How Does a Gutter Helmet Work?

Accumulation of Rooftop Debris

A typical gutter helmet works in rain or shine. There's more than just rainwater and storm debris to worry about! During a pleasant, sunny day, leaves and sticks and other such things accumulate on a rooftop, especially in a gutter due to its bowl-like shape, making it an all-too-easy "trap" for rooftop debris. However, a gutter helmet creates a barrier between the debris and the gutter itself--almost like an extension of the roof. As a result, leaves, sticks and insects find it virtually impossible to invade the gutter area.

Down Comes the Rain

When it rains, gutters often become clogged as the water bears leaves, sticks and other rooftop debris into them on its way down the gutter and out the drainage pipe. A gutter helmet, though, has been preventing any debris from entering the gutter in the first place, and during a storm, this remains the case. As the water comes down, bringing with it assorted natural debris, it flows down over the gutter helmet, then back and into the gutter via a specially engineered curve at the end of the helmet (called a "water deflection channel"). Leaves, sticks, and other items fall harmlessly off of the roof and onto the ground without ever entering the gutter.

The Storm Abates

After the storm has passed, water continues to drip down the roof and into the gutter, of necessity passing over the gutter helmet, then back under it into the gutter via the water deflection channel. As things dry and the sun is restored, some rooftop debris might remain on the roof, having fallen towards the end of the rainfall. This same debris will either be blown off by the wind or taken down with the next storm--over the gutter helmet and onto the ground.