Gutter Filter Eavestrough Protection is quite popular. Gutter Filter is a super easy to install plastic foam filter product that supposedly has a built in UV inhibitor so the sun will not damage it. The reason it is called Gutter Filter is that it looks just like a filter. See the picture below.
When new, Gutter Filter looks like it does in the above picture. It is 4" high and 5 1/4" across the top. Water really does pour through it and broad leaf debris blows right off.
Whose Filter is the Best?
There are numerous Gutter Filter type companies like Gutter Filter, American Gutter Filter, Gutter Stuff, Leaf Defier, Rain Filter (Costco), etc.... I'll let you in on a little secret. All these companies say their foam is better than the other companies foam, HOWEVER, they are ALL made by the same company!!! They were made by New Dimension Industries who then sold their company to DV8 foam fabrication. Yep....All foam Gutter Protections are made on the same assembly line!
WARRANTY?
Gutter Filter comes with a LIFETIME GUARANTEE! How could anyone go wrong with that?
If you read their warranty carefully, you will find out that the warranty DOES NOT cover coniferous treed areas nor is there a warranty offered for the product itself clogging. The warranty only is valid if the debris makes it through the Gutter Protection and clogs the gutter itself.
Then, when New Dimension sold out to DV8 Foam Fabrication, I found out that no warranties would be honoured for any Filter sold by New Dimension. So much for any warranty at all.
How long does Gutter Filter last?
Gutter Filter customer complaints are wide spread. I've had people tell me that they ripped all the Gutter Filter out of their eavestrough! I have seen it clog, collapsing and disintegrate. Filter products last a few years but end up being a disaster!
Just recently, I went out to quote a job for a Gutter Protection I sell that is made out of metal. When I got there I found that the homeowner had installed Gutter Filter 3 years ago and it was not working. She also informed me that it was blowing right out of the Eavestrough. I got a ladder and went up and was shocked at what I found! Look at the pictures below of Gutter Filter that's just 3 years old!
The Gutter Filter has shrunk and collapsed. The empty space at the front of the picture is a piece that blew out by the wind. Notice too that the brackets are all exposed. The Gutter Filter completely disintegrated over the brackets. I took one piece out of the eavestrough and this is what it looked like:
Here is how it sat in the eavestrough!
The Gutter Filter has shrunk from 5 1/4" across the top and 4" deep to 3"x3" See the pictures below:
The bottom line is that before considering Gutter Filter, Rain Filter or any other Filter product, think twice. It will not last no matter if they promise you a lifetime warranty, 25 year warranty or any warranty.
There are good Gutter Protections available on the market today. The Filter Product just isn't one of them. I would not consider anything that is not made out of metal and specially fitted or screwed in. That's why I prefer a product like Diamond Back Gutter Covers or Alu-Rex.
For all your eavestroughing needs and for gutter protections that really work contact The Eavestrough Company at www.theeavestroughcompany.com or phone us at 905-966-2564.
Thank you for this review. I was just shown this product today and wanted to look up reviews on it first. It seems like the answer to the full gutter prayers, but I wanted to see some real people experience with it. What a shame as it appears to be such a good product.
ReplyDeleteSteven. There are good products out there. The Filter product just isn't one of them. Just remember, don't consider any product that is not made our of steel or aluminum! I like Diamond Back Gutter Cover products and Alu-Rex. Best of luck in your hunt to cure your full gutters!
ReplyDeleteI have 4 investment properties, I have on that has steel mesh gutter guard on it and it has been a disaster, I continually have to unscrew it to clean out small trees and weeds growing in it. the other 3 properties have a foam filter gutter guard, They have been installed all about the same time which is now 7 years ago, they are still working great and have not collapsed or deteriorated in any way, they have lost a bit of the color and that's it. the only maintenance I have had to do is, where there has been a lot of leaves accumulating, I just pull that piece out give it a shake and put it back in.
ReplyDeleteSo not sure what your going on about, but it seems that you are just putting down a product that works quite well, to promote your and as far as all foam gutter filter are made from the same manufacturer that is a lie to, I done a bit of investigation on this and you can go onto the Alibaba site and find about 20 to 30 different foam manufacturers that do manufacture this foam and will make it to your specification down to the type of uv stabilizer you want in the formula. Perhaps you should put more effort into your product instead of putting others down, but one would only do that if they saw that product as a threat.
Michael. Thank you for your reply. I am well aware that in some applicaitons but very few, the foam filter can last longer than 2 or 3 years. I also am not saying that all gutter protections work in all applications. I have recommended to some customers that they not have gutter protection but simply opt for manually cleaning th gutters out. I have been in the gutter and eavestrough business for years and these blog articles are my opinions based on this experience. I have taken out thousands of feet of this filter in the last decade! I have taken out that without UV protection and that with UV protection. The foam filters can work on occasion for a while, but I believe people are better off installing no gutter protection rather than ANY foam filter. In my opinion, it is a waste of money just like installing plastic gutters.
DeleteI have installed foam gutter protection for ten years and over 100 customers. I have had ONE customer ask to remove it. It does work if you install it properly and use the proper UV protection, and in heavily wooded areas blow the tops of the gutters off about every 2-3 years. I have MANY customers that have had this product in their gutters for five or more years and it still looks and functions wonderfully. And ofr what it is worth I have had it on my own personal home in a heavily wooded areas for three years now and the only bad piece is the cheap one I had to buy from Ace Hardware because I was one piece short. Proof again...you get what you pay for.
DeleteDear Unknown. I am glad that you have had success with foam filter. There are some foam filters that are better than others, although all are made by the same company. I simply do not believe in a product that is not made of aluminum or some type of metal when it comes to eavestroughing. I think the high failure rate of plastics or foams is also a concern. Another factor to consider is that, for the contractor (or company owner) a superior product like Diamond Back Gutter Covers (and others) are the same price or a little cheaper. So even if a foam filter would work, why would I want to install it when there are better products at the same price point?
DeleteI put in DV8 about 3 years ago and it still seems to be in good shape. The problem that I am having is that the debris from the roof seems to be washed onto the top of the DV8 in the gutter and then the water just flows over the top of the gutter. Is there anyway to clean the top of the DV8 in the gutter? I thought of first blowing off the roof with my electric blower (I don’t have that much debris on the roof – two small trees in one place), and then reversing my blower into a vacuum and vacuuming the top of the DV8 in the gutter. But small pieces of it could get sucked up. Any other ideas?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Jeff
Jeff. Sorry. I accidentally deleted the first reply. The only way to clean this off is to take it out and pound the dv8 on the ground or do something to loosen the debris. Especially in roof valleys, the DV8 gets crusty and hard like concrete.
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