Homeowners upset over poorly installed gutters

MECHANICSVILLE, Va. (WWBT) - Homeowners in Chester and Mechanicsville are upset after a company poorly installed new gutters, promised to fix them and then never showed up to redo the job.

Both customers say Leaf Filter did shoddy work, exposed their home to potential rain damage and is now giving them the run around. Leaf Filter admitted that they dropped the ball and say they don’t want customers to think that their only recourse is to contact the news.

Tommie Jernigan of Mechanicsville discovered his mistake was paying the whole bill without checking the work first.

“It makes me sick every time I look at it. That’s huge,” Jernigan said.

There’s a huge opening running the entire length of his roof. His contract details what he paid Leaf Filter to do including removing the existing gutter guard and installing the new Leaf Filter gutter system.

“Instead of removing the gutter (guard), they cut down the middle of the gutter (guard). When you tear metal like that it leaves a very ragged edge - that’s dangerous," Jernigan said.

The paperwork also states this process does not disturb your roof or shingles. Jernigan’s roof is raised despite what’s written in the Leaf Filter brochure.

“It leaves my house vulnerable to blowing rain because the shingles are not laying flat like they are supposed to," Jernigan said.

In Chester, Darien Ruffin paid roughly $6,000 and says the crew finished installing his gutter system in the dark.

“It was just a horrible job. I’m sure the product works great but there’s no way it’s going to work if it’s not installed properly,” Ruffin said.

Both homeowners have similar messages for Leaf Filter.

"You took my money and kind of ran off. Left me high and dry. Do what you say you are going to do,” Ruffin said.

NBC12′s Diane Walker called Corporate Manager Mike Peck Director of Installation Services again, reminding him that he offered his apologies to these customers for not taking care of it the proper way and even dropping the ball.

Earlier, Leaf Filter said the company that installed Jernigan’s new roof is to blame and should share the cost of redoing the job. Jernigan says the roofer won’t budge unless he pays for new shingles.

"I was looking for the people who did the damage to make this repair and not cost me anymore money. I already paid $3,200 for it. Why should I pay anything more for your screw up,” Jernigan said.

NBC12′s Diane Walker also reached out to the roofer but has not heard back.

Leaf Filter released the following statement and can be found HERE.

Note: A previous version of this story referred to Gutter Helmet. NBC12 wants to be clear that there was no problem with that product.

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