Gutter guards are a great line of protection for your home. They can be purchased at a home supply store or straight from the manufacturer. Even though the gutter guards you purchase will be ready for installation, there are still some preparations that need to be made before installing the guards and even before buying them. Here are the proper steps to prepare for installing a gutter guard:

Clean Out Current Gutters

Before you hire out gutter guard installation, you want to make sure your gutters are clean. You never want to install a gutter guard over dirty gutters because the debris would be trapped inside once the leaf guard is in place. Simply use a ladder and look at your eavestrough for leaves, twigs and other debris. Either clean out the garbage by yourself or hire gutter cleaning to do it for you.

Test Gutters

Once your gutters are cleaned, we recommend testing them next. You can check if the gutter system is working properly by simply running water through it with a standard garden hose. If the water runs out smoothly, then your gutters are ready for gutter guard installation. If the water gets blocked or isn’t following continuously, then your eavestroughs may require repair or need additional cleaning.

Proper Measurements

Note: these next two steps are only necessary if you are doing the gutter guard installation yourself. When you are cleaning and testing your gutters, this is a perfect time to measure for your new gutter covers. Measure the length and width of your eavestroughs and to be sure you are getting the right numbers, measure your gutters twice. If you purchase the wrong size, you will have to spend additional time and money fixing your mistake.

Gather Proper Tools

Once you have cleaned and purchased your gutter covers, you can begin gathering the equipment needed for the installation. The main tools you will need are a ladder, screwdriver, screw gun and tape measure. The tools you need will also depend on the kind of gutter guard you choose to install.