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Head-to-head · Best Gutter Guards

A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum vs Waterlock Micromesh 5-Inch 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 and Waterlock Micromesh 5-Inch Gutter Guard score essentially the same (4.4 vs 4.4). Pick the one whose trade-offs match your priorities — the strengths and watch-outs below are where they actually differ.

A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum
Ranked #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 →
Waterlock Micromesh 5-Inch Gutter Guard
Ranked #3 in Best Gutter Guards
Waterlock Micromesh 5-Inch Gutter Guard
1 source$166.25as of Oct 11

Waterlock is a micro-mesh guard on an aluminum frame that tucks under the shingles and fastens to the front of the gutter. This Old House reports that it blocked the most debris of all the DIY brands it tested and did not bend or warp on its mock gutter. Bob Vila found that the mesh stopped everything from leaves and twigs to asphalt granules over two weeks of testing. Both outlets flag the price as the drawback.

Strengths
  • — Blocked the most debris of all the DIY brands This Old House tested
  • — Micro-mesh stopped leaves, twigs and asphalt granules in Bob Vila's two-week test
  • — Needs only four or five screws per section, per Bob Vila
Watch-outs
  • — Costs more than other DIY brands, per This Old House; Bob Vila says it costs twice as much as other guards
  • — Not compatible with half-round gutters, per This Old House
  • — The lip and back of the guard are visible from below, per Bob Vila
$166.25 · Check Price on AmazonFull 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.

Waterlock Micromesh 5-Inch Gutter Guard

The Waterlock Micromesh 5-Inch Gutter Guard is a micro-mesh guard like the Raptor Gutter Guard Stainless Steel Micro-Mesh, where the A-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch Aluminum is a perforated panel and the GutterBrush 5-Inch Gutter Guard is a bristle insert. This Old House found Waterlock blocked the most debris of the DIY brands it tested and noted that its cost per linear foot is higher than Raptor's. Its lip and back edge are visible from below, while the A-M guard cannot be seen from the ground.

Specs side-by-side

SpecA-M Gutter Guard 5-Inch AluminumWaterlock Micromesh 5-Inch Gutter Guard
Material.018-gauge aluminum—
StylePerforated screenMicro-mesh
Gutter Compatibility5-inch K-style gutters5-inch K-style and box gutters (6-inch version sold separately)
Length200 feet (linked listing)25 feet (linked listing)
Perforations380 1/8-inch holes per linear foot—
FastenersSelf-tapping screws, not included—
WarrantyLifetime (terms not published, per This Old House)Lifetime material and performance
Mesh—Stainless steel
Frame—Aluminum
Color—White (linked listing)
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