The Theory of Snow Guards:
Snow and ice can avalanche dangerously off glossy coated metal roofing. Snow guards are installed to help prevent the dangerous slide of snow and ice. Our approach to snow guard placement involves placing snow guards throughout the entire roof area to keep snow and ice from shifting initially. Once frozen precipitation loses its grip on a metal roof and begins a down-hill slide, it is exposed to inertia and as such, a row of guards placed along the eave or gutter edge of the roof is not always enough protection against a dangerous avalanche. If snow and ice is held in place with an effective snow guard layout, the load will be evenly distributed on the roof, and the threat of avalanche can be effectively eliminated. An evenly distributed snow load will also preserve the long-term integrity of the structure and snow guard installation. Snow guards should never be isolated on partial roof such as just over doorways and partial roof sections. Snow guards installed on just partial roof sections may be overloaded since the weight from the unprotected roof area can be easily transfered to the partial areas that have snow retention devices.
Spacing of Snow Guards
Use our quick spacing guideline page for snow guard placement to estimate the spacing and placement of snow guards necessary for your project. Always consult an architect or engineer for exact spacing recommendations for your project.