GutterStuff & Needle-Leaf Wedge Gutter Foam Insert update
Needle-Leaf Wedge on Left GutterStuff on Right
Even more updates, it seems I have a mix up in emails and companies with the GutterStuff foam. After publishing this article I received a phone call from the owner of GutterStuff Pro at Cumberland Home Products and he informed me that the GutterStuff foam I received did not come from his company. It is probably the GutterStuff version from another company called GutterStuff under the TJM Innovations company.
Cumberland Home Products is sending me a sample of their products which I will soon be installing and using as a fair comparison and to see how the Original branded GutterStuff product works. There is a patent and brand war going on between several companies and the Cumberland company is the first one to hold the patent for this wedge design gutter foam and to call it GutterStuff.
The company was concerned about proper branding and the update I published, so long story short I found out that I had apparently received the product from the other company and was referring to this company, Cuumberland as the one who sent me the gutter foam. The GutetrStuff samples I received have only a 3 year warranty and the UV damage is from a lower quality product, the owner at Cumberland was quick to point out their product is warranted and damage like this would not have happened to their product.
Last year I installed and tested these two competing products and now for my first update, all winter these two gutter foam fillers have been keeping silent guard on my front porch gutters. I used GutterStuff Gutter Foam Filters and Needle-Leaf Wedge Gutter Filter Foam for this home improvement project that I received from the companies in four foot sections.
GutterStuff w/ some deterioration
Gutter foam filters are made to fill your gutter and keep debris, leaves and other things from clogging the gutter and downspouts. Both brands use a simple open cell foam that is UV and fire retardant treated to prevent UV sun damage and possible fires.
I installed both brands across half the front and one side of my homes porch and both installed equally well without much problem, just a little on the job use to find the best way to install them. Once I got the hang of cutting the bottoms to install over the gutter hanger’s things went quickly and I had the front and sides in place.
Once installed they both did very well at keeping leaves, branches and other debris out of my gutters but now winter has come and gone, for the most part. Here in the middle of March we are still due for maybe one more winter storm but I had someone ask how the products faired and here is my answer.
GutterStuff did not fair as well as the Needle-Leaf Wedge in maintaining its black color and not falling to the ravages of the sun. The GutterStuff shows signs of deterioration and this is due to the suns UV rays eating at the foam and causing the foam to become brittle and discolored.
The foam is now a gray in the middle of the wedge but only on the top 1/4 inch or so and it does not go through the whole piece of foam. If you pick at the foam it is no longer pliable but brittle on the top and breaks apart some but the rest of the foam piece is fine.
It only has eaten some of the foam near the top in middle and does show that it will last at least several more years before having to be replaced or messed with in any way. This is not a problem after only one winter but it does affect how you look at the product and whether you will purchase the less expense brand.
I would be happy to use either product on my gutter system but if you have a two story home and want the best protection and the longest lasting it looks like the obviously coated Needle-Leaf Wedge is a better product. While both are not cheap by any means the coating that shows on the Needle-Leaf is an obvious UV protection that has lasted throughout the Winter without any signs of wear or deterioration from the sun.
Needle-Leaf Wedge As Good As When I Installed It
I would recommend the Needle-Leaf product over the GutterStuff Pro as the cost is obviously a factor in giving you more protection from the suns UV rays. The cost difference of $2 per four foot section may be a deal breaker as the cost for doing your house may be higher because of the amount you need.
In order to finish my home I will need 22 pieces and at the $12 per piece it will cost about $264 for the GutterStuff filters. The Needle-Leaf Wedge will cost about $308 for the same amount and for some this cost difference may be the factor in going with a less expensive brand.
I would be happy to use the less expensive brand as right now I really do not have the extra money to spend but I might go with the more expensive so I do not have to climb on the roof as often. For the lower porch the less expensive brand would be fine but for the higher gutters of the second story I think I would go with the better brand just to ensure I am not messing on the ladder at that height any sooner than I have to.
I would have to recommend the better and slightly more expensive brand of Needle-Leaf Wedge as the extra protection the company puts on their product does make a difference in only one winter’s time.