The first gutter brushes were originally launched in the United Kingdom with a diameter of 10 cm. British gutters are traditionally smaller than those on the European mainland, where 12 cm is usually the standard.

Nevertheless, we see that many wholesalers in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Scandinavia and Germany still offer 10 cm as the standard. This often results in disappointing sales and dissatisfied customers. This is because the brush does not fully fill the gutter, leaving space on both sides where leaves remain.

Online, you’ll also come across brushes measuring Ø15 or Ø20 cm. These brushes can be used for larger gutters, but are only sold sporadically for that purpose. In most cases, the larger brushes are intended as SolarGuardBrushes for solar panels and not for roof gutters.

Discover the difference: www.solarguardbrush.be versus www.gutterbrush.be

Some import companies include gutter brushes in their range of cheap imported products. In many cases, these brushes have the wrong diameter. But there are other quality issues as well. Often, the bristles are too thin to support the weight of wet leaves. The fibres flatten and the brush quickly loses its effectiveness. The filling is also often too light, making the brush less efficient.

In addition, we often see a steel wire measuring just 2×Ø1.0 mm, whereas a decent brush uses 2×Ø2.0 mm. A wire that is too thin results in a wavy brush that protrudes visibly above the gutter, causing the fibres to come loose more quickly. A high-quality brush uses sturdy wire, well-filled fibres, 100% UV-stable material and, preferably, recycled fibres.

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Presentation has a huge impact on sales.

A conversation with a prospective client who stocks gutter brushes revealed that sales were virtually non-existent. In his garden centres, the brushes were hung in sets of four on a hook amongst other garden products. We know from experience that this doesn’t work. Gutter brushes sell best in a clear display with a large sign that immediately explains their function. This way, the product attracts attention and the customer instantly understands what it is for. A single, anonymous brush on a hook lacks that appeal.

Furthermore, customers often buy around 12 metres straight away (for example, 2 × 6 m for the front and rear façades). If there are only 4 metres on the shelf, you’ll again lose sales due to insufficient stock.

The same principle applies online. Around 80 per cent of sales take place via e-commerce, but selling individual items is rarely worthwhile: transport and handling costs eat into your margin. That is why many online shops fare better with packs of 12 or 24 metres. These are typical purchase quantities, require no extra packaging, and maintain a healthy balance between product price and transport costs.