projects that are extensions to their work. It is important to note that not all roofing plumbers have experience with gutter guard installation.
Like roofing companies, gutter guard installations that involve box gutters or require bracing may be better suited to a specialist gutter guard installation company.
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Accredited gutter guard installation service
Specialist gutter guard installation companies are ideal for commercial and residential projects because they are gutter guard experts. These services usually supply and install the gutter guard for your project, taking the project from quote to after-installation care. These companies provide expert advice on the best butter guard for your project and the installation process and also include gutter cleaning and guard replacement services.
These services are essential for significant housing developments or commercial projects to ensure quality control across the project, especially to comply with building standards and requirements.
For example, the Aquarevo Housing Project in Melbourne, featuring landscaping by Spire architects and collaboration between different building firms in close cooperation with South East Water, was completed entirely by gutter guard installation company Aussie Gutter Protection.
In collaboration with South East Water, ScreenTech supplied an AS4020 drinking water gutter guard system fitted to each home to allow the maximum rainwater harvesting to meet the Aquarevo Estate goal as Australia’s first-ever sustainable development of its kind.
The estate offered homeowners several unique design and layout options in land and home packages. Therefore, the gutter guard was supplied and fitted to dozens of housing and roof types with different roof styles and colours.
The installation was undertaken by Aussie Gutter Protection, which coordinated the fittings with building firms.
Aussie Gutter Protection is one of Australia’s largest gutter guard installers and a market leader in custom gutter guard solutions using ScreenTech Tuffmesh Aluminium products to meet the standards for drinking water for the AquaRevo project. Furthermore, the integrated gutter guard mesh product is a high strength, durable and has more modern aesthetics for homes with box gutters or parapets.
Local gutter guard installers
You can find local gutter guard installers near you on websites and apps such as Airtasker, Hi Pages and HomeAdvisor. These installers may be local handypersons with gutter cleaning services or roof plumbers who you can contract to either supply and install gutter mesh or other gutter guards or do the installation.
It is essential to realise that these people are contractors and may not be gutter guard experts or have any experience with gutter guard protection.
Some installers will also advertise cleaning on existing gutter guard or replacement services. Before contracting any replacement of an existing gutter guard, ensure you look at the warranty and workmanship guarantees of the original job, as most gutter guard installation companies offer guarantees and replacement warranty.
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Gutter Guard Installation Techniques
Gutter guard installation is typically straightforward on most roofs. However, your gutter guard installer must understand the specific applications. This includes not drilling holes that might allow water to ingress the roof.
Ensuring the mesh is cut correctly to provide the angle for the ski slope gutter guard system is essential. Gutter guard installers must ensure the water does not sheet over the top but filters through the mesh gutter guard and into the gutter. It also needs to be angled so leaves and debris falls from the roof rather than build up on the gutter guards.
A quality gutter guard installer also understands how guttering systems work and can see where potential problems may occur rather than leaving them for the owner to discover later.
Other speciality installation techniques include box gutter mesh installation that requires sufficient strength to support the product. Aluminium mesh with a thickness of 0.6mm is recommended for any gap over 500mm wide or more significant. Gaps greater than 750mm require bracing to support the gutter guard mesh.
Roof valley installation also requires specialist techniques. It’s crucial the mesh has sufficient overhang and is secured on both sides to help resist tears in the mesh in the long term. ScreenTech suggests a minimum 330mm wide mesh for a metal roof and 1000mm wide on a tile roof to allow sufficient length underneath the tiles.
It is also essential to consider how installation affects the best gutter guard solution, as well as products, and how it affects the purpose.
Types of gutter guard solutions include:
- leaf guard for reduced gutter cleaning and blocked gutter prevention
- bird proofing
- bushfire protection
- rainwater harvesting
- solar panel protection
Speciality products and materials such as ember guards installed for bushfire protection require experience installation techniques to ensure no gap more than 2mm. The installation requirement ensures that embers cannot penetrate the ember guard and comply with AS3959. Therefore, the ember guard must be installed precisely, especially at joints and corners, for extreme bushfire protection from BAL 49-FZ bushfire-prone areas.
Another gutter guard solution is a rainwater harvesting system which requires the knowledge of the highest quality materials that meet Australian standards. Your gutter guard installer must understand your needs for the system to quote and install the best gutter guard product for the right solution.
DIY gutter guard installation
There are several gutter guards that homeowners can easily install themselves. These gutter guards include:
- Brush gutter guard
- Foam inserts
- Vinyl gutter guard
- Mesh Panels
- Integrated mesh gutter guard system.
Some gutter guards, such as brush guards and foam inserts, are easy to install. Other gutter guard types, such as the integrated mesh system, are a little more complicated for a DIY installation. We recommend speaking with an installer or a gutter guard company to learn the difficulty of your home project.
Installing solar panel bird proofing
Alongside installing gutter guards, solar panel mesh is a popular addition to your gutter protection system.
It is important to note that solar panel mesh is a speciality gutter guard product explicitly designed for solar panels and roof protection. It, therefore, varies in specifications from gutter guards. For example, the hole size of the mesh is best at 12mm to allow optimal airflow and moisture control underneath the panels while blocking birds and vermin from nesting underneath. The mesh installation onto the solar panels is also different.
You must have an experienced installer who understands the product and installation techniques or risk damaging the panels and voiding any product warranties.
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Vetting gutter guard installation services
There are several questions to ask any gutter guard installer:
- Do you supply the gutter guard materials? What gutter guard supplier do you use for your products? Do they meet Australian standards?
- Do you have the correct Colorbond® colour gutter guard to match the roof colour and gutter colour?
- How familiar is the installer with the supplied gutter guard materials and their unique installation techniques?
- How familiar is the installer with gutter guard protection solutions such as bird proofing, rainwater harvesting and bushfire protection?
- Does the gutter guard installation include gutter cleaning?
- What experience do they have working with the specific roof and gutter type used? (This is especially important using rare materials such as copper or galvanised steel.)
- Does the installer provide workmanship guarantees?
- What other certifications and insurances does the company have?
- Do you have examples of previous work on a similar project? Can you provide pictures etc.?
- Do they have experience installing solar panel mesh? Does that include panel and gutter cleaning? Can you provide pictures?
If you install gutter protection incorrectly, it will cause problems. For example, gutter protection installed on a tile roof will cause water sheeting. Poor workmanship leads to costly mistakes, such as gaps in ember guard or an uncomplimentary aesthetic.
If you would like help finding a gutter guard installer, please don’t hesitate to contact ScreenTech. ScreenTech has a network of gutter guard installation partners throughout Australia with experience and diligence in their work and who we trust to install our products.
