As summer blends into fall, the annual clearing of clogged rain gutters looms for most homeowners. A thankless but necessary job, it seems no matter what kind of gutters one has, they’re going to require a trip up the ladder. Someone has finally invented a system that changes all this. (Photo courtesy of MasterShield)
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By Debra Atlas
As summer blends into fall, the annual clearing of clogged rain gutters looms for most homeowners. A thankless but necessary job, it seems no matter what kind of gutters one has, they are going to require a trip up the ladder.
Someone has finally invented a system that changes all this.
MasterShield Gutter Protection promises to end the whole gutter clogging cycle. The system was created by Alex Higginbotham, inventor of the first self-cleaning gutter guard and numerous other related inventions. Utilizing a surgical-grade, stainless steel, micromesh cloth filter that separates water from all sorts of debris, MasterShield filters water more quickly and fully than standard gutter protection systems.
With its innovative, patented LeafRelease technology, MasterShield’s stepped, nonstick surface does not trap debris like other systems. Its HydroVortex technology siphons water into the gutter faster, working at both flat or vertical angles. Its raised ribs help separate rainwater from debris, helping to dry and blow debris away more quickly than it would on a solid or flat surface. The micro filter completely encloses your gutter, guaranteeing that it stays 100-percent debris free. And because it is self-cleaning, it is maintenance free for life.
Higginbotham’s gutter guard technology—which has been copied, or attempted to be copied by other gutter guard manufacturers—is the only workable gutter guard technology that still is patent protected. According to the inventor, no one has achieved a patent in this field without incorporating his technology into their design. Without Higginbotham’s technology, stainless steel filters simply clog and fail.
See MasterShield gutter guard in action here:
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When it comes to MasterShield’s appeal, it spans its many features, including green ones. Its aluminum housing—coated with a baked-on enamel finish that is guaranteed not to crack, chip, or blister—is made with 95 percent recycled content. The product’s stainless steel contains more than 30 percent recycled content.
For homeowners more deeply into green, MasterShield also helps with rainwater reclamation. Homeowners can route the flowing water from the rain gutter downspout directly to rain barrels which can then be used for watering home gardens and landscaping.
Among MasterShield’s other pluses, it works with new or existing gutters, because it blends with the roofline, it is virtually invisible from the ground, and installing it will not void your roof warranty.
MasterShield’s No Clog Warranty, which says the consumer’s gutter will not clog is unique to the industry. If a gutter somehow does clog, the company will replace it or refund the product cost of the MasterShield installed on the consumer’s house. And if there is damage from a clog, the company will refund the consumer’s insurance deductible, up to $1,500.
Several years ago, the Better Business Bureau received complaints about the lack of follow-up, customer service, and issues with the product provided by a company that installed MasterShield. These pertain to an Ohio company and its installation of the original version of the product, said Jennie Klahre, assistant account executive for RLF Communications, speaking on behalf of MasterShield Gutter Protection, a company based in New Jersey.
“It has happened before that [the two companies have] been confused [with each other],” Klahre says. In late 2009, the New Jersey company introduced a new version that overlaps at the roof’s seams, which seems to have solved the original issues.
Also some consumers have had issues with ice formation during the wintertime with their Leafguard gutter shields by MasterShield. Consumers who live in an area that gets plenty of snow should consider that possibility.
See consumer magazine tests and reports on MasterShield gutter guard:
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Many MasterShield dealers will match the MasterShield product guarantee with a warranty of their own on their installation costs. And many also provide the industry’s first ever Birds & Bees Nest Guarantee. The warranty is even transferable if a consumer sells his home.
As to aesthetics, MasterShield is available in 14 different colors to match existing shingles or gutters—and consumers can special order it in copper. Manufactured in the United States, MasterShield will fit virtually any style and common-size roofline. The company says it is most effective when pitched with the roof.
Competitively priced, MasterShield can mean peace of mind for homeowners—and an end to that potentially dangerous annual trip up the ladder.
An environmental journalist and blogger, Debra Atlas is reachable through Eco-hub.net or [email protected]. Check out more articles by Debra Atlas.
© 2011 SCGH, LLC.
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