Gutter Guard Installation

A gutter guard is a cover that sits over the top of your eavestrough. Water flows over or through it and into the trough, while leaves, needles, seeds and twigs are kept out and blown or washed off the roof edge. The goal is simple: keep the eavestrough and downpipes flowing freely with far less cleaning.

The difference between guards comes down to how they separate water from debris — and how well they're built to stand up to snow loads, ice and years of UV exposure.

There are dozens of products on the market, but most fall into a few broad categories. Each has strengths and trade-offs.

We install Kaycan Performance ProGuard II, a rigid anodized aluminum guard with a high-flow louver profile. It's built to handle the conditions GTA homes actually face — heavy summer downpours, fall leaf drop and winter snow and ice — without sagging, cracking or blowing loose.

Because it's made of aluminum rather than plastic or foam, it doesn't become brittle in the cold or break down in the sun, and it's backed by a 20-year manufacturer warranty plus our 3-year service warranty.

A common question is whether gutter guards cause ice problems. The honest answer is that no gutter guard prevents ice dams — those form on the roof because of heat loss from the attic and freeze-thaw cycles. What a good guard does is keep the trough free of leaves heading into winter, so meltwater has a clear path to the downpipes instead of freezing in a clogged gutter.

A rigid aluminum guard also supports snow loads without collapsing into the trough. If your home has a history of ice dams, guards can be combined with heat cables for added protection.

Gutter guards deliver the most value on homes that collect a lot of debris or are difficult to clean safely. If you're scheduling multiple cleanings a year, guards will often pay for themselves over time in reduced maintenance.

No guard is truly maintenance-free, and you should be wary of anyone who claims otherwise. Fine debris like pollen, shingle granules and roof grit can still settle in the trough over time, and debris can occasionally sit on top of the guard after a heavy leaf drop. The difference is that maintenance becomes occasional rather than constant.

We always clean and flush the eavestroughs before installing guards, and we check that the gutters are properly sloped and securely hung. Installing guards on a sagging or poorly pitched system only hides the underlying problem.