Do gutter guards actually work with fir needles?
We sell gutter guards. We’ll still tell you what they don’t do.
Yes, but they don’t end cleaning completely. Good guards keep fir needles out of the gutter. Under heavy fir, you’ll still need to brush the top of the guard about once a year. In a This Old House homeowner survey, 17% of people with guards never had to clean their gutters again, and 41% cleaned once a year. Brushing off a guard is a much smaller job than digging out a full gutter, but it’s still a job.
Why are fir needles the hardest to keep out?
Broad leaves, like maple, alder and birch, are easy. They’re too big to get into any guard, they dry out, and wind or rain moves them off. Fir needles do none of that. They’re small enough to slip through any gap above a certain size. They fall almost all year, not just in the fall. And once wet, they knit together into a mat that sits on the guard like a lid. In our steady rain, that mat stays soaked and slowly rots into sludge.
Which gutter guards work on fir needles?
| Guard type | Against fir needles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Perforated aluminum (Alu-Rex Gutter Clean / Gutter Clean Pro) | Strong | Small, carefully sized holes let water in and keep needles out. Rigid aluminum holds up to freezing and heavy snow. This is what we install. |
| Fine stainless micro-mesh | Strong on paper | Keeps needles out very well. The downside is that moss, pollen and rotting needles can cover the fine mesh and stop water getting through, which is a real issue here. |
| Coarse mesh or basic screens | Poor | Needles go straight through, then sit in the gutter where you can’t easily reach them. Arguably worse than no guard. |
| Hood or reverse-curve covers | Mixed | Water follows the curve into the gutter. Fine debris often goes in with it, and heavy downpours can shoot past. |
| Foam inserts | Poor | Needles sink into the foam, which becomes a soggy plug that keeps water sitting in the gutter. |
| Brush inserts | Poor | Needles tangle in the bristles. You have to pull the whole brush out to clean it, which is worse than cleaning the gutter. |
How much cleaning should you still expect?
- Under maples and other leafy trees: a good guard gets you close to maintenance-free. This is the best case, and it’s very good.
- Under fir, cedar or hemlock: expect much less work, not zero work — in line with This Old House’s survey of homeowners with guards. In practice, that means brushing off the guard now and then instead of two or three full cleanings a year.
- With a lot of roof moss: guards help the gutter, but the moss is a roof problem. Treat the roof.
- With no trees over the roof: guards may not be worth the money, and we’ll tell you so at the estimate.
What matters more than the brand?
First, how the guard handles heavy rain. The most common problem with a cheap guard here isn’t clogging. In a downpour, water shoots right over the front edge and misses the gutter. Guards with a curved front edge that catches that water work much better in our rain than flat covers.
Second, the gutter underneath. Putting guards on a gutter that sags, leaks at the joints or is pulling loose just delays the same problem. We won’t do it, and if another company offers to, ask them why.
So are they worth it?
If you pay for two or three cleanings a year, or you’d rather stop climbing the ladder yourself, guards usually make sense. We lay out the numbers in gutter guards vs annual cleaning. If no trees hang over your roof, you probably don’t need them.
The guard we install under fir is Alu-Rex Gutter Clean Pro, which the manufacturer backs with a lifetime clog-free warranty. See our gutter guard installation, or if you’d rather keep cleaning, our gutter cleaning service. Towns with lots of fir, like Duvall, are where guards make the biggest difference.
Common questions
Which gutter guard is best for pine and fir needles?
A quality perforated aluminum guard. Fine micro-mesh also blocks needles, but moss can cover it in this climate. Avoid foam, brush and coarse screens. In this climate, they make the problem harder to fix, not easier.
Do guards work in heavy rain?
Good ones do. Check how the front edge handles overflow, because that’s where cheap covers fail here.
Will guards stop ice dams?
No. Ice dams are caused by heat escaping through the roof. Aluminum guards do hold up to freezing and thawing far better than plastic or foam, but that’s a different benefit.
Can guards be added to my existing gutters?
Yes, as long as your gutters are in good shape, angled correctly and firmly attached. See gutter guards on existing gutters.
Get a free written estimate
Call us or send your address. We will get back to you within 24 hours on business days to book a time to look at your gutters.