Leaf Filter. Is it Canada's Best Gutter Protection???

 

Leaf Filter!!!! Ahhh!!!!! "Canada's Best Gutter Protection!" At least that's what their website claims. You see them at Home Shows, you see their commercials, and you see their Facebook Ads. They seem to be everywhere! They claim on their website to have installed over 47,000 meters of product in Canada for more than 1 million customers! Now that's impressive!

So let me ask you, "Why wouldn't you want it?" If you look at their website and ads, they look and appear to be the perfect company. They are filled with fabulous testimonials, appear to have the best product on the planet, and seem to have the best customer service.

I feel compelled to write about this gutter protection because of issues I've encountered with Leaf Filter. Let me start off by saying, I do not think they have a necessarily bad product. I think in most instances it's actually a pretty decent product and would give it a passing grade for its effectiveness at keeping debris out of the gutters. However, let me state some issues, questions, and concerns I have with the product.

1. THEY USE HIGH PRESSURE SALES TACTICS.  After requesting an estimate, your first encounter with Leaf Filter will be with someone from their sales team. A friend of mine, Daniel (who is a quadriplegic), had them give him a quote and he said they are highly trained and extremely high pressure. He likened it to the vacuum cleaner salesmen from yesteryear. I'm old enough to remember those salesmen and had a couple in my house in the 80's. They simply didn't want to take no for an answer and tried to make you believe one of the most foolish decisions in the world would be made if you did not buy their product. 

2. IT IS TERRIBLY OVERPRICED.  My friend, Daniel, lives in a bungalow with 200 lineal feet of eavestroughs. Daniel told me the salesman's initial price for "Canada's Best Gutter Protection" was $9600. That's an eye popping $48 per lineal ft!!! When he balked a couple times at the price, the salesman made a couple calls to "his boss" and was able to find some discounts and get the price down to $6000 or $30 per ft. Here's how outrageous that price is: I could install all new eavestrough, fascia, soffit, AND an awesome gutter protection on Daniel's home for $7400!!!! This shows you how out of line Leaf Filter is on cost! Now for the sad part, Daniel accepted their quote for $6000 and Leaf Filter installed the product in a matter of days.

3. DOES LEAF FILTER REALLY KNOW ABOUT EAVESTROUGHS OR DO THEY PRIMARILY WANT TO SELL YOU GUTTER PROTECTION? Based on Daniel's experience and my running into a Leaf Filter salesman at a Home Show, I tend to think they really know little about eavestrough and simply want to sell their product. I quizzed the person at the show about eavestroughs and asked questions anyone involved in the eavestrough business should know and the guy was clueless. Also, my friend, Daniel, well, his eavestroughs are 30 years old, in pathetic shape and need replaced. Leaf Filter told him they would repair these eavestroughs so they would be as good as new! After Leaf Filter did the install, the corners still all leaked. Daniel phoned many times to try and get them back to no avail.

4. I QUESTION HOW DURABLE AND DEPENDABLE THE PRODUCT IS.  Daniel contacted me yet again about Leaf Filter issues because it didn't look right. Here is what I found! Look at these 4 pictures. The Leaf Filter is coming apart and it's only a little over a year old! 

Needless to say, Daniel has a great deal of buyers remorse!

5. LEAF FILTER'S ON-LINE REVIEWS ARE NOT THE GREATEST! Take a look!

Here are their:

Google Reviews with a score of 3.5 out of 5: leaf filter reviews

Home Stars Reviews with a Star Score of 59% out of 100% Home Stars

6. IT REALLY ISN'T "CANADA'S BEST GUTTER PROTECTION" AS THEY CLAIM.  I would give it a passing grade as far as effectiveness with most deciduous debris and some coniferous debris. I actually like the product and believe it works on probably 80% of houses, but it is only "THE BEST" in their opinion, web site, sales presentations, and advertisements. As far as effectiveness to cost, I would give it a failing grade as it is just too ridiculously priced, in my opinion.

7. THEY HAVE SOME PRETTY BAD VIDEO REVIEWS ON YOUTUBE. Here's one of several!

Youtube Special Investigation on Leaf Filter

8.  WOULD I EVER BUY IT?  The answer is a resounding NO. The reasons above would strongly deter me from buying this product.....especially after what my friend, Daniel, has gone through! On another note with Daniel, last year I made a call to Leaf Filter on his behalf. I explained his Leaf Filter was only 4 months old but he needed new eavestroughs. I asked Leaf Filter if I could remove them, replace the eavestroughs, and re-install the Leaf Filter. The lady on the phone said, "Absolutely not!" She explained Daniel would need to call Leaf Filter and have them remove it. Then I could replace the eavestroughs. After I was done their installer would come back out and re-install the Leaf Filter! Seriously! But for another $6000??? Who knows?

This review may be viewed as a little self-serving, since I do install a different gutter protection. However, gutter protection is only a small fraction of what we do. We install eavestroughs, fascia, soffit, siding, roofs and gutter protection. I also think my reputation speaks for itself. If you would like a quote for any of the above items listed in this paragraph, please contact us at:

The Eavestrough Company at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at https://theeavestroughcompany.com

Or for a roof at:

Peak Roofing at 905-746-5792 or visit our website at https://peakroofing.ca