Gutter Guards in Canton, OH
Stainless steel micro-mesh gutter guards fitted to the older houses and big trees of Canton, Ohio. One guard, installed one careful way, with a straight answer about what it can and cannot do.
- The owner inspects every job himself.
- A photo report the same day.
- One written price, good for a year.
Open 24 hours, seven days a week. We text or call back within the hour.
Quick facts
- What is included
- Gutters emptied, downspouts flushed, small fixes, the guards, a miter at every corner and a water test.
- Typical time
- Most houses are done in one day, and often in half a day.
- Permit office
- Building permits in Canton come from the city's Building and Code Enforcement office at 424 Market Avenue North.
- How pricing works
- Priced per linear foot after a free measurement. One written price, good for a year.
Why do gutters on older Canton houses clog so fast?
A lot of Canton was built before the Second World War, and the north side shows it. The Ridgewood Historic District, on both sides of Market Avenue North, was platted in stages from 1918 to 1927 and filled in with Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival and French Norman houses through the 1920s and 1930s. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. On the west side, Harter Heights is known for brick colonials and Tudors, and Colonial Heights mixes Craftsman houses and Colonial Revival homes, some of them on old red brick streets. Market Heights adds 1950s ranches to the older colonials.
What those neighborhoods share is age, and age means trees. Streets laid out a hundred years ago now have canopies that reach over the roofline. Every fall the leaves come down in one long wave, and in spring the seeds, buds and flower tassels follow. Steep roofs on Tudor and colonial houses send all of it into the gutter fast, and valleys where two roof planes meet pile it up at one corner.
Then there is the gutter itself. Many older Canton homes still have gutters hung with spikes driven through the gutter into the fascia board. Over decades the spikes back out, the gutter tips forward, and water that should run to the downspout sits in the low spots instead. Leaves settle into that standing water and turn to a heavy black mat. That is the gutter a guard has to be fitted to, so the inspection looks at all of it before anything is quoted. The page on gutter guards for older Canton homes goes through each of those checks.
What does a micro-mesh gutter guard actually stop?
A micro-mesh guard is a fine stainless steel screen held flat across the top of the gutter by a rigid frame. Rain soaks straight through the mesh and drops into the gutter. Anything bigger than the openings stays on top, dries out and blows off or slides away in the next rain.
What stays out
- Leaves from the big street and yard trees
- Twigs and bark that fall in wind
- Pine needles, which slip through coarse screens
- Seeds and the spinning pods that collect in corners
- Roof grit from older shingles, most of it
Why the fine mesh matters
Open screens and plastic inserts keep out whole leaves but let needles, seeds and broken leaf bits through, and those are what pack the downspout. A fine mesh stops the small material too, which is why it suits a city with this many mature trees. See how micro-mesh compares with screens, foam and brushes.
Can guards go on older fascia and spike-hung gutters?
In most cases, yes, and that is where the inspection earns its keep. The owner walks the whole house, checks the fascia boards behind the gutters, and looks at how each run is held up. Spike-hung runs that still have sound wood behind them are a normal starting point.
Where a run sags or the spikes have worked loose, we add hidden hangers screwed into the rafter tails, not just into the face of the board. That holds the gutter at its slope and gives the guard a solid, straight edge to sit on. Those small fixes are part of the guard install. If the fascia or a gutter is too far gone for a guard to make sense, you hear that plainly at the inspection and it shows in the photo report, before you have paid for anything.
Talk to someone about your Canton gutters
Call any hour, or ask for a written quote online. The owner comes out, measures every run and sends the photo report the same day.
How does a gutter guard installation go?
- Inspection and measurement. The owner measures every run, looks at the fascia, the hangers and the downspouts, and photographs what he finds. You get the photo report and one written price the same day.
- Cleaning first. On install day the gutters are emptied and the downspouts are flushed so nothing is sealed under the new mesh.
- Hangers. Sagging runs and loose spikes get hidden hangers screwed into the rafter tails, so the gutter holds its slope and stays put.
- Guards and miters at every corner. Each guard panel is fastened to the fascia and the front lip of the gutter. Every inside and outside corner is cut and fitted as a miter, so there are no open gaps at the corners where debris would get in.
- Water test. Water is run across the finished guards to confirm it soaks through and leaves by the downspouts. Then you get photos of the finished work.
Each of those steps has its own section on the gutter guard installation page, and how it works covers the call, the visit and the written price.
Which gutter guard goes on Canton homes?
One product, so there is nothing to upsell between tiers. It is the Leaf Solution gutter guard, made by Leaf Solution, LLC.
- Mesh: stainless steel micro-mesh, fine enough to stop needles and seeds.
- Frame: aluminum, with a triple-dip finish.
- Mount: fastened to the fascia, so nothing goes under your shingles and the roof is left alone.
- Colors: white, black or mill, to match the trim on most older homes.
- Fit: 5 inch and 6 inch gutters.
- Material warranty: Leaf Solution's Lifetime No-Clog Warranty covers material defects, the finish and clogging from leaves, twigs, needles and seeds. It covers the material only, not labor, and a routine rinse is expected.
- Workmanship warranty: Guttrz backs the install with a 10-year workmanship warranty covering parts and labor.
The gutter guard warranty page spells out where one warranty ends and the other starts.
What gutter guards will not do
Guards make gutter care a small job, not no job. These are the honest limits.
The mesh needs an occasional rinse
Fine mesh stops fine material, and some of it sticks. Pollen, seed fluff and the sticky film from some trees can dull the top of the mesh over time. A rinse with a garden hose or a pass with a soft brush clears it. In a heavily shaded Canton yard, plan on checking it once or twice a year.
Ice dams are an attic problem
Northeast Ohio winters bring ice along the eaves, and older houses with thin attic insulation get more of it. An ice dam forms when heat from the house melts snow on the roof and the water refreezes at the cold edge. No gutter guard fixes that. The cause sits in the attic, in insulation and ventilation. What a guard does is keep the gutter clear so meltwater has somewhere to go when it thaws.
Very heavy downpours can overshoot
In the hardest summer storms, water sheeting off a steep roof can run past any gutter, guarded or not. The inspection points out the valleys and corners where that is most likely.
How is the price for gutter guards set?
Guards are priced per linear foot of gutter. After the free measurement you get one written price for the whole house, and it stays good for a year. There is no pressure to sign the same day, and the photo report shows you exactly what the price is based on. For what moves that number up or down, read what gutter guards cost in Canton.
Where in Canton do guards make the most sense?
Anywhere old trees stand over old gutters. These four neighborhoods each have a page of their own, written around their houses, lots and trees.
Ridgewood
Steep Tudor and colonial roofs under a 1920s canopy, on brick streets off Market Avenue North.
Harter Heights
Brick colonials and Tudors on the west side, north of Tuscarawas Street West.
Market Heights
Long, low 1950s ranch gutters next to older two-story colonials, on bigger lots.
Colonial Heights
Craftsman bungalows, deep eaves and porch roofs around Colonial Boulevard NE.
Not on the list? The Canton areas page explains how the rest of the city is handled.
Gutter guard questions for Canton homeowners
Do I still need to clean my gutters after guards go on?
Not the scooping kind. Leaves and seeds stay on top of the mesh and most blow or wash off. Plan on an occasional rinse of the mesh with a garden hose or a soft brush, mainly after heavy pollen or seed seasons.
Will gutter guards stop ice dams on my Canton house?
No. An ice dam forms when heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the roof and the water refreezes at the cold eave. That is an attic insulation and ventilation problem. Guards keep the gutter clear for the thaw, but they do not prevent the dam.
Do the guards go under my shingles?
No. The Leaf Solution guard mounts to the fascia and the front lip of the gutter, so nothing is slid under the shingles and the roof is left alone.
My gutters are held up with spikes. Can guards still go on?
Usually yes. Where a run sags or spikes have worked loose, we add hidden hangers screwed into the rafter tails before the guard goes on. The owner checks the fascia and the gutters at the inspection and tells you plainly if anything should be handled first.
What colors are available?
White, black or mill. Mill is the plain aluminum finish. The guard sits low and flat, so from the street most people only see the front edge of the frame.
What warranty comes with the guards?
Two. Leaf Solution's Lifetime No-Clog Warranty covers the material: defects, the finish and clogging from leaves, twigs, needles and seeds. It covers material only, not labor, and expects a routine rinse. Guttrz adds a 10-year workmanship warranty on the install, parts and labor.
How do I get a price?
Call or request a written quote online. The owner measures every run, inspects the gutters and fascia, sends a photo report the same day and gives you one written price, priced per linear foot and good for a year.