Having guard screens can significantly decrease the amount of gutter maintenance as you will no longer need to clean the interior of your gutter system. You may still need to brush off the top of the guards to remove the leaves that can inevitably pile on top. With rain, the falling leaves can get hung up on the guards. But as they dry out, quite often, they will blow off on their own. Also, depending on the type of home, your maintenance may be significantly lower than others.