FAQs

Because of the method of installation, your gutter protection should be removed before your old roof is taken off and your new roof installed. Proper installation is critical to your gutter protection’s performance, so it is important that the product be taken off and re-installed by the authorized retailer that originally installed the product. Your authorized retailer will also clean the gutters of any leftover roofing material before your gutter protection is re-installed. Now there may be a service charge associated with this work, much like there would be if you needed a satellite dish removed from your roof before a new roof is installed.

Icicles are not caused by your gutter protection; in fact, icicles are an indication that your gutter protection is working. Here’s what happens: as you know, heat rises. If you have inadequate insulation in your attic and/or little or no ventilation in your roof, the heat from your home rises and heats up the attic area. That heat then warms the roof and with the help of the sun, starts to melt the snow sitting on your roof. As the water trickles down, it comes in contact with the cold aluminum of the gutter protection and re-freezes. Eventually, those small trickles of water become icicles. But remember, without gutter protection, where would that water go? Into your gutter where it would re-freeze, buildup and add considerable weight to the gutter, which could cause the gutter to pull away from the fascia or gutter board. See next question.

Happily, yes! Contact your authorized retailer and ask about Hott Topper; a product specifically designed to eliminate snow and ice from your gutter protection. Hott Topper is not a thin piece of wire that zigzags across the top of your roof. It is a self-regulating, fully insulated, heavy duty wire, encased between your gutter protection and our custom-made “Heat Shield.”

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of the roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas. Ice damming is caused by different temperatures on different areas of your roof. Remember how we talked about icicles above and what causes them? Well the same theory applies with an ice dam. Heat loss from the home causes the snow on the roof to melt and then re-freeze when it rolls down the roof and hits the cold aluminum of the gutter or gutter protection. So how do you prevent ice damming? Adequate insulation in your home preventing the warm, moist air from flowing into and heating up the attic. Also roof ventilation will help in maintaining uniform roof temperatures. You can find additional information on the internet simply by typing in “ice damming.”

Not quite. If anyone tells you there is a gutter protection product that is totally maintenance free, they are not being truthful with you. Of all the gutter protection products out there, NOT ONE is maintenance free. Now, there are some that require less maintenance that others. Generally, the least amount of normal maintenance is to clean off the product twice a year, especially if you have a hooded product. These products work on a principle of physics called surface tension. Keeping the front nose clean will help ensure proper performance. Perforated products should be checked twice a year as well. Your Gutter Topper retailer may offer a service plan, which would then make your gutter protection totally maintenance free, at least as far as you are concerned!

Unless the hail has severely damaged your gutter protection, the product should continue to perform as before. Your Gutter Topper retailer can inspect the product and let you know. It would be rare if your gutter protection suffered wind damage. The product was independently tested and certified to withstand 110 mph winds with no lift or separation from the gutter. If your product needs to be replaced, make sure you use an authorized Gutter Topper retailer and beware of storm chasers.

A storm chaser is a “fly-by-night” contractor, who will pretend to be an authorized retailer of a product. After he gives you an estimate for repair, and your insurance company has approved a settlement, he will take off your current product and replace it with an inferior one, that costs him much less. When you discover the product is not working properly, that contractor is no where to be found. Make sure you use a reputable and authorized retailer.

All of the products manufactured by Gutter Covers International have been independently tested and certified. The key words here are “independently tested and certified.” That means someone else tested the product so there was no chance of the results being skewed in our favor. If the product failed, the product failed, and that’s what would be reported. Of course, the product didn’t fail. In fact, it passed with flying colors. We told you about the wind test - 110 mph winds with no lift or movement. It was also tested and certified to handle 22 inches of rain per hour. That’s 44 feet of rain in one day - more than Hurricane Katrina dumped on New Orleans! It was also tested and certified to withstand 1200 pounds of weight per square foot. That’s comforting to those of us who have to deal with snow and ice. See for yourself - Independent Test Results.

The gutter protection is attached with deck screws, not nails, and those screws are then covered with a protective sealant. It will NOT void your shingle warranty. But don’t believe us - ask the shingle manufacturers. Two of the largest shingle manufacturers in the United States answer that question.

We’re proud to say our products are manufactured right here in the good old U.S.A. Our 43 thousand square foot manufacturing plant is located just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. The product is formed with sophisticated digitally controlled roll forming machines and each piece is personally inspected and approved by specially trained employees. In fact, they initial each and every box showing that they stand behind the product’s integrity.

It’s a principle of physics. When it rains, the water runs down your roof and over the gutter protection. The water then goes right around the specially designed nose of the product, right into your gutter. Try this: take a glass of water and hold it over the sink. Now, slowly tilt the glass until the water starts running over the side. What does the water do? It runs down the side of the glass before it drops off in to the sink. Same thing here.

We have a variety of colors that will match almost any roof or gutter. In fact, you can see how the product will look on your house by using our online Color Selector.

Gutter Topper carries a lifetime, limited transferable performance warranty and a 20-year materials warranty. There are some terms and conditions, as in any warranty.

In most cases, Gutter Topper can be installed on any type of roof or gutter. The product was designed to work with all types of roof designs and gutter systems. To be sure, contact the local Gutter Topper representative in your area. Contact a retailer near you.