1. It sounds good in theory, but does it work in practice
When deciding to purchase a gutter guard, it is important to
look at all aspects of what the guard should do.  A good
system can do most things well.

Some systems have very tiny holes and even though they keep the leaves out they also keep the water out and cause cascading over the edge of the gutter.

Systems that place or insert products into a gutter or leave a 'flat' surface once installed, generally defer the problem. Sure they keep the leaves out of the gutter, but now they keep the leaves in or on top of the gutter guard.

Inexpensive do-it-yourself products where you place a piece of plastic mesh into a gutter rarely last a season. By then, the company selling the product has made it's money and knows you won't be back for a refund.

2. Choose a suitable material
Gutter guards come in many different materials. If using a plastic based product, then ensure the product is made from 'virgin polymer' and is UV stablised. Generally, this kind of plastic will cost more than what you get for a few dollars in some reselling outlets. Unfortunatley, there are good and bad plastic products on the market and you don't always know what you are getting until a few years has gone by. Your best option here is to try to purchase from a reputable company (see point 8 further on).

Using a metal product overcomes most problems that are faced by a plastic product. When choosing a metal product, make sure the company selling you the gutter guard understands the technical aspects of corrosion and material compatibility. A good long lasting metal is aluminium which is suitable for many applications and is very compatible with Colorbond steel, which is the most widely used steel product in Australia and New Zealand.

3. Is the guarantee credible?
Whether a product is made locally or from overseas, the guarantee is only as good as the company that is backing the product. Find out how long the owners have been in business and whether they have happy repeat business customers.

4. Look at the system as a whole
Remember to keep the valleys in mind. Some systems are great for solving the problem at the gutter end, but fail in the valleys. Unless the system can block all spaces or sections effectively, you will have problems when the leaves reach the valley and pass to the bottom of the gutter end. You'll be surprised how little room a leaf requires in order to make it's way into a valley. Look for a system that will take care of the whole project, not just a part of it.

5. Avoid myths
Avoid the myths that are sometimes used to inflate a price or sell a product by the salesman. For example, the myth that a more inexpensive or thicker product will be more effective in keeping leaves out. Another Myth is that you will never have to clean your gutters, omitting to tell you that every gutter guard requires maintenance and if the holes are too small or the gutter has no access, you will have some difficulties down the track.

6. Ask a gutter cleaning person for their opinion
They will tell you which gutter guard systems they have to maintain more regularly than others and which ones they've had to pull out in the past.

7. Gutter protection is a balance and compromise of features
Any salesperson will usually try to win your business by pointing out their products strengths and highlighting a competitors weakenesses. For instance, small fine holes might sound like a great idea for keeping leaves out of gutters, but on the flip side, they can also keep the water out because of the 'sheeting' effect. In addition, sunlight does not dry the gutter as quickly allowing a breeding ground for insects and reducing the life of the gutter. The tiny holes can even get blocked and eventually if unattended, moss can grow. It is also difficult to maintain if silt and dust eventually form on the base of the gutter. Therefore, do your homework and speak to a number of different companies about various products, and ask if they can refer you to any sites or projects for you to view.

8. Purchase from a reputable company
Do some research on the company and try to find out if they've had any warranty claims recently? Chances are they won't give you this information but there's no harm in trying. The more questions you ask about where the company comes from, where the product comes from, how long they've been in business, if they sell Australia wide etc, the more chance you will have of getting a better picture of who you're dealing with.

9. Choose a reputable installer
Equally as important as the product, is the installation of the product. The more you can find out about the installer, the better your decision. See if they have done other work in the area that you can see, or ask for some references and give some of them a phone call. Ask the installer if they offer a 'workmanship guarantee' on top of the 'product guarantee'. There is little sense in using a great gutter guard product if it hasn't been professionally installed.