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Head-to-head · Best Gutter Guards

A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum vs Amerimax Hoover Dam Metal Mesh Gutter Guard

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.4 vs 4.0). A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum is best for: Budget DIY installs on 5-inch K-style gutters where the debris is mostly large leaves. Read the strengths below before deciding.

A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum
Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Gutter Guards
A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum
1 sourceall derived$347.99as of Oct 11

The A-M Gutter Guard is a perforated aluminum panel that screws to the front lip of a 5-inch K-style gutter. This Old House found it effective against large debris such as oak leaves and twigs, but noted that dirt particles and pine needles can pass through the holes. Bob Vila liked that it cannot be seen from the ground and is easy to cut around brackets, and disliked that the self-tapping screws it needs are not in the box.

Strengths
  • — Blocks large debris such as oak leaves and twigs, per This Old House
  • — Easy to cut and install, even around brackets, per Bob Vila
  • — Screw-down mounting gave the most secure connection in This Old House's testing
Watch-outs
  • — Self-tapping screws are not included, per Bob Vila
  • — Dirt particles and pine needles can pass through the holes, per This Old House
  • — Designed only for K-style gutters and overflows under heavy rainfall, per This Old House
$347.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Amerimax Hoover Dam Metal Mesh Gutter Guard
Ranked #4 in Best Gutter Guards
Amerimax Hoover Dam Metal Mesh Gutter Guard
1 sourceall derived

The Amerimax Hoover Dam is a powder-coated steel mesh guard sold in 3-foot pieces, with raised ridges meant to catch fast water and turn it into the gutter. Bob Vila named it best for downpours after seeing no overflow during a late-summer deluge, and This Old House scores the Amerimax mesh guard 3.9 out of 5 for its durable alloy steel. It is not micro-mesh, so shingle grit gets through, and its ridges hold debris that needs sweeping off.

Strengths
  • — No overflow during a late-summer downpour in Bob Vila's testing, thanks to ridges that catch running water
  • — This Old House notes a 15-year limited warranty
  • — Debris swept or blew off easily with a brush or small blower, per Bob Vila
Watch-outs
  • — Not micro-mesh, so shingle granules pass through, per Bob Vila
  • — The ridges trap debris that must be cleared periodically, per Bob Vila
  • — Its 7-inch width sat far under the shingles on 5-inch gutters and left a visible bump in Bob Vila's install
Buy at homedepot.comFull review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum

The A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum is a perforated aluminum panel, where the Raptor Gutter Guard Stainless Steel Micro-Mesh and the Waterlock Micromesh 5-Inch Gutter Guard use stainless steel micro-mesh and the GutterBrush 5-Inch Gutter Guard is a bristle insert. Raptor includes self-tapping screws; A-M does not. GutterBrush needs no fasteners at all, while A-M is screwed to the gutter lip.

Amerimax Hoover Dam Metal Mesh Gutter Guard

Unlike the Raptor and Waterlock micro-mesh guards, the Hoover Dam is a coarser steel mesh, and Bob Vila notes it will not stop asphalt shingle granules. It is metal like the A-M aluminum guard, but uses raised ridges to steer heavy runoff into the gutter. It needs screws and tools to fit, where the GutterBrush simply slides into the gutter.

Specs side-by-side

SpecA-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch AluminumAmerimax Hoover Dam Metal Mesh Gutter Guard
Material.018-gauge aluminumPowder-coated alloy steel
StylePerforated screen—
Gutter Compatibility5-inch K-style gutters—
Length200 feet (linked listing)—
Perforations380 1/8-inch holes per linear foot—
FastenersSelf-tapping screws, not included—
WarrantyLifetime (terms not published, per This Old House)15-year limited (per This Old House)
Type—Metal mesh cover with raised ridges
Piece Size—7 in wide x 3 ft long
Fits—5- and 6-inch gutters (per Bob Vila); 4- to 6-inch (per This Old House)
Mounting—Slides under shingles, snaps to gutter edge, self-tapping screws
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