In 2004, having already invented a number of different gutter covers, including the award-winning LeafFilter®, Alex Higginbotham went back to the drawing board. He believed he could improve on his previous inventions, so he went into seclusion to consider what changes should be made.
He realized that his earlier products allowed a lot of water through, but could not always handle the heaviest areas of water flow. He also set out to improve the self-cleaning properties of the micro-filtration technology he had invented – he wanted a screen that could clean itself of oil and debris faster. He also experimented with the same strong yet lightweight material that gutters are made from – coiled aluminum.
Higginbotham realized that his new product needed to be pitched at a steeper angle to help keep debris from sitting on it. That would also ensures that water is able to get under the debris and to the filter. The flatter a gutter screen sits, the greater the likelihood for debris to gather, leading to rotted fascia and subroofs. A gutter screen pitched with the roofline also minimizes ice dams.
Higginbotham's MasterShield
Higginbotham sought to resolve some other common gutter guard issues by making additional improvements:
- A filter that is factory installed, eliminating inconsistent installation and filter blowouts;
- More compatible materials so that the system expands and contracts in tandem with the gutter, avoiding buckling or warping of the body;
- A one, rather than three, step installation;
- “I-beams” that give the product lateral strength for snow or other heavy loads while vertical flexibility makes the product adaptable for inconsistencies in roof, fascia and/or gutter pitch.
Higginbotham’s research ultimately led him to produce a gutter guard with the ideal combination of water filtration, flow and self-cleaning properties. MasterShield® was introduced to the market in 2005 by the true inventor of self-cleaning micro filtration. To this day, it is still the most technologically advanced and effective gutter guard available. MasterShield® incorporates Higginbotham’s LeafRelease™ stepped, non-stick microfilter and his exclusive, patented, HydroVortex™ technology. HydroVortex™ breaks the forward momentum that rainwater gains as it travels down a roof, forcing that water down into the membrane.
Higginbotham’s MasterShield® incorporates technology from four of his patents: 6,598,352; 6,951,077; 7,174,688; and 7,191,564.
Watch his performance test against oil, honey and syrup HERE.
