How Does Gutter Mesh Work?

The purpose of gutter mesh (aka “gutter guard”) is pretty simple: to keep leaves, pests and debris out of your gutters. 

In turn, this can significantly increase your home’s ability to withstand several not-so-simple threats.  

These threats include the obvious ones (clogged gutters, bushfires, animal invasion and contaminated tank water) plus others you might not expect (such as flooding).  

But perhaps you’re wondering how gutter mesh achieves all this?

The Basic Premise

Different gutter mesh designs work differently, but at Blue Mountain Co, our gutter mesh is designed as an “over-the-gutter” gutter guard system.

When properly installed, “over-the-gutter” mesh forms a physical barrier over your gutters, preventing leaves, debris and pests from entering them.

On angled roofs, further protection is provided because the mesh is installed in line with the slope of your roof. This angles the mesh over the gutters that sit on your roof edges (eaves and fascia gutters) so that leaves and debris landing on top of your mesh blow away more easily.

In other words, gutter mesh works by acting as a shield for your gutters, letting rainwater in and keeping nasty stuff out.

Optimal Features

Blue Mountain Co Gutter Mesh is simple by design, but it brings together the optimal combination of materials, aperture and installation features to protect your gutters and home.

Materials 

We manufacture aluminium and steel gutter mesh. Both are strong and durable, and are resistant to rusting. They’re also both compliant for use as gutter guards for new homes in bushfire-prone areas. However, steel is better able to withstand damage from hail and unexpected weight. For people in bushfire-prone areas in Australia, our 2mm steel gutter mesh can also act as an ember guard to defend your home against ember attack.

Aperture 

“Aperture” refers to the size of the holes in your gutter mesh. Different apertures keep out different sized leaves, so the optimal aperture gutter mesh for your property is largely determined by the vegetation around it. For those in bushfire-prone areas, non-combustible, corrosion-resistant steel gutter mesh with a 2mm (or smaller) aperture can also be installed to act as an ember guard.

Installation  

Of course, gutter mesh wouldn’t be much use if the nasty stuff it’s meant to keep out could just sneak in at the edges. That’s why our steel gutter mesh is secured with steel “profiles” or “saddles” and trim – to eliminate the risk of gaps between the roof, gutters and mesh. Our aluminium mesh is secured with “saddles” and trim to achieve the same outcome As a key added bonus, all our trims (and the gutter mesh itself) come in a range of shades, including many popular COLORBOND® colours, so you can also choose aesthetically optimal mesh for your home.

No one-size-fits-all  

As you can see, gutter mesh works by combining a simple but effective design with optimal features.

Of course, what’s optimal for one property will be different to what’s optimal for another.

That’s why it’s important to remember that when it comes to gutter mesh and gutter guards, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, we invite you to consider your strength requirements, environment and situation in order to match your property to the best gutter mesh for you.

To learn which gutter mesh is best suited to your home, use our Mesh Matcher tool.  Mesh Matcher asks 6 simple questions, then uses your answers to recommend the ideal mesh or meshes for you. It’s quick and easy, so try it today.