|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
Some of our gutters are very high and thus difficult to clean. The only way I can get to them is by renting a 45 foot boom lift. And they clog a couple of times a year. When they clog in the winter the ground is too muddy to support a boom lift so I just have to let them overflow until it dries out some.
So I've been looking for decent gutter protectors for a long time and haven't found any that would last, protect against pine needles and wouldn't require cleaning.
Today I signed up to have the Master Shield protectors installed. I have a three day right to cancel and was curious if anyone here had seen or heard anything about them. There are a few youtube clips online attesting to the effectiveness of Master Shield protectors, and I've got to say the product certainly looks like it will work. I honestly don't see a down side to them other than cost and they are spendy.
Basically they become an extension of the roof line over the gutter. The portion that is above the gutter is corrugated with slots in it to drain water. The corrugated portion is covered with a fine steel mesh, so fine that pine needles won't go through them and they can't get into the gutter. Maybe big leaves from deciduous trees would interfere with drainage, otherwise I can't see how they could not work.
Anyway, does anyone here have or know somebody who has this system and have any feedback?
See link for details.
Link:
|
|
 Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
|
Quote:
|
Also thinking about it, same reasons, don't know. Check the Gutter Helmet site.
|
|
Products like Gutter Helmet, Gutter Topper, and LeafGuard aren't all that effective against short fir needles. The needles happily follow the water right around the curve, which is supposed to separate water from debris, and right into the gutter. A few neighbors have tried those products with poor results and when the gutters do clog they are quite a bit harder to clean. If you have leaves they probably work OK. We got a quote for gutter helmet once, and he claimed if the gutters ever clogged they would come out and clean them for free - but that is not a manufacturer warranty, only a dealer warranty, and dealers come and go.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
KT, I've been looking for gutter protection products on and off for ten years and they all have shortcomings but the only shortcoming I can see on these Master Shields is how they might perform with big leaves (which we don't have) and on inside corners which might allow debris build-up but should be easily cleared with a hose. The fact that our roof is a fairly steep 12/12 reduces the inside corner issue to some extent.
For sure, most covers don't work with fir needles. These seem to be different. A very fine stainless mesh covers the corrugated slots. In fact they say that oils from the manufacturing process will tend to allow water to run off the tops of the gutters, rather than drain, until the oils wash away. Not much besides water can get through those. Maybe in a very heavy rain they won't keep up but *mostly* we get light rain for long periods of time.
I tend to be very skeptical of this stuff. Maybe we will regret the purchase but it really looks like they will work.
For downspouts, chains work but they don't get water away from the foundation. All the gutters tie into the foundation drain which exits down the slope 50 feet from the house so it would be hard to blow air up the spouts. The downspouts don't clog, but the opening at the gutter does. After pulling a handful of fir needles out of the opening in the gutter they always drain quickly, until the next glob of fir needles plugs them up again two minutes later.
Funny you should mention the nozzle cleaning method. I've been thinking that a pulsed sequence of nozzles could be used to sweep debris *up* the slope of the gutters, away from the downspout, and out the capped end which would have to be unlatch and hinged to allow the rinse water to drain. But it would be expensive even if it worked.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
KT, I'd go with bigger downspouts but they aren't replacing the gutters, they're just repositioning them and putting the protectors in place. If the protectors actually work the downspouts should be fine, if not... well I'll take advantage of their guarantee. The rainy season is only a few months away!
Frank, fortunately we don't have to worry about city sewers. All gutters tie into the foundation drain which drains to daylight 40 feet down the hill. At one point we had a problem with squirrels using the drain as an access to the roof but a screened cap put a stop to that.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
|
Quote:
|
Another approach I saw at a home show is a solid block shaped to fit inside the gutter. I think each piece is about a foot long. Solid material (green, like Styrofoam but extremely porous and very light) that goes inside the gutter so water runs through it but solids sit on the top and get washed over and down.
|
|
Those might work but weak points might be that they would either break down under sunlight, or the pores would clog up with algae, moss, dust or roof granules, or if they don't fit tight there would be gaps that would clog up, or that big leaves would lay over the top and allow water to run right off.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
Murf, I've seen those louvers but didn't think they'd help much with erosion given that we get 50 inches of rain a year. How much rain do you get in your area?
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
So we had the Master Shield gutter protection installed and it really seems it should do the trick. I took a six inch piece, tilted it at various angles under a faucet running full blast. It was impressive, every drop of water went through the screen from nearly perpendicular to nearly parallel to the water flow. I never would have believed that. We haven't had any rain since it was installed but here are the pros and cons as I see them now.
Pros:
- Completely encloses gutter so debris can't get in
- The enclosed gutter will keep wasps from building nests
- The screen is so fine that fir needles cannot get in
- I really think this will put an end to all gutter cleaning
- Wide color selection allowed us to choose a perfect match
Cons:
- Difficult to install, it took two hard working guys two full days to install 270 linear feet (very complex roof line, steep roof and 3 story house) Lots of fabrication by hand necessary to fully enclose gutters
- It only comes in 4' sections so that affects the look. It's hard to make a bunch of 4' sections look seamless.
- Relatively expensive
- Protection is at it's weakest at inside corners, where water flow will be at the highest and gutter protector area at it's smallest. Installers said that in the worst case we may need to hose those areas down once in awhile to wash the debris completely off. In our case the worst areas are the easiest to reach so that should be ok.
I'm almost looking forward to the rainy season.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
I'll take some pics but it won't be until this weekend sometime. The more I look at the installation the more I think I'll call them out to clean up some areas. For one, they had to lower the gutters but on a couple they didn't shorten the downspout so now the gutters are no longer flush against the fascia board.
We have had a couple of days of rain, not really hard, but they seem to work as advertised, especially with pine needles. After a rain the house is now surrounded by a perimeter of pine needles whereas before those would have been caught by the gutters.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
Not to start an argument but don't you spray moss killer on your roof every year or so? We do it here to extend the life of the shingles. It grows like crazy in the shade with all the year-round moisture and cool evenings.
So far we've been happy with ours, they certainly keep the fir needles out, but winters are an unknown. We'll know soon but we probably don't have the ice problems that are in CT (last year was pretty bad but it was really unusual).
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
It's sold under several brands, Lilly Miller is the brand I use. It comes in crystals and powder. When doing the whole roof I use the tractor sprayer to spray a stream a long distance, but for shorter spot coverage I use a super soaker squirt gun. This stuff works great.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
|
Quote:
|
Ken, The norm around here is a zinc strip to keep the moss, etc., at bay. The roofers put a strip of zinc sheet metal over the peak before putting on the ridge cap. The sheet metal is about 4" - 6" wider than the ridge cap so that 2" - 3" of it is exposed on each slope of the roof. When it rains a minute amount of the zinc leaches out and runs down the roof keeping it coated.This is more than enough to keep any growth at bay.Best of luck.
|
|
Murf, on our 12/12 roof we have one of those zinc strips at the peak. It keeps the moss off the roof for 4-6 feet down but below that the moss happily grows, at least on the shady sides. I think a zinc strip every 4 feet would keep it off but it's harder to retrofit than to spray once very year or two. We really don't have to spray very often to keep the roof moss free.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
Beaner, curious, how long ago was your MasterShield installed? It's been a few months here with no sign of what you're seeing.
Curious, it might be worth spraying a little bleach on a small section to see if that helps. That should kill about any moss, fungus or algae. It might be corrosion which stainless certainly shouldn't have.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
You can post them in your album, When you're logged in click on "My Profile" at the top of the page and scroll down to Add/Edit photos.
What does MasterShield say about the green stuff?
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
Hmm, can't see your picture.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
I don't have any idea what it is but it sort of looks like the algae that grows on rocks in the desert southwest. Have you tried bleach or any other treatments on it?
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
Thanks Dennis, it's Lichen that grows on the rocks in Arizona and not Algae! My brain is losing it.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
The master shield guards don't have any plastic. It's basically powder coated steel (or aluminum?) with stainless steel mesh. Maybe the powder coated finish needed some sort of inhibitor but I don't know if I've ever heard of that.
I wonder if this stuff was growing in the gutters before the guards were installed?
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
|
Quote:
|
I had new gutters installed with the Mastershield.
|
|
Sorry to keep bugging you but would you mind saying how long they were installed before this stuff started growing on them? Ours has been on for about four months and has no sign of anything yet but I wouldn't expect anything in that short a period. It could also be that the moss kill and zinc strips we use will keep it at bay, dunno about that.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
OK, thanks for the information. I'll have to keep an eye out for that problem. So far we really like the product but a year or two will tell. The rocks around here don't have much lichen on them so maybe that's a good thing.
Good luck with yours and if you find a solution please post it 
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
The disclosure policy linked to does say he does not get paid for endorsements but may get paid a commission when people link to a manufacturer site from his (which is a fundamental way web sites generate revenue). He also states that he will disclose when that occurs.
Whether that is accurate in all cases is another question.
Regarding testing, it can be very difficult to come up with apples to apples tests in many circumstances. Just read Consumer Reports sometime to see how there tests are done. They are often very easy to pick apart.
Link:
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
Frank, I'm as cynical as you are.
When the guy came out to show me these gutter protectors I fully expected to find them to be crap and decline any offer. But the product itself impressed me. I couldn't shove a fir needle through the mesh and holding a piece of the material under a faucet running full blast I was amazed to see how much water it let through.
It looked like big leaves might block the mesh but we don't have big leaves anywhere near the house so that wouldn't be a problem.
So we bought. I never considered that stuff might grow on them and block the water path. We haven't had that problem here (yet) but if it happened to one guy it clearly happens. I'm crossing my fingers that we don't get bit by the same problem but so far the protectors are working out well. If that problem happens, well, I'm hoping that spraying moss-kill or lichen-kill or whatever will take care of it and doing that is sure easier than cleaning gutters.
Regarding cynicism, how about global warming?
Seriously, in the mid 80s I worked in a business where it was a major pain in the butt to get accurate temperature measurements. We had three NIST certified mercury thermometers that didn't always agree. I'm sure these days the atmospheric and weather people always use electronic sensors and there are many ways those can give inaccurate readings. First, they have to be calibrated. What do they calibrate them against? How can they know that the calibration reference standard is correct? Then they have to assume that *all* components in the circuit (thermistor or current source temperature sensor, analog to digital converter, all resistors in circuit) give a linear response AND that they meet manufacturers specs (yeah, those never have mistakes). Then they have to assume that all the components give repeatable response in all ambient temperature conditions. Then they have to assume that the performance won't change as the components age. Then they have to assume that the sensor is located in a location that won't be affected by outside influences (here they found a few that were located in the exhaust path of roof air conditioner units!)
Give me a break!
And they claim to be able to accurately tree rings and ice cores and derive temperatures from a thousand years ago. Yeah, right. That has to be about as accurate as reading tea leaves.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
Well, SO FAR (knock on wood) the product is working fine here. Our dealer did tell us that some maintenance was required, specifically that needles may build up on inside corners and have to be removed. When the needles aren't removed then dripping does occur. One thing that helps us is a very steep 12/12 roof, I can see a shallow roof not working as well since the water won't wash down as fast and clear the debris as well.
Many of the complaints you link to are about icicles forming. I'm not at all sure that's a mastershield problem since icicles have been forming on eaves since the invention of the roof.
Some other complaints are about dealers and not about the product itself. Crappy dealers sell all kinds of products, good and bad, so maybe mastershield should be more willing to yank bad dealers but that's not a reflection on product performance. We installed a well respected heat pump brand but it's been a huge disappointment due to the crappy installation.
The BBB thing seems damaging but they give no details.
(An an aside I had a consumer issue with the BBB once and they are pretty much a worthless organization that runs for the benefit of the businesses that provide funding as opposed to consumers. There's no way my business would be a BBB member).
Have you found anyone else who has reported the problem you are having?
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
We're going on a year since the MasterShield was installed. Really no complaints so far. Have had to clean the inside corners in one spot twice with a hose and that's about it. Had two brief snowstorms during the winter, nothing severe, but had no problems. So far I'm satisfied. The installer didn't do the best work but it's not terrible. Mostly they took the lazy way and lowered the downspouts instead of cutting them shorter when the gutters were lowered.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
|
Quote:
|
kwschumm, any update on what you think of the product now that it's been 2 years?Thanks!
|
|
Our roof is very high and very complex and there are a couple of inside corners in the lower valleys where pine needles accumulate. An 8 foot ladder and a hose with a sprayer take care of that once a year. If the clogging valleys were waaaayyy up there it would be a problem.
Winters here aren't as harsh as some parts of the country. That said there are some icicles that grow on them but I don't think they are any worse than they were when the gutters were plugged up. Maybe it would be a much bigger concern in areas where it's snowy and freezing for months at a time. Snow here usually lasts for a couple of weeks and is gone.
The powder coated finish is holding up very well and the color was a real close match to our trim color so that worked out well.
I guess my biggest complaint is that the installation around the hexagonal gazebo on our deck could have been done a little better. That's sort of a quibble since it works fine and you'd only notice if you were up on a ladder inspecting it closely.
Really, no regrets other than the high price.
Somewhere I read that similar sorts of gutter protectors are available in one of the home centers for a much cheaper price. The installation is really important though, you want little guides to guide the water in a few key places and you need to fabricate end caps to keep critters out of the ends. If you're willing to do the install you could save some big bucks that way. Myself, I was willing to pay people to climb up 45 foot ladders and do it for me.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
|
Master Shield Gutter Protection - Anyone have them
In our area (coastal range of Oregon) about 75 inches of rain falls each year and water going through Mastershield into the gutters with a 12/12 roof works fine.
But we all have our experiences and mine are no more or less legitimate than yours.
BTW, wanna buy a CR top-rated Frigidaire washer/dryer set? Worst appliances we've ever owned.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Generator Weather Protecti
07-17-2009, 17:44 
Digg It 
Del.icio.us