Do-it-yourself gutter cleaning is simple enough, but it can be a dangerous job for the untrained weekend warrior. In the alternative, there are many types of gutter guard systems on the market to choose from, and all of them offer some sort of protection for your gutter at different costs.

For starters, hardware stores and home centers sell simple plastic or metal screens that cost as little as $1 per foot. But premium gutter guards are also available. These can cost as much as $25 per foot, including labor and materials, and generally are only available through an authorized dealer.

So are gutter guards really worth it? Like most home improvement adventures, we think it comes down to cost and convenience. While premium gutters guards can be costly, most are effective and a bargain when you add in the cost of any emergency room visits necessitated when adding your own personal spin on the season known as Fall!

Do you have gutter guards on your house? If so, we'd love to hear what kind you have and whether they really work!

After some research (through which I learned there is no shortage of techniques for making rain barrels nor in the shear number of rain barrels now on the market), I chose a 60 gallon rain barrel made by a company called EarthMinded. I picked it because 1) it looked good 2) it was comparatively large 3) it looked easy to install and 4) it could be bought through a local conservancy that subsidized the barrels bringing their cost down.

With rain barrels (like real estate) location location location is everything. Screened (at least partially) from the road, I set the barrel just downhill of last year's Vinca planting and just uphill from a bit of grass I intended to overseed (I completed this this past weekend and plan to post on it). I purchased 2 bags of pea gravel, used scrap (ground-contact-rated) 4x4s (further treated) and a spare piece of blue stone. Together, this/these provided a solid, level and elevated base (all very important).

Assembling and installing the barrel was a snap (Earthminded's instructions were excellent) BUT I did have to request beforehand a kit that would work with my new round downspouts.

I may write more about this project on my blog in the coming weeks but for now if you have questions, don't be afraid to ping me. Thanks for reading. ~jb

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