The rainy season can certainly seem to be a boon after a spell of sweltering summers. However, the rains bring a barrage of house maintenance concerns, and clogged gutters are one of them. Leaves and debris strewn on rooftops wash away into the gutter and clog the drainage, which leads to waterlogging or seepage. Rain gutter guards are mesh or nets that can be placed over gutters to block leaves from entering the drainage system. The following article lists three main types of rain gutter guards and the best out of the lot.

Solid-top gutter guards
These rain gutter guards minimize the need for maintaining and cleaning gutters regularly. Solid-top gutter guards, as the name suggests, have a solid cover on the top that is tucked and clipped or fastened to the gutter’s outer lips. When water pours from the roof, it percolates from the tiny slots under the nosing and into the drainage lines. The solid-top blocks leaves and debris from entering the drainage.

Here are some of the best solid-top gutter guards:

• Leaf Sentry Premium Gutter Guards
  These solid-top gutter guards are designed to allow water to flow over the top and back of the gutter, trapping leaves and debris. The gutter guards are made from 98% recycled aluminum. This type of rain gutter guard uses surface tension to channel rainwater into the gutter. Leaf Sentry Premium gutter guards are available in 16 different colors and two designs: Regular and High-Flow Panel.
• RainDrop® Gutter Guard
  RainDrop®, manufactured since 1999, is a type of “Grid” system made from polypropylene, and it comes with UV stabilizers that help it in controlling the harshest weather. The gutter guard heats up under the sun during the cold naturally, melting snow and ice. 

Fine-Mesh Gutter screens and guards
This type of fine-mesh screen is placed across gutter tops to keep gutters clear from leaves and debris. Unlike solid-top alternatives in which the water pours away from the top, fine-mesh gutter guards allow water to percolate into the drainage channel blocking leaves and debris. Fine-mesh gutter screens are less costly than solid-top rain gutter guards and may have longer warranties. However, it is advised to avoid installing this type of guard on roofs made from asphalt or roofs riddled with moss and mold as its tiny particles may percolate through the mesh and accumulate inside the drainage channels. 

Following are two of the best fine-mesh gutter guards:

• Gutterglove
  The micro-mesh screen system is framed in a U-shaped channel of anodized aluminum. Gutterglove is designed to tuck into the existing shingles and lower lip of existing gutters. It has three models, namely Gutterglove Pro, Gutterglove Ultra, and Gutterglove IceBreaker. Each comes with an integrated heating cable to minimize ice dams and icicles.

• MasterShield
  It is a patented stainless-steel micro-mesh gutter screen that blocks debris as small as 50 microns. One of the unique features of this rain gutter guard is that it comes with a ribbed design to protect the mesh from sagging, capturing most of the water cascading down the roof.

• LeafFilter
  It is one of the top-selling rain gutter guards. It employs a stainless-steel mesh stretched across a perorated PVC body. LeafFilter rain gutter guards can be installed on existing or new gutters. Although the gutter guard is not made from fine mesh, LeafFilter can filter out leaves and most of the debris from entering the drainage channel. However, it is not your typical DIY installation and requires to be installed by trained LeafFilter technicians.

Gutter brushes and foam gutter guards
These are unique rain gutter guards that are inexpensive and easy to install. These gutter guards come in cylindrical brushed or wedge-shaped foams that simply block leaves and debris, allowing water to drain. The brushes are made from polypropylene bristles. All you need to do is stuff them inside the drainage channels. Similarly, long, wedge-shaped foam can be stuffed inside the channel which will allow water to percolate, leaving the debris behind. Both these types of gutter guards only marginally inhibit the flow of water in the channel. 

Here are some of the best gutter brushes and foams that you can install in the drainage channels:

• GutterBrush
  It is one of the easily installable rain gutter guards made for both 5-inch and 6-inch sized gutters. Since it is light-weighted and easy-to-handle, all you need is a ladder to reach the drainage channels on the rooftop. GutterBrush does not add additional weight to your existing drainage channels and also keeps rodents and bords out of the trough. These might be some of the least expensive rain gutter guards. Moreover, GutterBrush brushes are treated with UV protection to withstand extreme heat. The center of the brush is a twisted wire made of galvanized steel to resist rust. These properties make GutterBrush guards last for up to 25 years.

• Leaf Defier Gutter Filter
  This is a wedge-shaped polyurethane foam that can be directly stuffed into the gutters. The 4-foot-long foam sections can fit in both 5-inch and 6-inch gutters. The foam material is made from materials that can withstand extreme temperatures and weather. Like brushes, Leaf Defier gutter filter is also an expensive option for a rain gutter guard that has a warranty of up to 25 years.