Dollars & Sense: Time to stop scooping gunk out of gutters?

Homeowners, allow me to put my mind in the gutter for a moment now that most of the leaves have fallen. (Renters, mosey on. The gutter is not a place for you.)

You can pay big bucks to have the hooded gutters professionally installed ($13 to $28 per linear foot when I priced it three years ago) and never worry about your gutters again. A cheaper alternative is the self-installed gutter filter. It's a dense, exterior-grade foam that comes in 4- or 5-foot lengths. When I priced it by a local company in 2006 it was about $7.50 per linear foot -- cheaper than the hooded gutters but still pricey for foam.

Now there is a cheaper option if you want to try the foam inserts. At Costco.com, the GutterStuff filter is only $2.81 per linear foot, delivered. (Go to Costco.com and search "gutterstuff.") You have to buy 32 linear feet (eight 4-foot sections). My concern with the foam is that leaves will stick on top when wet. Eventually I think the leaves will blow off when dry, but I worry that anyone with pine trees will soon have gutters that resemble elongated pin cushions.

The good news is that Costco will stand behind the purchase with a money-back guarantee. According to the website, the product has a five-year guarantee, but Costo's warranty is indefinite on most items, even if the product is bought online. (Some electronics have a 90-day return policy.) If you're not a Costco member, you can still buy the product and pay a 5 percent surcharge.

Although the filters are easy to install by sliding them into the gutter and cutting to fit, I purchased the Sheerflow fiberglass screens, which come in 4-foot sections in white or brown, at Menards. Fleet Farm, Home Depot and Lowe's sell a similar product. The Sheerflow has two screens, including a fine-screen mesh. The fine mesh, which is installed facing up, keeps out seed "helicopters," leaves and debris. Occasionally, seed debris or wet leaves collect on top, but they usually blow off when dry. At worst, you may need to get out the ladder to brush off the screens. Try these before you invest thousands in the hooded gutter system. To see these screens "in action," go to my video at www.startribune.com/video, click on Dollar Duo, and then the segment called "Money for kids/cheap home improvement."

The two-layer screens work much better than aluminum inserts or the single-layer screens without a fine mesh on top (helicopters and leaves get stuck in the holes). One caveat: several readers have told me that they installed the Sheerflow product or one similar to it and find that the screen mesh is so fine that water runs over the screens onto the ground, not into the gutter. I have not found that to be true but am monitoring it.

Some of you are probably wondering why you should even bother about this. Clean gutters keep excess water from falling near the foundation, preventing moisture problems such as wood rot, mildew, foundation erosion and water in the basement.