Our Recommendation: Shur Flow Gutter Protection

For a Quad Cities home with maple trees, Shur Flow is one of the gutter protection systems we recommend considering.

Shur Flow is designed to cover the gutter opening so water can enter while leaves and other debris remain above the gutter rather than collecting inside it.

That basic design is particularly attractive around maple trees because you are trying to stop multiple types of organic debris before they enter the gutter.

Learn more about the system on our Shur Flow gutter protection page.

Why We Like Shur Flow Around Maple Trees

There are several reasons this style of gutter protection makes sense when your roof is surrounded by maple trees.

What About Those Maple "Helicopters"?

This is the question maple-tree owners should be asking.

Large leaves are relatively easy for many gutter guards to address. Maple seeds are a different challenge because they are smaller, oddly shaped, and can arrive in enormous quantities over a short period.

An open gutter gives those seeds somewhere to collect. Once leaves, seeds, twigs, and roof debris begin mixing together, they can form a layer of organic material inside the gutter.

The advantage of a Shur Flow-style panel is that the gutter opening is covered. The goal is to keep the maple debris on the outside of the gutter system while allowing water to enter.

What Happens to Leaves on Top of Shur Flow?

Shur Flow's manufacturer describes the system as using a contoured design that promotes air circulation above and below the panel. Leaves and larger debris stay on top rather than dropping into the gutter, and dry material can be moved away by wind.

The manufacturer also states that the filtration system is designed to continue passing water when wet leaves or pine needles are lying on the surface.

No exterior product should be interpreted as meaning a homeowner will never need to visually inspect the roofline again. Heavy tree coverage can create unusual debris conditions, and every home's roof pitch, tree canopy, valleys, and water volume are different.

The real objective is to dramatically reduce the amount of debris entering the gutter and reduce the need to climb a ladder to clean material out of the gutter trough.

Maple Leaves Aren't the Only Thing Shur Flow Can Help Block

Suburban Construction's Shur Flow system is designed to address more than ordinary leaves.

Depending on the debris around your property, gutter protection can help keep out:

• Maple leaves
• Maple seeds
• Twigs
• Other tree seeds
• Pine needles
• Shingle granules and roof debris
• Other organic material that can collect in gutters

Why Gutter Protection Matters Beyond Cleaning

The bigger issue is not simply whether the inside of the gutter looks clean.

Your gutter system has an important job: collect water from the roof and move it through the downspouts to an appropriate discharge location.

When gutters become clogged, water can overflow. That uncontrolled water can affect fascia, soffits, siding, landscaping, and the area around the foundation.

For homes surrounded by mature trees, keeping the drainage system open is the real objective.

Shur Flow Can Work With Existing Gutters

Another advantage is that homeowners do not necessarily need an entirely new gutter system just to add protection.

Shur Flow can be installed with existing gutters when those gutters are still in suitable condition.

If the existing gutters are damaged, undersized, pulling away from the fascia, improperly pitched, or otherwise ready for replacement, Suburban Construction can also install new seamless gutters and add Shur Flow as part of the project.

Should You Use 5-Inch or 6-Inch Gutters With Maple Trees?

Tree coverage is only one part of sizing a gutter system.

Roof area, roof pitch, valleys, water concentration, downspout layout, and drainage requirements also need to be considered.

Suburban Construction offers both 5-inch and 6-inch seamless gutter profiles. A larger gutter can provide additional water-handling capacity where the roof design and runoff justify it.

That decision should be based on the home—not simply on the fact that there is a maple tree in the yard.

Why Maple Trees Are a Big Quad Cities Gutter Problem

Mature tree canopies are common throughout established Quad Cities neighborhoods.

Homes in Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Eldridge, Le Claire, Milan, Silvis, Geneseo, and surrounding Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois communities can have large maples extending directly over rooflines.

That can mean debris entering the gutter at several different points during the year—not just during fall leaf season.

If you are cleaning your gutters in spring because of seeds and again in fall because of leaves, your maple trees are giving you a pretty good reason to investigate gutter protection.

Shur Flow vs. Gutter Cap Around Maple Trees

Suburban Construction installs both Shur Flow and Gutter Cap, and the two systems use different approaches.

Gutter Cap uses surface-tension technology. Shur Flow uses a filtration-style panel across the gutter opening.

Both can be worth considering, but for this particular question—heavy maple leaves, seeds, and "helicopters"—we recommend putting Shur Flow high on your comparison list.

Its straightforward design makes it an appealing option when the main objective is keeping multiple sizes and types of tree debris from dropping directly into the gutter.

See the Shur Flow Panel Before You Buy

Gutter protection is difficult to understand from a photograph because the most important part is how the system interacts with the gutter.

That is why we recommend visiting the Suburban Construction showroom in Davenport.

Our showroom includes cutaway displays of both Shur Flow and Gutter Cap, so homeowners can see how each gutter protection system works before deciding which approach makes the most sense for their home.

The Bottom Line

If you have mature maple trees around your Quad Cities home, you need to think about more than fall leaves.

Maple seeds, "helicopters," small stems, twigs, and leaves can challenge an open gutter system throughout the year.

For that type of environment, Suburban Construction recommends considering the Shur Flow gutter protection panel.

It covers the gutter opening, allows rainwater into the gutter, and is designed to keep leaves, seeds, twigs, and other debris out of the gutter channel.

Most importantly, it addresses the real goal: keeping your gutter system flowing while reducing the amount of time you spend cleaning debris out of it.