The shingles on the roof wrap around the edge!?

Question:I'm seeing more and more of this. The roof shingles wrap around the gutters as if they were gards. But I don't see how the gutters can still control the flow of water. Why do people get shingles like this? Is it good?

Answers:
I haven't actually seen this with shingles. Usually it's done with sheet metal of the same type as the actual gutters. These no-maintenance gutter systems are good for people who can't get to their gutters safely, or are just too lazy to clean once a year. Thing is, debris still gets into the gutters (just at a much slower pace), so when you do have to clean the gutters once every five years or so, it's darn near impossible.

These kind of gutters do also catch less water during very heavy downpours; otherwise the water just follows right along the curve of the gutter cover. (The way water sticks to the edge of a full glass when you tip it only slightly.)