"no setup is 100% foolproof with pines."
Haha, ain't that the truth. I swear pine needles are nature's glitter—once they're there, good luck getting rid of them completely. I've had decent luck with a similar needle-specific mesh setup, but honestly, I still end up climbing up there a couple times a year to clear things out. Still beats the alternative though... nothing worse than clogged gutters in a downpour.
I've been dealing with pine needles for years—honestly, they're relentless. A few things I've learned from trial and error:
- Standard mesh screens help, but finer stainless steel mesh seems to work better overall.
- Angling the mesh slightly helps needles slide off easier, but some still stick around.
- Regular checks are unavoidable; I climb up at least twice a year to clear stubborn spots.
Bottom line, no system is completely maintenance-free with pines around, but you can definitely minimize the hassle.
Have you tried adding a leaf diverter or first-flush system to your setup? I get that pine needles are a special kind of evil (been there...), but a diverter might at least catch some needles before they even hit your mesh. Won't eliminate the climbing altogether, but could stretch out the time between cleanings. Might be worth experimenting with if you're already tweaking things anyway.
"a diverter might at least catch some needles before they even hit your mesh."
True, diverters can help, but honestly, I've found them to be more trouble than they're worth when it comes to pine needles. Those needles just seem to find their way through anyway, and the diverter itself ends up needing cleaning pretty often. I've seen setups with larger angled screens or even custom-made coarse mesh covers that work better for pine needles specifically. You might consider something like that instead—simpler maintenance overall. Just my two cents after dealing with plenty of clogged diverters over the years...
Yeah, diverters haven't been great in my experience either. Tried a few setups myself—honestly, a simple angled screen with wider spacing worked best. Still gotta clean it occasionally, but way less hassle overall.
