Conway Gutter Guards: Mesh, Screen or Reverse Curve? | Conway Gutter Pros

Conway Gutter Pros installs gutter guards on homes in Conway, Greenbrier and Vilonia, three Faulkner County towns, and it quotes every job free, house by house. Choosing among Conway gutter guards comes down to what your trees drop and how hard it rains.

Micro-mesh blocks the widest range of debris, pine needles and shingle grit included. Standard mesh screens stop leaves but let needles slip past. Reverse-curve guards shed big leaves well, yet independent tests found they overflow in heavy rain. In a wooded yard that gets about 51 inches of rain a year, that difference matters.

Mesh, Screen or Reverse Curve: The Three Main Gutter Guard Systems

A gutter guard in Conway is a cover fitted over the open trough of a rain gutter, seamless or sectional, meant to let rainwater in and keep leaves and debris out. This Old House sorts these gutter covers into six styles: brush, foam insert, mesh screen, micro-mesh, PVC covers, and reverse-curve.

Mesh screens are perforated or woven panels laid over the gutter. The magazine says they "allow water to flow in while keeping out medium-to-large debris." Its testing added a catch: they "aren't great at blocking smaller debris, like pine needles or shingle grit."

Micro-mesh has much smaller openings than a standard screen. The same testing found micro-mesh guards "highly effective at blocking debris of all sizes." Its testers found it hard to install, since it needs a precise fit on pitched or uneven roofs.

Reverse-curve guards, also called surface-tension guards, are solid hoods with a rounded nose. Family Handyman explains the idea: water clings to the curve and runs into the gutter, while leaves slide off the edge.

Which Leaf Guards Stop the Tree Debris on Conway Homes?

Tree debris in Conway gutters is a year-round mix of needles, catkins, pollen, leaves and seed balls. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas calls shortleaf pine "a dominant species in large areas of the Interior Highlands," and loblolly pine has been planted throughout the state. UAEX forester Vic Ford notes that pines drop older needles each fall, and drought can make the drop heavier.

Needles are the hardest test. Bill Hunt, an NC State University extension specialist quoted by This Old House, says pine needles are long and skinny and "will break down and interlock to form mats." For pine-heavy yards, the magazine recommends micro-mesh with openings of 275 microns or smaller.

Oaks add a spring load. The University of Arkansas extension says oak catkins release millions of pollen grains every spring. The magazine's maintenance guide warns that spring pollen can coat guards and slow drainage.

Sweetgums drop what UAEX calls "golf ball-sized fruit," the seed balls familiar in Conway yards. In a Bob Vila test of a brush guard, larger debris "like leaves or seed pods" collected on top and had to be swept off.

Around Laurel Park, a Conway neighborhood of mature trees, a single roofline can catch all three kinds of debris. The owner of Conway Gutter Pros puts it plainly: homes under oaks, sweetgums, and pines usually need gutter cleaning two to three times a year, spring and late fall.

How Each Guard Type Handles a Central Arkansas Downpour

Overflow in a Conway gutter guard is rain that sheets over the cover instead of dropping into the trough. Conway, Arkansas, averages about 51.19 inches of precipitation a year, by the 1991-2020 normals.

Reverse-curve guards struggle most here. The magazine's testing found they "don't handle large water quantities well," and its heavy-rain review advises avoiding them in heavy-rain areas. In its tests they overflowed more easily than micro-mesh and screen designs. Family Handyman describes the same failure: in major downpours, water can overcome the surface tension and shoot over the top, carrying debris with it.

Mesh and micro-mesh let water fall straight through, so they keep up better in a hard rain. Their weak spot is a clog on the surface. A Bob Vila test found that debris trapped on a ridged guard could send water over the top if nobody cleared it.

The magazine's testers found foam inserts degrade after a few seasons and wear out faster in humid or rainy places.

Gutter Clogs Still Happen: The Upkeep Guards Need in Conway

Gutter guard upkeep in Conway is the brushing, rinsing and occasional cleanout that keeps a covered gutter system flowing. This Old House is direct about it: "Gutter guards help reduce gutter maintenance, but they don't eliminate it entirely."

Its maintenance guide suggests a rough schedule by type of gutter guard:

• Micro-mesh: once or twice a year

• Screens: two to four times a year

• Brush and foam: three to four times a year

Reverse-curve hoods are easier to tend; Family Handyman says they clean up with a garden hose. Screens carry a hidden cost. This Old House contractor Tom Silva says small particles get through, and "at the end of every year, there's a sludge" in the gutter.

The day gutter protection goes on matters as well. Bob Vila's install steps call for cleaning the gutters thoroughly and checking the downspouts first, so nothing is trapped underneath. Conway Gutter Pros also cleans gutters, and every cleaning includes flushing the downspouts at no extra charge.

Questions to Settle Before Gutter Guard Installation in Conway

For homeowners in Conway, a gutter guard decision goes smoother when a few questions are answered before the quote. The wider guide to Conway gutter guard installation covers the quote visit and the installation process.

1. Which trees hang over the roof? Pines point toward fine micro-mesh. Mostly broad leaves widen the field.

2. How much water hits each run? A long roof valley or a big upper roof concentrates runoff, which counts against reverse-curve hoods.

3. How will the guard mount? Some slide under the first row of shingles; others screw to the gutter's back wall. GAF's bulletin TAB-R-113 says professionally fitted covers do not affect its shingle warranty. It says to avoid any that need a fastener through the shingle or removal of the drip edge.

4. Is the roof storm-rated? An IBHS bulletin says guards slid under the shingle or starter strip can disqualify a FORTIFIED Roof designation.

In Centennial Valley, golf-course residences and custom traditional homes tend to have larger roofs and long gutter runs, so the second question carries extra weight.

Which brand or material Conway Gutter Pros fits, and how long installation takes, are questions for the free estimate.

Conway Gutter Pros, Conway, AR

Conway Gutter Pros
1450 Example Ridge Rd, Conway, AR 72032
(501) 555-0142

Frequently Asked Questions About Conway Gutter Guards

Do gutter guards stop pine needles?
Fine micro-mesh stops them best. In hands-on tests, needles usually passed through screen and brush guards.

Are reverse-curve guards good for heavy rain?
Usually not. In heavy-rain testing they overflowed more easily than micro-mesh and screen designs.

Does Conway Gutter Pros charge for a gutter guard estimate?
No. Conway Gutter Pros gives a free estimate, and the price depends on the house.

About Conway Gutter Pros

• 1450 Example Ridge Rd, Conway, AR 72032

• (501) 555-0142

• Conway Gutter Pros's own page

• Conway Gutter Pros on Google Maps

Conway Gutter Guard Installation - Conway Gutter Pros