Guards, decided honestly
Gutter Guards: Five Questions to Answer First
A guard can save a lot of ladder work, or it can be money spent on a gutter that never needed it. Five questions about your house settle which one you are.
Customer reviews
What customers say
Came out and quoted my gutters the same day I requested it! Came out and cleaned my gutters and did some repair while they were up there for a reasonable price! Going to use them for my windows in the spring. Great service
Amazing! Sent in a request form on their website in the morning, heard back that afternoon, and booked for the next day. Very fast, reliable, and efficient.
They are efficient, hardworking, and reliable. I’ll definitely call them again for other services. Highly recommended!
Why us
Why customers love our service
And why you will get the best gutter cleaning service in Nanaimo!
Fast and efficient gutter cleaning
We turn up on the day we said, clear the whole run, and get off your property without stretching the job out.
Clear and quick communication
You get an answer when you call or text, a price before we start, and a straight account of what we found up at the roof edge.
The best gutter cleaning you have ever had
Consistent five-star reviews from the homeowners we work for.
1000+ happy customers
More than a thousand customers have had us out to clear their gutters.
- An answer on whether guards suit your house before any sales talk
- Each run looked at on its own, so you guard only where it helps
- Gutters cleaned, flushed and checked before a guard goes on
- Guards fixed down firmly on roofs exposed to strong wind
- Old guards lifted, cleared underneath and refitted, whoever installed them
- Guards that are not working taken off and the gutter cleaned
Guards are easy to sell and easy to regret. On the right house they cut the number of times somebody has to climb a ladder and keep the outlets open through the worst of the winter. On the wrong house they cost money, hide problems in the gutter and still need clearing. Before we fit anything, we go through five questions with you. If the answers point away from guards, we will tell you.
1. How often would the gutters need clearing without them?
Start with the trees. A house backing onto a stand of Douglas fir or western red cedar, or sitting under a bigleaf maple, can fill its gutters two or three times a year. A house on an open lot in a newer subdivision may only collect roof grit and a few stray leaves. Guards pay off in the first case and rarely in the second.
Then think about who does the clearing. Some homeowners are happy on a ladder. Many, especially in Parksville and Qualicum Beach where plenty of people have sensibly retired from roof work, would rather climb less or not at all. Guards cut down the trips, but they do not end them. If you want no climbing at all, a set cleaning schedule may suit you better.
2. What lands on each run?
Guards do not have to go on every gutter. One side of a roof can sit under a maple while another faces an open lawn. Fir needles call for a fine mesh, because they slip straight through coarse screens and perforated covers. Broad maple leaves sit on almost any guard and blow off once dry, but maple seed keys can wedge into perforations. Cedar sprays and summer arbutus litter sit on mesh well enough, though they need brushing off. We look at each run separately and only quote guards where they will help.
3. How hard does the wind hit your roof?
This question matters more in Nanaimo than many people expect. Winter storms come across the Strait of Georgia with real force, and homes along the shoreline, or high on an open slope, take the brunt of it. A clip-in guard that just rests on the gutter lip can lift and end up in the yard. On exposed roofs we choose guards that fasten along their length and pay close attention to the ends and corners, where wind gets underneath first.
Waterfront homes have a second issue. Salt air works on mismatched metals and plain steel screws, so the fixings need to suit the setting as much as the guard does.
The work
On the job
4. Is the gutter worth guarding?
A guard is only as good as the gutter under it. Older Nanaimo houses, in the Old City, Harewood and elsewhere, sometimes still carry their original aluminum gutters, patched at the seams and hung on hangers that have loosened over the years. Fitting guards to a run like that buries the faults where nobody will see them until the run sags. If the slope is wrong, the seams are weeping or the hangers are loose, we fix those first, or tell you plainly that the run is due for replacement rather than guards. Every gutter is cleaned, flushed and checked before a guard goes on.
5. Who will service the guards?
All guards need looking after. Debris builds on top, needles mat on mesh, and fine grit slips underneath over the years. Plan on a light service once a year under most trees, and more often under heavy fir. We brush or blow the tops clear, lift a few sections to see what has got underneath, clear the outlets and inside corners, and flush each run. We do the same for guards fitted by other people, whatever the brand, and we will remove guards that are not doing their job.
How it works
Getting Your Gutter Cleaning Booked
Simple from start to finish. Tell us about your home, get a straightforward quote, and let us handle the dirty work.
Tell us about your home
A few details are all we need.
Send us your address, number of storeys, and anything important about the property—trees, access, or a tricky roofline.
Get your quote
We price the job, not a generic house.
Size, height, roofline, access, and debris all matter. We'll give you a clear quote before we start.
We handle the dirty work
You don't need to climb the ladder.
We clear the gutters, clean the downspouts, flush the system, and take the debris with us.
You know what we found
We'll let you know if we spot something.
Loose bracket? Leaking seam? Drainage issue? We'll give you a straightforward heads-up.
That's it.
- You tell us about the house.
- We give you a clear quote.
- We clean the gutters.
- You get one less chore to worry about.
Ready to get your gutters cleaned? Get your quote and let us handle the dirty work.
On fitting day
Fitting starts with the same job as any visit: the gutters are emptied by hand and every downspout is flushed, so the guard goes onto a clean, draining run. Then we measure each run, cut the guard to length and set it so rain still reaches the trough. Some designs tuck under the first row of shingles and some fix only to the front lip of the gutter, and the choice depends on your roof edge as much as the product. Inside corners, end caps and the spot above each outlet get the most attention, because that is where guards most often leave a gap or catch a pile of leaves. Before we pack up, we run water over the guarded section to watch it reach the downspout.
Where we usually land
Heavy maple and a homeowner who wants to climb less: guards are usually worth it. Heavy fir or cedar: guards help, but they move the work rather than end it. An open lot with few trees: skip them. A gutter in poor shape: fix it or replace it first. We will tell you which of these fits your house before you spend anything, and the quote is free.
Why choose us
Why choose us for gutter guards
Questions before products
We start with your roof, your trees and your exposure, then talk about what to fit, if anything.
We fix the gutter first
A guard on a sagging or leaking run hides the fault. Sound gutter first, guard second.
Built for the wind
Storms off the Strait lift anything loose. Guards on exposed roofs get fastened with that in mind.
Insured and WCB-registered
Insured and WCB-registered, locally owned, and every guard we fit carries our guarantee.
Got questions?
Gutter guard questions
Do gutter guards blow off in winter storms?
Loose ones can. Clip-in screens that only rest on the gutter lip are the most likely to lift in a strong southeaster.
On exposed roofs we fasten guards down along their length and check the ends, where wind gets underneath first.
I would rather not be on a ladder anymore. Are guards the answer?
They can help, but they do not end the job. Debris still collects on top and needs clearing, only less often.
For some homeowners a set cleaning schedule does more good than guards. See gutter maintenance and decide which suits you.
Can guards go on older gutters?
If the gutter is sound, yes. If hangers are loose, the slope is wrong or seams are weeping, fix that first.
Our gutter repair page covers what that might involve.
Do guards stop moss from growing in the gutter?
They reduce it inside the trough, because less debris collects there for moss to root in. Moss can still grow on top of a guard under a shaded, damp roof.
That is one reason guards under heavy cedar still need a brush-off.
Which guard works best under fir needles?
A fine stainless or aluminum micro-mesh holds fir needles on top best. Coarse screens and basic perforated covers let them drop straight through.
Foam and brush inserts tend to trap needles, so we rarely suggest them under conifers.
Can you take off guards that are not working?
Yes. We remove them, clean out what has built up underneath, and flush the gutter.
Then we talk about whether a different guard, or none, makes more sense for that run.
Do I have to guard the whole house?
No. Many houses only need guards on the runs under the big trees. The rest can be cleaned once a year.
We look at each run on its own and quote only what makes a difference.
Will guards keep birds out of the gutter?
A properly fitted guard with closed ends stops birds nesting in the trough. Open ends and gaps at the corners undo that.
We close those gaps when we fit guards.
Gutter Guards in Nanaimo and the mid-Island
Tell us the address and we will get you a price.