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.
Full review
Debris blocking in two hands-on tests
This Old House installed Waterlock on a mock roof and gutter alongside other DIY guards and reports that it blocked the most debris of all the DIY brands it tested. It also singled out the build quality: the guard did not bend or warp when installed on the mock system.
Bob Vila ran its own test for two weeks through several heavy rains and found that the micro-mesh stopped everything from leaves and twigs to asphalt granules. Its tester credits the deep channels under the mesh with preventing water from jumping out and splashing over the gutter during heavy rain, and says those channels give the guard a more substantial feel than some of the other micro-mesh guards it tested.
Installation
According to Bob Vila, the guards install by tucking under the shingles and snapping into the front of the gutter, and need only four or five screws per section, which made them relatively easy to fit. This Old House lists ease of installation compared with other DIY brands among its pros.
The fit is not universal. This Old House notes that the guard is not compatible with half-round gutters and lists 'doesn't fit all roof and gutter types' as a con.
Appearance and colors
Bob Vila points out that the large lip and the back of the guard are visible from below, and that Waterlock offers 14 color options for the exposed lip, including bronze, red, black and copper. It lists the guard as visible in its specs, unlike the A-M panel it tested.
Price and warranty
Cost is the complaint both outlets share. Bob Vila lists 'costs twice as much as other guards' as its one dislike, and This Old House says it placed Waterlock third among its DIY picks because of its higher cost per linear foot.
This Old House reports a lifetime material and performance warranty under which the company will replace guards that peel, crack, clog or blister under normal weather conditions.
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
- +Deep channels under the mesh keep water from splashing over the gutter in heavy rain, per Bob Vila
- +Lifetime material and performance warranty, per This Old House
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
How it compares
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.
Rating sources
Counts as 4.39/5 in our score — this publisher's 9 scores on the site average 4.33, so its scores are adjusted down to compare fairly with other publishers.
Our 4.4 score is the average of the 1 scored review above, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores; 1 more reviewed it without printing a score and is not in the average. More about methodology.
