Best Gutter Guards in New Zealand | Types, Benefits & Expert Advice

Gutter guards are one of the best ways to protect your home from blocked gutters, water damage, and unwanted pests. In New Zealand, there are many different types of gutter guard systems available, ranging from simple DIY inserts to professionally installed solutions designed to last decades. But with so many options on the market, how do you know which gutter guard is best for your home?

In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of gutter guards in NZ, compare their pros and cons, and share expert insights from over 20 years in the gutter protection industry.

What Are Gutter Guards and How Do They Work?

There are many different products and systems in New Zealand which all loosely come under the umbrella of ‘Gutter Guards’. They all vary greatly in both price and perfomance. Some gutter guards can be bought from your local hardware store while at the other end of the scale there are gutter guard systems that are only installed by trained installers.

All of these gutter guard systems or products were originally designed for one purpose, to stop leaves and debris clogging up your gutters. Over the years some of these systems have been found to be so effective at keeping unwanted birds and pests out of the roof cavity, that a lot of installations are now done for that reason alone.

Types of Gutter Guards in New Zealand

Insert Gutter Guards (DIY Mesh, Brushes & Foam)

The types of gutter guards sold in hardware stores are all generally what we call “Insert Gutter Guards”, that is because they are all inserted into your gutter. These can range from cheap plastic mesh, with varying hole sizes, which are folded and placed down into the gutter, to oversized bottle brushes, to foam inserts. All of these types of gutter guards will give some minimal sort of protection for a little while before they either breakdown, blow out or clog up. These are all DIY products but there are a few companies who will install them for you if you can’t. Most of these gutter guard products will require you to take them out and clean them regularly, clean your gutters, then reinstall them, or throw them away.

DIY gutter guards

Screen Gutter Guards (Roof-Mounted Systems)

The other type of gutter guards are known as “Screen Gutter Guards”. That is because they become a screen that is fitted to your roof and screens right over the top of your gutters. These gutter guard systems are designed to have all debris slide down your roof, over the screen, and onto the ground, while allowing water to pass through the gutter guard and into your gutters. Screen gutter guard systems in New Zealand are made of either metal, (punched aluminium, punched steel sheets and woven aluminium) or HDPE plastic. So which type of gutter guard is right for me? Without knowing your specific aim for fitting gutter guards, your budget or your property, generally speaking, if you are after a cheap, short term, (maybe) fix, then grab something from the hardware store. If you are after something medium term to long term and more effective, then read on.

Metal vs Plastic Gutter Guards: Which is Better?

Obviously, depending on which company you are talking to and what their gutter guards are made of, you will get 2 totally different answers. So before I get into answering that question let me give you a little bit about myself and why I believe what I say here has relevance.

• I have been in the Gutter Protection industry since 2003, well over 20 years
• In that time I have sold gutter guard systems from top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island
• I doubt you could find anyone else in New Zealand that could say the same, although there maybe 1 or 2 who have been around longer than me.
• I have seen and inspected 100’s of roofs with all sorts of gutter guard systems installed.
• I have seen companies come and go, and could tell you why most of them are gone.
• I have seen companies sold to people from totally different backgrounds, with no knowledge of roofing or gutter guards whereas I come from a roofing background.
• and I have tried my hardest to get rid of the early days hype & marketing B.S. from the industry and tell it like it is.

So with all that said, let’s get back to answering the question. Would I fit a metal mesh to my roof? The answer to that is NO.

And my reasoning

While aluminium gutter guards wont react with modern roofs, both they and steel meshes have sharp edges which may scratch your roof and lead to rusting. Aslo they are not flexible enough to fit to tile roofs and work they way the should.

Most metal gutter guard companies promote the ‘fact’ that rodents will chew through plastic meshes so metal is superior. The truth of the matter is, yes rodents can chew through the mesh, but they don’t. In all my years I have only seen rodents once chew through the plastic mesh and that was when they were trapped in the roof cavity & gutters and their survival instinct kicked in. We have never had to go back to somewhere that has had rodents chew in through the mesh and reinfest a house. Or birds for that matter.

Also a punched (perforrated) steel gutter guard is very much made in the same way as a cheese grater. To get debris to slide off, you need to turn your cheese grater upside down so nothing snags. This works fine until you run it under the tap and the water that you need to flush your gutters out is going straight over the top (or should that be bottom?).

HDPE Gutter Guards – Why They’re Popular in NZ

There are 2 manufacturers of HDPE gutter guard systems available in New Zealand as this is written. Neither manufacturer is based in New Zealand unfortunately and this could lead to a problem identifying a good gutter guard from a bad one if a cowboy decides to import cheap mesh.

One manufacturers gutter guards have very rounded strands, and is the original mesh design that started this industry off. It was an oyster mesh (used in the marine industry) with colouring and UV stabilisers added to it. As oyster mesh is available from a wide range of suppliers and readily available a person could look at it and say it is the same. The problem with that is while it may look the same, if it does not have the correct UV stabilisers in it, then it will disintergrate very quickly on a roof in New Zealand. How do you tell them apart? You can’t unless you get them tested in a laboratory.

The other manufacturers gutter guards have sharp edges to their mesh strands and when looked at up close, it is very easy to tell the two apart. The strands are also more separated from each other so they have two distinct sides as opposed to being a flat mat that looks the same on both sides.

The Science Behind Modern Gutter Guard Design

When it comes to keeping leaf debris, birds or rodents out of your gutters, both gutter guard designs work pretty much the same as the other one but there is a big difference when it comes to collecting rainwater. Now you might say that you are on town supply or bore water so that doesn’t matter to me, and you would be right as far as drinking water goes, but it does matter when it comes to how good your gutter guard system will work over the years and the amount of maintenance you will need to do.

During heavy rain, the more water travelling through your gutters, the better they will be flushed of any fine dirt and dust particles that have got through the mesh. This prevents a build up and there is less chance of a seed finding something to grow in. Think of it as the same as when you empty the kitchen sink after doing the dishes, turn the tap on lightly and not much happens. Turn it on with more pressure and the cruds and suds soon disappear. Gutter guards work in much the same way.

Understanding the problem

To understand why one gutter guard design works better than the other I will give you a little science lesson, that was learnt by reading a study that was first published back in the mid 1800’s on the properties of water.

Water exhibits strong adhesion and surface tension, as seen when droplets form on a window. Small droplets remain in place until they become large enough for gravity to pull them down the glass. Similarly, when filling a glass, you can see a ‘bubble’ form above the rim due to surface tension, until the pressure causes it to overflow. Additionally, if you spill water on a bench with a rounded edge, the water follows the curve underneath instead of dripping off immediately, unlike on a bench with a square edge where the water tends to drip off sooner.

The original ‘oyster mesh’ design gutter guards, being like a mat, have holes which resemble a glasses rim and water can cling to the edges of the holes causing a meniscus (‘bubble’) to form which prevents water going through that hole. When water does get through the hole, it now has rounded strands to cling to and follow down on the bottom side of the mesh, which in turn makes it harder for water above to get through the gutter guard.

Solving the problem

So how does the newer design solve these problems? As I said earlier, the top strand of the gutter guard is raised compared with the bottom strand. It is also tilted slightly backwards up the roof. This does two things, first it takes away the rim of the glass effect so water can’t cling to the sides of the holes. Secondly, as the water hits the strands it is rolled backwards and this aerates the water and breaks the surface tension.

Now that we have broken the surface tension the water will fall through the hole. The lower strands have sharp points on them facing downwards which forces the water to shear of them and down into the gutter.

Comparing the Three Main Gutter Guard Systems in NZ

Yes there are three different gutter guard systems available in New Zealand which incorporate the features mentioned above. All were designed by the same person so I will give you a brief history of them.

Arriving in Melbourne Australia at the peak of the Millennium Drought, Derek Murphy (a Kiwi), found that the gutter guard systems in use over there were failing when it came to collecting what little valuable water fell from the sky. In 2003 he opened his own company with a single product that he designed.

CCF Mesh (Continuous Control Flow)

This gutter guard product is known as Continuous Control Flow mesh or CCF mesh. In 2007 this mesh was awarded a trophy for “Excellence in Design and Innovation”. With a few tweaks to the manufacturing recipe over time, this gutter guard emerged as the premium product having a 20 year guarantee which far exceeded all other gutter guards on the market at the time. This mesh has a horizontal back strand and a diagonal top strand and needs to be fitted that way.

Kaka Mesh (Multi Mesh)

After a while in business, Derek realised that there was a whole segment of the market who didn’t want a premium product, but one that would satisfy their obligations at a cheaper price. This was the Australian builders who had to fit gutter guards to some of the houses they were building. These builders only had to give an 8 year warranty on their builds at that time, so were looking for something cheaper. He could have produced a lighter weight mesh with the same design but the dilema was that could you trust builders or their workers to fit it correctly so that there was no comeback on him or his company. The answer to that was no, so he did the next best thing.

Looking at the original ‘oyster mesh’ design, Derek incorporated the features of the CCF gutter guard in to it, the raised top strands, the sharpened back strands etc. What he found was that while installing it one way worked best, installing it any other way worked almost as good. And thus, Multi Mesh hit the market with a 12 year guarantee. Lighter weight, cheaper price tag but still better than the original ‘oyster mesh’ design.

Kea Mesh (Exclusive to Kiwi Gutter Protection)

So now you maybe asking, how and why did a third gutter guard product come about. Back in the mid 2010’s, Derek was looking to expand into the USA. To do this he needed a gutter guard that would not only last but would look pleasing on roofs in America. If you have seen what a lot of houses out in the leafy suburbs of America have on their roofs, it is asphalt shingles. These are basically very flat roofs compared to the corrugated or tile roofs we have here of in New Zealand and in Australia.

CCF mesh, while it had the required longevity, had a major flaw when it came to flat roofs. Because of its design, horizontal back strands and diagonal top strands, it had a tendancy to, as one of our installers said, either smile or frown. This meant that when the gutter guard was rolled out, it wouldn’t roll out in a straight line, but curve in either a smile or frown shape when you looked at it. This caused ripples in it as you installed it and tried to straighten the curves and looked bloody horrible when fitted to a flat roof. Multi mesh on the other hand, because it was symetrical, fitted nice and flat but didn’t have the lifespan needed. Simple fix really, increase the weight (stand thickness) of the Multi Mesh to give it the required lifespan.

My good fortune

In October 2016, I attended a franchisees and managers meeting of Dereks company on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. At this meeting, Derek offered the opportunity for the company to delete the CCF and change to the new gutter guard design because of it’s ability to not only install better but to look better when installed. To my amazement, the majority rejected the idea, with the main reason being they would end up with stock of CCF which they couldn’t sell because they wouldn’t have enough to do a full job.

That blew my mind at the time, a few dollars lost in the short term for a gutter guard that was better. As it turned out, that was the best decision for me they could have made. When I started Kiwi Gutter Protection, I was able to secure exclusive rights to this mesh for New Zealand and named it Kea Mesh.

So there are the 3 different gutter guards that have been designed to use on roofs in New Zealand and Australia.

• CCF – Dereks original design
• Multi Mesh or as we call it, Kaka Mesh
• and Dereks latest design, our exclusive Kea Mesh

So as you can see, while he did win an award back in 2007, Derek did not just sit back and do nothing after that, he looked at ways to make the gutter guard better, and with a few tweaks to his original design, he succeeded.

Which Gutter Guard Is Right for You?

The answer to this question comes down to a personal decision. Both gutter guards are made of exactly the same material, fit the same, look the same and do the same job. One is slightly thicker than the other and comes with a longer guarantee and a slightly higher price tag.

So it comes down to your budget and your plans for your property. If you plan to be gone from where you are now in say 7 to 10 years, then the Kaka Mesh will serve you well over that time and save you a bit of money up front, where as if this is your forever home, then the Kea Mesh will give you better value for your dollars over a longer period.

The choice is yours.

FAQs About Gutter Guards in New Zealand

• Do gutter guards really work in New Zealand?

Yes. They will stop leaves and debris clogging your gutters, stop birds or rodents from entering your roof and reduce your maintenance. But they are not a fix and forget miracle product. In an ideal world, your gutters would fall to your downpipes, with no impedements, allowing water and fine silt to flush away. Most gutters in New Zealand nowadays are fitted level so they look ‘nice’. Because of this we recommend that you give your gutters at least an annual flush out.

• What is the best gutter guard for heavy rain?

Any of the 3 designed by Derek Murphy as they all collect 100% of rainwater.

• How much do gutter guards cost in NZ?

Prices vary between companies and mesh selection. When we are installing the gutter guard to the valleys as well, more materials are needed per metre so this affects the price too. As we have to consider the safety of the installers we also need to look at what equipment is needed and as every house is different, every job is different so it is best to get us out for a free quote so we are talking facts and figures.

• Can rodents or birds damage gutter guards?

No. HDPE is a very strong material which is why they use it in the marine industry around sharp oyster shells.

• Can I install the gutter guards myself?

Yes. Go to our DIY page to get more information.

Get Expert Gutter Guard Installation in NZ

Protecting your home starts with the right gutter guard system. Whether you’re looking for a cost-effective solution or a premium long-term investment, our team can help you choose the best option. Contact Kiwi Gutter Protection today to learn more about our Kea and Kaka Mesh gutter guard systems, and enjoy peace of mind knowing your gutters are protected.