ALL-ALUMINUM

Frequently Asked Questions

About Atlas

Atlas Gutter Guard is a Lowe’s exclusive gutter guard, manufactured by Gutterglove Inc. Atlas comes in two product lines: Stainless Steel Micro-Mesh featuring patented V-Bend Technology (30-year warranty), and All-Aluminum featuring patented RiserStep® Technology (25-year warranty). Both lines are available at over 1,700 Lowe’s stores nationwide with same-day in-store pickup, plus on Lowes.com. Atlas comes with a free Gutter Brush when you register your product after installation.

No. Atlas Gutter Guard is unrelated to Atlas Roofing, Atlas Copco, Atlas Air, or other companies using the Atlas name. Atlas Gutter Guard is a brand of Gutterglove Inc., the American gutter protection manufacturer headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. Atlas Gutter Guard is sold exclusively through Lowe’s.

Atlas is exclusive to Lowe’s. You can buy it online at Lowes.com or at most of Lowe’s 1,700+ stores nationwide with same-day in-store pickup at most locations. You won’t find Atlas at Home Depot, Costco, Amazon, or any other retailer. Use Lowe’s store locator to find your nearest Lowe’s, or order online for delivery or in-store pickup.

Yes. Atlas is in-stock at most of Lowe’s 1,700+ stores nationwide. Order online at Lowes.com or choose in-store pickup at your nearest Lowe’s — most orders are ready within hours. Or just walk  into your local Lowe’s, find the building products section, and pick up the kit you need. Same-day pickup is one of Atlas’s biggest advantages over Amazon-shipped competitors.

Atlas Aluminum comes with a 25-year limited warranty. The warranty covers manufacturing and material defects, and both are transferable if you sell your home. For full warranty terms, see our Warranty page or contact our customer service team.

Yes — when you register your Atlas Gutter Guards at atlasgutterguard.com after installation, we’ll send you a free Gutter Brush. The Gutter Brush is a tool designed to help with the minimal ongoing maintenance any gutter guard needs. It’s only available when you register your product directly with us, not in the Lowe’s purchase itself.

Sizing & Purchase

Choose Atlas Stainless Steel if fine debris is your primary concern — pine needles, pollen, roof grit,  or pests (wasps, insects, etc.). The V-Bend Technology micro-mesh filters sub-millimeter debris that aluminum guards let through. Choose Atlas Aluminum if heavy rainfall or larger debris is your main issue. Atlas Aluminum’s RiserStep Technology delivers 45% more water capacity than competitor aluminum gutter guards, and is available in multiple colors. Both lines are at Lowe’s with same-day pickup or online.

Measure the total linear footage of your gutters and add about 10% to account for cuts and trim. Most residential homes have between 100-200 linear feet of gutter. Use the gutter measurement guidance at atlasgutterguard.com for a walkthrough. Atlas comes in kit sizes designed to cover standard residential gutter footage — match your measured footage to the appropriate Lowe’s product configuration

Atlas comes in individual sections of 3-foot (36-inch) &  4 feet (48 inches) each. Sections are designed to be cut to length and joined for installation. Most homeowners will use several sections per gutter run, joining them along the  gutter’s length to cover the full length.

No. Atlas is engineered for 5-inch and 6-inch K-style gutters — the most common residential gutter sizes in the United States. It will not fit smaller commercial or specialty gutters in the 2-4 inch range. If your home has standard K-style residential gutters, Atlas is the right fit.

The 6-inch Atlas Gutter Guard is wider and uses more material per linear foot than the 5-inch version. The pricing reflects the additional material cost. Larger gutter systems (6-inch) typically appear on homes with larger roof areas and higher rainfall capacity needs, which is why the 6-inch product is appropriately priced for that use case.

Atlas Aluminum is available in multiple colors to match your home’s gutter, fascia, or roof aesthetic. See atlasgutterguard.com or the Lowes.com product page for current color availability. Atlas Stainless Steel comes in the natural stainless finish only — stainless steel doesn’t need painting and isn’t designed to be color-matched.

Installation

You’ll need a standard DIY tool kit: tin snips for cutting stainless steel sections to length, a drill with hex driver for the included self-tapping screws, gloves and safety glasses for working with cut stainless steel edges, an extension ladder appropriate for your roof height (16-24 ft for most homes), and a tape measure. Most home installations can be completed in a day with these tools.

Yes. Atlas Aluminum’s back wing should be secured under the first row of roof shingles or to the fascia, depending on your gutter configuration. This secures the gutter guard at the back while the front sits flush with the gutter lip. Our All-Aluminum Installation Guide walks through the  back-wing-securing process with photos.

Atlas installs flush with your existing gutter line. The angle of installation should match the natural slope of your gutter — typically a slight pitch toward the downspouts that’s already built into your gutter installation. Don’t add additional pitch to the gutter guard itself. Following the gutter’s natural slope is what allows water to flow correctly while keeping debris on top.

If installed correctly, Atlas sits flush with the front of the gutter and slopes slightly downward toward the back, matching your existing gutter slope. If water pools on top during rain, the installation may be too flat. If water shoots past the gutter into your yard during heavy rain, the install may be pitched too steeply forward. Our installation guide includes photos showing the correct alignment.

For steeply pitched roofs (8/12 pitch or greater), drop the slope of the Atlas gutter guard to between 5 and 10 degrees. The reduced slope creates natural resistance that slows rainwater coming off a steep roof. Standard installations on lower-pitch roofs use the typical 5-25 degree forward slant; steep roofs use the flatter end of that range.

Atlas installation on a two-story home follows the same product steps as single-story — what changes is the safety setup. Use an extension ladder rated for two-story work paired with a ladder standoff stabilizer to prevent gutter damage and keep the ladder secure. An adequate safety harness is recommended above single-story height, and scaffolding or a boom lift is appropriate when ladder work isn’t safe for your specific structure. Atlas itself doesn’t require special skills — just safe access to the gutter line. If two-story ladder work isn’t comfortable, hiring a handyman for the install is a reasonable option.

If your roof shingles or tiles are glued or nailed down at the roof edge, don’t disturb them. Atlas can be installed without tucking under shingles by bending the mesh up or down in the back while maintaining a 5 to 25 degree forward slant (positive slope) on the gutter guard itself. Screw the back of the mesh into the fascia rather than sliding it under the shingles. Make sure the front edge of Atlas lies flat against the front edge of your gutter — that flat-front contact is what delivers optimal performance. Your roof warranty stays intact because Atlas doesn’t disturb the roofing system.

Atlas is engineered to fit a wide range of gutter and roof combinations, as long as the front edge of the gutter guard lies flat on the front edge of your gutter and maintains a 5 to 25 degree forward slant. The most common configurations Atlas supports include: low-hanging gutters, vinyl plastic gutters, vinyl U-shaped gutters, vinyl K-style gutters, asphalt shingle roofs, corrugated metal roofs, flat tile roofs, soft metal roofs, standing lock metal seam roofs, villa tile roofs, and wood shake roofs. For your specific configuration, visit the Atlas How to Install page for instructional videos and guides. Even if your scenario isn’t shown exactly, related installation guides often contain the technique you need.

Atlas works with most uncommon roof and gutter types as long as two conditions are met: the gutter guard retains a 5 to 25 degree forward slant (positive slope), and the front edge of the gutter guard lies flat on the top front edge of your gutter with no gap. If your configuration meets those two requirements, Atlas will install and perform correctly. Watch the install videos on the Atlas How to Install page — even a video showing a different gutter-to-roof scenario than yours often demonstrates the technique you need. The Atlas customer support team has helped thousands of customers install on non-standard configurations.

No, you cannot flip the gutter guard. We offer the Atlas All-Aluminum Gutter Guard in three colors, black,  white, and mill finish. Whichever color you purchased is the intended color on the top, and this is the only way it can be installed correctly.

Simply unfasten the screws (front and back) from any section of the guard that you need to remove.

No, we don’t recommend painting Atlas gutter guards. Atlas Aluminum is already available in multiple factory-applied colors, which last significantly longer than any paint you’d apply after install. If you want a specific color, choose the matching factory color at purchase.

After installation, the simplest test is a controlled water test. Use a garden hose to simulate heavy rainfall over each section of your roof and gutter system. Watch how water flows: it should pass through the gutter guard, into the gutter, and out through the downspouts without pooling on top of the gutter guard or overshooting it. Any overflow or backup indicates an adjustment is needed.

Use a garden hose to run water down your roof over each gutter section. Start at one end and work your way across the entire gutter system. Watch how the water flows: it should enter the gutter through the gutter guard mesh, travel along the gutter, and exit through downspouts. Check for pooling on the gutter guard surface (indicates the install may be too flat), overshoot past the gutter (may be too steep), or leaks at joins between sections (may need re-securing).

Atlas Aluminum has a flat top surface that’s no more slippery than your roof shingles themselves — most homeowners do not experience any added slipping concern. Atlas Stainless Steel’s mesh surface has texture that provides slightly better grip. If you’re walking on gutter guards during cleaning or maintenance (which we recommend avoiding when possible), use proper ladder positioning, the free Gutter Brush from registration, and standard ladder safety practices.

Snow melt itself isn’t preventable — it’s a natural process. The goal is to manage how meltwater flows through your gutter system. Atlas Aluminum’s RiserStep Technology channels meltwater into the gutter without backing up. To minimize ice dam formation that can compromise your roof and gutter system, ensure attic insulation prevents excessive heat loss (which causes uneven melting), and keep downspouts clear so meltwater can drain freely.

Rainwater runoff past your gutter system can have several causes: gutter guard installed too flat or too steep, debris buildup on top of the gutter guard, downspouts that are clogged or insufficient for the rain volume, or the gutter itself overflowing due to inadequate downspout capacity. Walk through these one by one — checking the gutter guard installation angle is the first step, then clearing any debris, then verifying downspouts are flowing freely.

Atlas Aluminum’s rear rail is designed to fit under shingles or to attach to the fascia, while the front rail sits flush with the gutter lip. The different rail heights reflect this functional difference. The configuration is engineered specifically for RiserStep Technology’s stepped channel design — don’t try to modify the rail dimensions. The product is built to install correctly with the rails as designed.

Maintenance

Atlas Gutter Guards dramatically  reduce gutter maintenance but don’t eliminate it completely. A small amount of debris will eventually accumulate on top of any gutter guard. Most homeowners brush off accumulated debris once or twice a year using the free Gutter Brush included with product registration. The brush makes maintenance easy and doesn’t require climbing back into the gutter itself.

Performance & Climate

Stainless steel resists moss growth far better than other materials. In wet, shaded conditions, small amounts of moss can accumulate on the surface  of either material over time. Periodic brushing with the free Gutter Brush keeps the surface clear. Atlas’s design — particularly the V-Bend stainless steel line — minimizes moss accumulation compared to most competing products.

Icicles can form on any gutter guard in freezing conditions, including Atlas. The stainless steel and aluminum construction is structurally strong enough to handle ice load without deforming. To minimize icicle formation, ensure your attic insulation prevents excessive heat loss to the roof (which causes ice dams), and that downspouts remain clear so meltwater can drain properly. Atlas itself doesn’t increase icicle formation compared to unprotected gutters. 

Atlas’s mesh and channel designs handle snowmelt well. Melted snow flows through the gutter guard into the gutter and drains through your downspouts. The materials resist damage from freeze-thaw cycles that compromise lesser products over time. Cold-climate buyers consistently report strong Atlas performance through multiple winter cycles in Lowe’s reviews.

Yes. Atlas products are made from non-combustible materials.  and meets Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) compliance requirements common in California, Oregon, Colorado, and other wildfire-prone regions. Both products are effective in preventing flammable debris accumulation in your gutter. Atlas Aluminum is also non-combustible (aluminum doesn’t ignite at typical fire temperatures), though stainless steel is generally the right specification for installations specifically pursuing WUI compliance.

Atlas Aluminum’s RiserStep Technology delivers 45% more water capacity than competitor aluminum gutter guards, making it especially effective in heavy-rain regions like the Pacific Northwest, Gulf Coast, and Southeast. Both lines have been tested across diverse climates with strong customer feedback on Lowe’s reviews.

Atlas’s gutter guards handle hail far better than plastic or thin-mesh gutter guards. Both materials resist  hail damage and dents that would compromise softer products. While extreme hail can damage any  roofline component, Atlas is among the most hail-resistant gutter guards available — ideal for regions like Texas, Oklahoma, and the Midwest, where hailstorms are common.

Have Questions?

Contact the Atlas team today to gain access to all the resources and support you need for a successful gutter guard installation. We’re here to assist you every step of the way! 

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