Box gutters are so-called because they have higher edges on all sides than other gutters and are boxed all the way around. Although they’ve previously been used mainly on industrial and commercial buildings, they’re now becoming more common and popular for residential properties.
Box gutters are typically located between two adjoining roofs to catch the rainwater from both. Being wider and deeper than other types of gutter, with the highest edge being the parapet wall, they cannot normally be seen from the ground. Their location is prone to being clogged with leaves and other debris that cannot get away, causing flooding rather than water going into downpipes. Gutter guards are therefore extremely important to prevent this happening and water being unable to flow to the downpipes. However, the width and depth of box gutters makes it more difficult to fit guards than for other types.
Choosing the Best Type of Gutter Guard for Box Gutters
There are various types of gutter guards available, but some of these are more suitable for fitting to box gutters:
- Foam filters are cheap and easy to install but may become jammed with pine needles, seeds and other similar debris.They can be cut to size to fit almost any dimensions of box gutter but tend not to be very resilient, lasting 2-3 years at most.
- Brush gutter guards fit inside the gutter and are comprised of heavy bristles that stop large debris but allow water to flow freely. They have a lifespan of around five years and can be cut to length but it may be difficult finding brushes of the right dimensions to fit the larger box gutters.
- Perforated guards may be vinyl or metal and fit on top of the gutter, either snap on or screwed in place. The perforations allow water to pass through but stop debris.
- Mesh Screen guards are similar to perforated guards but have much finer openings and so are more effective at stopping small debris without obstructing water flow. They fit on top of the gutter and are screwed in place.
Comparison of Gutter Guards
| Integrated Mesh Gutter Guard | Brush Gutter Guard | Mesh Panels or Flat Panels | Foam Inserts | Vinyl Guard | |
| Reduce Maintenance | |||||
| Leaf Proofing | |||||
| Prevents Blockages | |||||
| Strengthens Gutter Systems | |||||
| Bird and Pest Proofing | |||||
| Bushfire Protection | |||||
| Water Harvesting |
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Step 1: Preparation for Installation
Unless you’re fitting to new gutters, ensure everything’s clean and debris-free before you start. Since gutter guards aim to prevent debris from blocking your gutters, ensuring there’s none there before fitting them makes sense.
To do the job thoroughly and safely, you’ll need a ladder that’s long enough to reach the gutters easily, stout gloves and goggles for protection, a stiff brush and gutter scoop to remove debris, a hosepipe to flush the gutters and a sheet to catch any dislodged debris. Place the sheet below where you will start and set up the ladder securely, possibly with someone at the bottom, to ensure stability.
Use the stiff brush to dislodge debris and the gutter scoop to remove it. Clean off mould and dirt simultaneously, use the hosepipe to wash down the gutters, and remove any residual small amounts of dirt and debris. Ensure the water runs freely out of the downpipes; if not, try to clear any obstructions with a stick. You may have to dismantle a downpipe if you can’t remove obstructions in other ways.
While you’re undertaking the cleaning, inspect the gutters for cracks, leaks and other problems. You can seal minor gaps with silicone or mastic and must re-fix any loose guttering. Sections may need to be replaced if there are serious faults.
All this may seem like a lot of work, but you must ensure a clean and secure base before installing your gutter guards. And, once they’re in place, you won’t have to repeat the exercise to the same extent because your gutters will be kept clear.
Fitting your Gutter Guards to a Box Gutter
The actual fitting method will depend on the type of gutter guards you have. If you’re unsure how to fix gutter guards to box gutters or are unhappy working at height, take advantage of our installation service. We’ll thoroughly clean and flush out your gutters, even remove tree branches that may cause problems and then carefully and securely fit gutter guards that are accurately made to the correct size.
If you are comfortable fitting your own, we can supply all the materials you need for your building’s box gutters.
Step 2: Measure the Mesh to the Section of the House
After cleaning the box gutter, measure the length of the gutter guard mesh for the section of the house you will do first.
Carefully roll out the gutter guard mesh and leave a 20-30cm overhang at each end of the box gutter.
Step 3: Cut The Mesh From the Remaining Roll
Next, cut off the remaining roll; don’t forget to leave a 20-30cm overlap at each end.
Ensure that you are wearing gloves when cutting, as the edge of the material is sharp and can miss you.
Step 4: Fix the Gutter Guard To The Far Gutter’s Edge With Your Trim
At one end, place the trim along the outer gutter’s edge, ensuring that the mesh covers the gutter and is entirely underneath the trim.
Make sure the gutter guard mesh is laid flat, and then screw the trims into position roughly every 2500mm using self-drilling screws—Screw-in one trim at a time. Continue the process along the entire section.
Step 5: Make 2 x 40mm Cuts Either Side Of Every Second Corrugation
To the mesh closer to the roof, make two 40mm cuts either side of every second corrugation. The cuts ensure that the mesh is secured seamlessly to your roof and prevents crevasses for debris to enter
Next, Place the saddle over the corrugations where you made the cuts. The saddle should sit above the mesh covering the corrugations.
Step 6: Secure Mesh to Roof via Saddle and Screws
Screw the saddle onto the roof using screws. It is best to apply firm pressure while screwing the saddle to prevent it from moving off the corrugation.
If you are comfortable fitting your own we can supply all the materials you would need to fit your buildings box gutters.
At AGP we cut all our materials to size in house. The outcome is gutter guards that are perfectly made and fitted so they serve their purpose for many years with little attention needed. After all, if you are going to fit our high quality guards, you might as well make sure the whole job is of the same standard rather than risk spoiling the outcome with poor quality installation.
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A professionally installed physical barrier is all it takes to keep these problems from affecting your home or business. This small investment will save you a lot of money and save you the constant work of cleaning out debris from your gutters.
Get yours today by contacting Aussie Gutter Protection, the specialists in gutter guard products for Australian conditions.
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