What Are Foam Gutter Guards?

Foam gutter guards, or foam gutter inserts, are gutter guard products designed to act as a type of sponge. The foam of the gutter guards allows water to flow through them, but doesn’t allow debris and leaves to get down into the gutter itself. 

In this way, they do not act as gutter covers. Instead, they merely fill up the gutter, leaving no room for clogged gutters. It makes sense in theory, but do they really work?

Do Gutter Foam Guards Actually Work?

There are a lot of problems with foam gutter guards. For starters, they only technically keep your gutter clean, because what they’re actually doing is filling your gutter with something else entirely — the foam. 

While there’s no denying that foam gutter guards offer easy installation (you only need to place them in the gutters) they also run the risk of creating their own clogs, primarily from small debris and especially hail. 

An installed gutter guard system that is made out of foam will collect detritus, leaves, seeds, pollen, shingle-gravel, and more, which create clogs.. On the other hand, high-quality gutter filters, like those from The Gutter Gorilla, offer gutter protection through a screen on the top of the gutter. 

These filters let the water flow freely through the gutter and down the downspout, never accumulating in the gutter. When freezing temperatures hit, there is very little standing water in the gutter to cause a problem. 

Worse, because a foam gutter guard is essentially a sponge, it can encourage the growth of mold, moss, and fungus in the gutter. It becomes a hydroponic growing situation, where these organisms can grow. In some cases, the seeds that fall from trees can collect in the foam. You can end up with sprouts coming out of your foam gutters.

Foam Gutter Guards Are Hard to Clean

One of the major selling points of gutter guards is that you won’t have to clean your rain gutters However, foam-style gutter guards simply accumulate debris and will need to be removed and hosed or scrubbed down. 

Using a grate-like type of gutter, like The Gutter Gorilla offers, eliminates dangerous and dirty gutter cleaning. You generally won’t need to do much maintenance when it comes to our products, other than hosing the mesh off or sweeping the dry mesh clean

The Gutter Gorilla Makes the Best Gutter Guards on the Market

Affordable and invisible, The Gutter Gorilla is a system that prevents material from getting into the gutters in the first place. Our solution ensures that no water will build up in the gutter (leading to dangerous freezing conditions) and it makes the cleaning of the gutters simple and quick. 

Looking for new gutters or gutter repair for your South Carolina home? See how we can help!