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Contact the guys at Rain Flow. The inventor was at the Atlanta trade show and was super nice. I’m sure he’d like to see this video, and I bet he can help you out.
seems like it needs something fitted below the rainflow to hold it up high ,looklike it would have to higher than the gutter edge though,if the debris was going to blow away easily
Seth,
I was in this position a few years ago with a product called Hallet Gutter Cover. I did my research on this product (called several roofing companies who installed the product) and was confident that I was on to a huge money making venture. First job was a total disaster! The Hallet cover is a solid cover that is supposed to channel the water in while the debris falls off the edges while it wraps around into the gutter (similar to the Kgard gutter product on the market).
Long story short, the customer calls me back after the first big rain storm and tells me that her landscaping is getting damaged from water shooting off of her roof:confused:. We ended up removing the the Hallet cover and installing gutter screening with re-enforced edge. Pro rated the cost and gave her a refund on the difference.
If I were you, I would do the same and give a refund on the job. Explain to her that the product didnt live up to what it is supposed to do. As you mentioned in the video, you only installed 30’ so it shouldnt be that big of a deal. Looking at your video, It looks to me like that roof has a pretty steep pitch on it. Any gutter guard installed on that roof will end up being a “ledge” type situation. Debris will just sit up there and could cause water to run back under the shingle causing wall or ceiling damage. It could also cause an ice dam if you have a cold winter climate.
Steve
I would bet the problem is the roof pitch. At that steep angle any rain coming down is actually blasting thru the Rain Flow. So once the water pressure has pushed in the Rain Flow the debris builds up on the top of the RF. It might be necessary to put something on the roof to slow the rain down. Maybe zinc strips that are used for keeping moss from growing on the roof would help to slow the speed of the water coming down the roof. If the RF wasn’t there in a good rain I’d bet the water hits the gutter and comes flooding over the top of the gutter.
Seth, are you sure you had the right size of the product in there. I only ask because it just looks like it’s not snug in the front of the gutter. If this was my customer, I would reinstall the product, your probably better at it now, and check back periodically to see how its holding up. The guys at Rain flow are really nice guys and would probably appreciate you doing your own little test at this particular house. Don’t panic yet!!
Overall we have found rain flow to be a good product and do the job its supposed to as long as its installed correctly. ( it really needs to be straight and tight across with no indents or divets where debris can build up)
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Most of my “research” was conducted while walking around home and garden trade shows mostly. Some internet sites, and the reviews and advice of other gutter protection installers.
I admit, I don’t sell much Rain Flow, mostly because I hate to clean out gutters. The mold and pollen that collects makes me sick. But I have done it on occasion (every time swearing it’s my last), and wanted something to offer should a customer request it. I haven’t seen anything that seems better then Rain Flow…
For that steep of a roof, I would probably suggest cleaning it out every year, since it’s just 30 feet (or install metal screens like on the rest of the house). I think with that pitch roof, the water is probably hitting the rain flow with a lot of force. It’s amazing what the force of water can do.
I don’t use rainflow. I use leafdefier.com - This website is for sale! - leafdefier Resources and Information. I like both their safeflow and leaf defier products. A little pricey but not to bad. I use them mainly cause the have an office about 15 minutes from me and I can pick the stuff up so I don’t have to pay for shipping. I have not used the product much at all. Only 3 installs of it over the last few years. I have not installed it this year at all. But the homes that I did install it on have not called back for anything. No gutter cleaning and no complaints. It fits very very tightly into the gutter and I can’t see anything pushing it into the gutter like that. One other nice thing is the company coats the product in it’s own chemcial and they warrenty it for 25 years. Most companys I have seen at not even warrenty for 20 years.
Anyway you can put some clip in support under that product?
Seth, I’m actually having some similar issues that are causing me to have serious concern about continuing to sell this product. I would like to hear from other that have sold the product for a while as to whether or not the product holds up over the long haul. I made a video outlining my concerns about the product on my own house. Ironically, we are installing 650 ft of the product today. I am not nearly as concerned about today’s install though because it is a new construction with very few trees anywhere.
Keep in mind that I have 90 trees on my property and some very close to the house. I think my house is a worst case scenario but I would still like to hear from the R.F. people about these videos.
Hey guys, sorry I didnt catch this post earlier.
I just forwarded both videos, and this thread to Brian @ Rain Flow. I think he may chime in shortly to address your concerns.
Hi everyone, Brian From Rain Flow here.
Chris forwarded me the latest posts and I’m sorry for the issues that are being brought up. I have been in the roofing/siding/gutter business for about 12 yerars or so. I have installed metal hoods(Gutter Topper), inserts (Rain Flow, Flo-free and gutter stuff) and various screens from big box and roofing supply stores. I have come to believe that every install can pose it’s own set of challenges and sometimes the kinds of debris and the amount of debris would cause problems for ANY system that is installed. Unfortunatly, the only answer is maintenance. There may be some applications or certain roof designs that will require maintenance to the Rain Flow. If home owners have to clean their gutters every other week and complain about sap or pollen plugging up eveything in sight, they most likely will have a similar problem with a gutter protection product. Your best bet is to fully understand your customers concerns and become as knowledgeable about their problem and help them understand possible limitations of Rain Flow or any system you may be installing. If you would like to contact me directly, please call 1-800-796-4476 M-F eastern time zone. Thanks for your time and I look forward to meeting you at future Window Cleaning events. Thanks, Brian
Here is a few pics of some Rain Flow I installed last August. It has some small ripples in it but is still intact. There is a tree that hangs closely over the middle section just a bit. I did blow it off about in late March with my blower. Otherwise it looks like it is holding up thus far over 10 months. Recently we have experienced an abnormal amount of rain in Maryland.
I stated this before and will again here. I think the most important single element that a small business owner brings to the table when he offers services of any kind is knowledge of each particular one. Whether gutter cleaning, installing a product like Rain Flow or gutter whitening each tech/operator/owner should have vast knowledge of what they are doing so they can confidently pass that knowledge along to their customers. Being educated about guttering and all phases of roofing has helped me greatly to be able to explain to my customers exactly what to expect considering their particular situational factors.
I have never come across a gutter protection system that worked 100% of the time. I am not defending Rain Flow just being realistic. Here are a few pics of an install we did last August that we took today.
Dwight…I agree 100% I have 105 gutter cleaning customer accounts I service in the spring and fall. About 10 of them have some sort of gutter protection that someone else sold them years before. They had the false belief that once they had the “proctection” they were golden. I havent installed any rain flo yet, but i have the samples and info.
Brian from Rain Flow was kind enough to call me today and as a result I feel a lot better about the product and the company’s commitment to stand behind their product. I plan to keep selling RF and that’s why I deleted the video I made. I think that what Dwight said is the key to understanding the viability of the product. Knowing what to tell the customer and what applications that the product will be challenged in is vitally important. The main reason that I started selling this product is because it was the only thing that seemed to work well at a reasonable cost. I still believe that it is a good product but I also understand that like any product it has its limitations.
Thanks Brian!
I found a web sight as I was searching for all the info on Rain Flow before investing and installing it. This sight shows that it works well with a flat roof up to a 16" - 12" steep pitch roof. It looks like your roof in the video may be pushing the limit. Just a guess from looking at it. I understand how you feel, as I always want all customers happy with my service and any thing I would do for them. I hope you will update this as you find out more. Thanks!
[Rain Flow gutter protection from brilliant windows]
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