We'd expect a similar outcome with maples and oak trees. It's not the leaves that are the issue, it's the flower buds and helicopters from the Maples and the tassels/catkins from the Oaks that are the real issues. The leaves would probably be okay, but much of the troublesome stuff falls in the spring.

You’re so welcome! Thanks for watching!

Hi John! We have a small sample of it. If I recall, it comprises of 2 layers of metal that offset one another. The version I have installs with the gutter and acts as both the gutter cover and the gutter hanger. In other words, there are no hangers holding the gutter in place, but just the screws that hold both the gutter cover and gutter together. The installation method is not new. Leaf Relief has been doing this for years. It's a lousy way to install gutters, in my opinion. It handicaps homeowners because if the gutter guard fails, which it might, then you have to not only remove the gutter covers but also the gutters since there aren't hangers holding the gutters in place. Essentially, everything has to be reinstalled from scratch if/when the gutter guards are replaced. The other thing that we've seen with this type of application is that the gutter covers tilt backwards. You always want a forward slope when installing your gutter covers. A rear tilting slope will lead to all sorts of issues that you don't want to encounter. If you can get over those first two major obstacles, how does the AluRex work? I don't know. We'll likely test it at some point, but don't have enough data at this point to accurately judge it. As a fellow homeowner, the above mentioned issues would be enough for me to pass on this as a viable option for my home.

Thanks for your comments, Jay. If you can get past the lies and "over priced junk," then I will tell you that valleys are a problem with or without gutter guards. Generally speaking, it's a bigger problem for water than it is for leaves, but there are a number of variables that determine how well leaves and debris will move out of your valleys. We've written an article about roof valleys. It's too late for you, but perhaps you'll help fellow homeowners avoid the same pitfalls. This article explains what you can do to hopefully overcome some of the issues: www.gutterguardsdirect.com/gutter-problems/roof-valleys-suck-and-theres-not-much-you-can-do-about-it/

Thanks for your comments, Nicholas. LeafFilter was properly installed. We were a dealer of the product for several years before their business model changed, so we know what we're doing. Also, LeafFilter is not supposed to install like MasterShield. MasterShield is designed to slide under the first course of shingles and LeafFilter is designed to install within the gutter. Not the same. Not even close. Now, if you're an installer or a customer, who knows what you've been told by the parent company. The bottom line is that while the two systems were invented by the same guy, LeafFilter will never install the same way as MasterShield nor will you be able to achieve the same forward slope. LeafFilter claims that their product is installed with an 11 degree slope that is built into the frame. This is basically true and is consistent with the slope of the installed product. MasterShield, on the other hand, was installed at a 32-degree slope, 3x greater than LeafFilter.

Are you speaking from experience? If so, please share... The stainless steel filters/screens on MasterShield and LeafFilter are nothing like what you've described. Any oil filter or cabin filter I have ever seen is made from pleated paper, contained in an encapsulated box/container/device that is designed to trap debris so that it doesn't travel places you don't want it to go. An exposed gutter guard is (or should be) designed to deflect leaves and debris, helped by gravity and wind. The finer the screen, the less likely it is to embed leaves and debris in the screen, and the less likely it is to clog. The issue isn't the screen clogging as many people claim or think; it's the ability of the gutter guards to shed leaves, pine needles and other small debris. For all of it's warts, the screen on LeafFilter has never clogged in any of our tests. However, since it's designed to install within the gutter, it is more likely to trap debris on its surface, which creates another set of potential overflow issues. Same is true with MasterShield that has the added benefit of a better slope to more easily shed leaves and debris and shingle granules (when installed properly). With that said, it's quite possible that enough residue from an asphalt shingle roof could clog the pores of finer screens over time -- say 10-15 years -- that it would require spraying off the gutter screen with a good nozzle on a hose or a pressure washer. We've seen it and done it, and it brings the gutter screens back to new, quickly, for another 10-15 years of service.

@ You can argue YOUR point until you’re “blue in the face” and it WILL NOT change reality‼️You’re pushing a flawed scam product‼️ A L L of these so-called “filter” type gutter guards, LEAF FILTER, LEAF GUARD, etc are marketed to senior citizens as once this product is installed, at fraudulent prices, by the way, “my husband “Bob” or “Bill” or whatever the hell his name is, won’t EVER have to get up on that dangerous ladder again‼️ It’s a “crock” of sh..❗️You know it but unfortunately unsuspecting seniors are suckered into the scam. ALL FILTERS MUST BE CLEANED OR REPLACED otherwise they fill up with whatever material they’re designed to catch. I would strongly suggest that you read up on “filter” technology or talk to ANY engineer NOT ASSOCIATED with ANY of these bogus companies pushing this crap‼️ Have a wonderful “filtering” day😂

Thanks for your comments, John. Who prescribes this angle and how do you achieve it when gutters sit how they typically do on homes? What looks flat on TV isn't flat in reality. It wasn't flat. In fact, we installed Valor using two different methods -- within the gutter and under the shingles. If you know anything about gutter guards -- sounds like you do -- then you also appreciate that "recommended" and reality are two different things. The gutter guard was installed at the best forward angle possible on the north side of the garage based on the position of the drip edge. The gap was only the width of the drill bit used to secure it to the fascia board. You'll note that we installed Valor on the south side of the garage, under the shingles, and, in most respects, it performed much better than it's north side sibling. I believe we made a video on that topic all by itself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/in-rhJ6lnMh9pqMsi=ZHGO7lWkZMsvVP5_

@@KeithRedElk if you don’t get help by calling their toll-free number, the BBB will facilitate your complaint as a neutral, third party: www.bbb.org/us/oh/hudson/profile/gutter-guards/leaffilter-gutter-protection-0272-132954203/customer-reviews

We have many videos testing gutter guards in the rain. Heavy and light, they're out there for your viewing pleasure. Keep in mind that sometimes heavy rains don't last the entire length of time it takes to shoot the videos, so you may see some gutter guards with lots of rain and others with less, but between the 2021 and 2024 tests, you'll find plenty of instances of hard rains. MasterShield was more heavily featured in the 2021 Ultimate Gutter Guard Challenge on this same channel. Klean Gutter is featured in this video at 02:29 and will be more prevalent when we release another batch of videos in early 2025.

@@gutterguardsdirect Thanks for the quick reply! I saw on your website that Klean Gutter Guard won the 2025 Ultimate Gutter Guard Challenge-- but was a bit confused since it is only 2024, LOL. So is that like if you win the 2024 trials, you are the reining "Queen" of the gutter guards for the following year ( 2025?) Which handles heavy downpours better: MasterShield or Klean Gutter? Thanks.

@@Fun2Learn4evertrue. We actually filmed it in 2022, but delayed releasing that season in favor of the current season first. So it’s a little backwards, but allowed us to showcase some other higher profile products this year.

That's true of any solid gutter cover with a slot or channel across the front of it. I believe that each year we've tested solid gutter covers, we've found bees or wasps under the cover after we removed them from the gutters.

I meant to say as far as the pitch in the leaf filters are concerned you can use the hangers to adjust the pitch.

Technically, LeafFilter is designed to sit on hangers that are installed properly inside the gutters. If you adjust the pitch of the hangers to change the slope of the gutter guard, while it may help with leaves and debris, it may allow water to spill over the cover. Furthermore, since LeafFilter sits loose on the back edge of the gutter -- it's not screwed into the fascia boards -- it would be more susceptible to dislodging if it has too much of a forward slope. The reality is there are a lot of better gutter guards on the market for the same or less money. LeafFilter continually playing around with installation methods doesn't really address the fact that it's dated technology with severe limitations and drawbacks.

While that may be an issue in New England, it's not a problem in most other parts of the country. I would guess that older, historical homes may have this feature up your way, but we rarely see shadow boards in the Midwest or Mid-South or South. In fact, a gutter guard that installs under the shingles would work with a shadow board 100% of the time since it would install above the board rather than running into it like you must be with LeafFilter.

It's a thing. Frankly, old or young, LeafFilter's mission is to screw the customer. Selling overpriced gutter guards, home water systems and walk in bathtubs are just a few of the ways Leaf Home does this. Some homeowners are smart enough to recognize this and show the sales reps the door. Some customers are smart enough to say "no" until they lower the price so much that it's hard to say no, and some folks keep looking for better solutions regardless of price. Much of LeafFilter's success comes from getting many people to overpay for their plastic gutter guards.

@@gutterguardsdirect They paid 27.60/foot for installed leaf filter screens. Only a one story home too.

It’s not an issue and actually improves the performance of gutter guards that are capable of sliding under the shingles. Not all gutter guards are capable and the companies that sell those systems are the ones who spread the myth. Keep in mind, the flatter a gutter cover sits, the more leaves and debris it will collect. This video illustrates the point: Do Gutter Guards Installed Under Shingles Shed Leaves Better? Find Out Now! [2024: EP8] kzbin.info/www/bejne/in-rhJ6lnMh9pqM

Don’t believe the hype! That’s untrue. Shingle manufacturers ONLY warranty its products from manufacturing defects. Whether drip edging or step flashing, anything can be placed under the shingles without voiding a warranty. Shingle manufacturers would not appreciate nor warranty a shingle where someone made a mechanical penetration through it - such as with screws or nails - but that’s not an issue when installing gutter guards, which simply slide under the 1st or 2nd course of shingles. Even if it were an issue, manufacturers would still cover the portion of the roof that was not damaged by screws and nails.

@nashguy207 Thanks for your question. We have seen but not officially tested it. We have a small sample installed on a section of gutter. It appears to work but there's always some remaining water on top of it after it rains. Because the holes in the top surface are so small, you may find water will overflow it at inside corners, if you have any. This is true for a most gutter covers. The product sits flat in the gutters. We're not fans of that option if you have other alternatives to install with a forward slope. However, since trees are some distance from your home, this, along with something like Gutter Rx or Shur-flo, would likely work just fine. Keep in mind that the flatter a gutter guard sits, the more shelf-like it is, and the more likely you'll have to clean off the covers at some point. With trees 70-feet away, it seems like any of the perforated aluminum gutter guards would be viable options for you since this is the environment where they perform best.

That's correct, Ted. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching and finding them helpful. I’ll have think about which one if it’s only one. A lot comes down to your angle when you’re presenting the product. What do you want your customers to understand about MasterShield? Where are you located?

I’m located in central New Jersey. Something that reinforces the value of mastershield, leaves no doubts that they are making the right decision. I’m still designing my second website, and love your non bias tests

@@bigmacattk I’d say any comparison video where there are a lot of leaves, pine needles and other debris on most of the covers. Look for videos shot in October. Relatively speaking, there’s always almost nothing on MasterShield compared to the other systems. If you look at the current season, we feature MasterShield as a long term tester. That and LeafFilter have been installed for 2.5 years at that point. MasterShield looks great compared to most. We’ll be releasing a new video on Tuesday that should highlight that pretty well for the 2024 test. I’d also look at a rain test video or two. We released one yesterday where it was raining really hard. MasterShield always performs well in the rain. There are likely some from the 2021 challenge that did well. Look for videos between episodes 7-15 that mention rain in the title. To find them, go to our playlist and look for Ultimate Gutter Guard Challenge 2021 and 2024. Hope this helps.

Thank you

Thanks for watching the videos. Your best bet is to find the gutter guards that you're interested in and then go online to see who installs it in your area. MasterShield has been the best performer in our tests, so I would recommend that you reach out to them at www.mastershield.com.

@@Makis0007 you wouldn’t normally do this. We only did it so that we could capture debris that collected inside the gutter. If we didn’t do that, then most of the debris would have flushed through the downspouts.

@@gutterguardsdirect Thank you! I apologize for even asking because I noticed you answered my question from 30:00. Had it been I kept listening till the end I wouldn't have asked. I had to pause the video to run an errand. Thank you for the response though. Very informative indeed.

You better have a nail puller if you expect to slide those plastic snap-ins under the nailed-down shingles... Be prepared to replace several dozen shingles or more during the installation. Don't waste your money or time with the Huxley or Americax plastic gutter snap-in screens... They do not work ... After a few hours if you manage to get one or two installed, the plastic will crack and fall apart from the sun rays in just a few years ... (Oakland Home Inspections LLC) Metal gutter guards are the only ones that work and fit, and do not crack or fall apart ...

@@bigmacattk you’re welcome. Thank you for watching!

Good to know. You’re in a beautiful part of the country and LeafFilter is lucky to have you on their team!

@@timtipton6349 go for it. Pick apart the installation.

The product comes w brackets to support and fasten the rear to the facia. The rear edge should be tucked up beneath the drip edge. The ends don't contract THAT much, they must be installed closer together: spec is 1/8 inch or less. The gutter height is normally adjusted to allow correct filter pitch. The square drip edge and short shingles will create problems no matter what you do. Tree debris is inevitable in a wooded area, the filters can simply be hosed off with regular roof cleaning. Factory authorized installations come with the company's service, warranties, guarantees, and me.

Careful you don't cause too much shingle lift tucking the rear edge under

Thanks for your insight and comments, Tim. It's great to hear from someone who works for LeafFilter. To give you some insight of our own, we WERE a LEAFFILTER DEALER from 2008-2011. Back then, the company that you work for was a dealer like we were. There were several dealers around the country. In about 2010, LeafFilter North negotiated the rights to be the exclusive dealer nationwide. I can assure you that we always installed the original LeafFilter correctly. I realize that they have introduced another product that they're also calling LeafFilter, but it's a completely different design. I can't tell from your comments which LeafFilter that you're referring to. I'll assume that you're talking about the original gutter guard, not the recently introduced one. If that's the case, it's designed to install within the gutter. In order to prevent LeafFilter from collapsing inside the gutter -- to support it -- the installer would add additional gutter hangers at the ends and along the run of each panel. At the time, it was a 5' long panel. While it would be ideal to slide the gutter guard under the drip edge -- if one exists -- it's not mandatory. I'm not sure where you're located, but if you've been doing this for a while, you'll appreciate that not every home has a drip edge. Even if they do, the longer the gutter run, the less likely that the gutter or LeafFilter would sit under the drip edge due to the fact that the gutter slopes towards the downspout. Drip edges are only so tall. When the gutter is properly sloped on a longer run, the drip edge may or may not play a role. The forward slope of LeafFilter is determined by the thickness of the frame. The frame is thicker -- taller -- at the rear than on the front where it is basically flush with the lip. LeafFilter ONLY screws to the front lip of the gutter. No screws were to be placed in the plastic upward flange that sits agains the fascia board. Doing this would generally cause the plastic flange to snap off. Furthermore, when screwing it to the gutter lip, there were 3 slots per panel that were approximately 3/4" long. The correct method of installing LeafFilter -- to prevent it from buckling while it expands (summer) and contracts (winter) -- was to set the screws and then loosen them so that the panel could shift left and right to expand and contract. Torquing the screws down tight on the plastic frame would prevent it from moving, which was critical to its longevity. Creating your own holes in the plastic frame also creates an issue because when the screws bind the product to the gutter lip, it can't breathe. However, what proved to be a bigger issue was that the UV light from the sun is often enough to cause LeafFilter to warp well beyond what would otherwise be acceptable. What I have described above is the correct way to install the original LeafFilter, and that's how the inventor, Alex Higginbotham, prescribed installing it. Maybe you've never heard of Alex because my understanding is that Matt Kaulig took credit for the invention. The original patents for LeafFilter date back to 1999, well before Matt and I were dealers of the product. If the "factory" has suggested that you install it any other way, then that's there decision as to how to overcome some of LeafFilter's limitations, but that's not how LeafFilter was designed to be installed during the years that we were a dealer and for any point prior to us becoming a dealer. Suggesting that a wooded area is going to require a homeowner to wash/blow off their roof may or may not be true. We have found that gutter guards that slope with the roof are more likely to shed leaves and debris. Naturally, there are other factors at play here, but generally speaking, it's easier for stuff to roll off of a gutter cover that is similarly sloped to the roof pitch. LeafFilter sits flatter in the gutter and is more shelf-like, which is a real issue in more heavily wooded and treed environments. LeafFilter was the first micro mesh gutter guard on the market, but it's sister, MasterShield, which was introduced in 2006, is made from aluminum instead of plastic, and is designed to slide under the first course of shingles rather than sitting shelf-like inside the gutter, is an improved invention. Neither is perfect, by any means, but MasterShield would be the better alternative in virtually every situation we have encountered since I got into this business in 1996. We have also removed our fair share of LeafFilter over the years. An example was where a LeafFilter sales rep told the homeowner that their gutters were fine. LeafFilter was installed without resetting the gutters and making the adjustments you talked about. This caused LeafFilter to pitch backwards towards the house and allowed leaves and debris to build up on top of it more than normal. The panels were bowing and warping at the ends, so LF's remedy was to add more screws to the front lip to try to force the panels down. I believe there were an average of 7 screws PER panel, yet it was still buckling. And the product was white, not even a darker color that would be more prone to expansion and warping. The first thing I said to the homeowner was that their gutters were toast and needed to be replaced. New 6" gutters, changing locations of the downspouts to get water well away from the house, and installing MasterShield gutter guards at an angle similar to the roof slope, solved their leaf and debris problems. We haven't heard from them once in 5-years other than to thank us for a job well done!

Why don't they tell you about the drip edge before installing????? Please help

Actually, none of the micro mesh gutter guards got clogged, per se. There were a few that appeared that way, but the screens eventually were self-cleaned by the rainwater. The bigger issue is leaves, pine needles and small debris sitting on top of the screens. This can give the appearance that they're clogged, and it makes it easier for water to spill over the top.

That's their way of saying they don't want to meet with only one of two homeowners. It's annoying, but it also makes sense. If the objective is to make a sale on the day of the presentation, it removes the final sentence out of the homeowner's mouth, "I've got to check with my spouse," if both folks are sitting at the table. I can't tell you how many times we've heard that line only to never hear from the one person who met with us. We figure most people can make a decision absent their spouse, but this is probably the most common line we hear at the end of our presentations if they opt not to move forward at that time. All the power to you, if that's the case. Talk about it and let us know when the time is right.