Gutter Helmet has been a pioneer in the gutter protection industry for well over three decades. Its patented designed permits runoff water to flow into gutters while keeping solid debris out of them, so you never have to clean your gutters again.

There are many scientific advancements that have gone into the creation of Gutter Helmet, and there are too many of them to list here. However, we will discuss one of these concepts: using surface tension to facilitate the flow of runoff water into gutters.

What is Surface Tension?

Surface tension is defined as the property found in liquids that allow them to resist external forces. It has to do with how the liquid molecules react cohesively with one another. While the molecules in the middle of liquid tend to float freely those near the surface are pulled inward, which creates an internal force throughout the liquid.

Surface tension is the major force in how water droplets form. Since the molecules are pulled inward more strongly the closer they are to the outer surface of the water, near-spherical droplets are formed. This can be seen by taking a medicine dropper and adding single drops of water on the surface of a penny sitting on a table. The droplet will getting bigger and bigger until it eventually spills over onto the table and forms a “dome” over the coin.

How Surface Tension Protects Your Gutters

So what does surface tension have to do with gutter protection?

This property is the reason why water tends to cling to the metal cover of the Gutter Helmet system and run down over the cover itself before trickling into the gutter through an opening. The surface tension of water, along with the force generated by the liquid either falling (as rain) or flowing (as runoff), allow it to cling to the gutter cover instead of “bouncing” off onto the ground.

Furthermore, surface tension is correlated with the surface area of whatever it touches. In other words, the larger the surface area, the greater the surface tension will be.

Gutter Helmet’s cover has more surface area than competitors with mesh, slits, holes, or other openings that face upward. In addition, the surface tension is boosted by Gutter Helmet’s curved design, since a curved surface has more surface area than a flat one. Finally, Gutter Helmet’s ribbed construction increases the surface area of the gutter cover even more. The end result? Runoff water that adheres tightly to the cover and runs easily into your gutters – and leaves, pine needles, and other debris that slides harmlessly off the cover and onto the ground (since solid objects don’t generate nearly as much surface tension as liquids).

Gutter Helmet + Surface Tension = Superior Results

Gutter Helmet’s revolutionary design maximizes the surface tension of rain, snowmelt, and melted ice. The system is so strong that it can handle an astonishing 22 inches of rainfall per hour – which is excellent considering that the highest-recorded hourly rainfall in the U.S. is only 11 inches. Therefore, all of this runoff water flows to your downspouts, instead of pouring over the sides of your gutters and onto the ground, where it can inflict water damage over time.

If you want to own the most scientifically-complete gutter protection system on the market today, why not contact Moonworks today for a free, in-home estimate? Moonworks is the region’s exclusive supplier of Gutter Helmet systems. Call Moonworks today at 1-800-975-6666, or fill out our form.