Leaf Defier - Gutter Protection Systems

At Gutter Care, we have been working with all kinds of Ontario gutters since 2005 and have seen every gutter-related product on the market. We carry Safe-Flow Wave and Leaf-Defier because they work best, are cost-effective, and are the only systems with which the manufacturer, not the reseller, stands by with a warranty. Underneath our comparison guide below, you'll find some important questions to ask when selecting a protection system.

PRODUCT	PENETRATES ROOF	VISIBILTY	MATERIAL	ADDITIONAL HARDWARE REQUIRED	FUNGICIDE, BIOCIDE & UV TO PREVENT MOLD	USES INTENDED GUTTER DESIGN
Leaf Defier®	NO	NOT Visible	High Grade Polyurethane w/ Biocide, Fungicide, UV Stabilizers & Fire Protected	NO	YES	YES - Gutter fully exposed to accept 100% of Water Flow
Gutter Armor	NO	YES High Visiblity	Aluminum	YES	NO	NO
Gutter Helmet	YES	YES High Profile	Aluminum	YES	NO	NO
Leaf Proof	NO Slides Under Shingles	YES Low Profile	Aluminum	YES	NO	NO
Waterloov	NO Slides Under Shingles	YES High Profile	Aluminum	YES	NO	NO
Other filter systems	see Important Questions, below.

Other Gutter Filter Systems:Important Questions to Ask When Comparing Filter Systems

How long does the warranty last?
Who provides the warranty? (It is important that the warranty is honored by the manufacturer, not by a reseller or distributor. A manufacturer's warranty signals how long the manufacturer expect its product to last. If it is only a warranty provided by a reseller, not only is it no guarantee that the product will not break-down, but there is a greater likelihood of losing protection if such a company closes).
May I see independent laboratory tests of your product material, to ensure that it is fire-resistant, will not freeze, and will not break-down over time?
Is your filter coated with a UV-stabilizer, biocide & fungicide?

Protective Mesh (including chicken wire or any sort of grating)

Our experiences cleaning eavestroughs with mesh were often awful and time-intensive. Clogs and dams were lodged underneath the mesh grates, and we had to painstakingly remove the mesh to get at it.

The big issue inherent with these products is the surface area where wet leaves can dry and stick. In the rare cases when we found mesh that was intact and in proper place, we often found that leaves had fallen, gotten wet, and as they dried on top of the mesh, fused to the product surface area – layer on layer – creating a thatch work skin of leaves. This prevented water from entering the eavestroughs in areas, causing water to roll over the eaves and down the outside of the house. In addition to this problem, we found that the majority of mesh products shift out of place or deteriorate. Slight gaps in protection cause huge dams – worse than having no protection at all. Considering that the natural expansion and contraction of eaves due to temperature fluctuations causes mesh products to shift, overstretch or snap off, these products are not a good option.

The bottom-line: Mesh products are inexpensive, but often become the cause of clogs and dams.

Roll-Water Protection Systems (products that work by covering eaves troughs and letting water gently cling and slip into the eavestrough)

Your gutters extend five or six inches from the edge of your roof for a reason. Canadian weather produces a high amount of precipitation and requires high-capacity gutters.

These products work by allowing water to gently cling and pour into only a thin open slit to your eaves. If your roof receives any more than a slight drizzle of rain, these thin slits are easily overwhelmed, sending rain over the side of your eaves. If your roof receives a lot of precipitation at once, these products work more like ramps, shooting the water off your eaves to the ground below. In addition, we found that these products funnelled tons of pine needles into your gutters, so if you live anywhere near pine or trees that produce small debris, you’re in trouble. Furthermore, ice formation remains unimpeded in the Winter, and builds up on top of the product and on the roof. See our Frequently Asked Questions page for details on how Leaf Defier handles ice.