Two structural aluminum bars, one architectural finish.
Double bar snow retention for exposed fastener metal roofs - with the front-face ColorStrip channel.
❗ Important: Full Roof Coverage Required ❗
This rail-style snow guard system is not designed for isolated roof areas such as just over doorways, stack pipes, chimneys, or partial roof sections. Upper roofs must have snow retention in place before installing on lower roof areas. Snow above an isolated bar run still slides, ramps over the barrier, and releases in one concentrated mass. For partial-area applications, request special design considerations before ordering.
The Double Bar ColorBar System at a Glance
The double bar ColorBar runs two full 6061-T6 aluminum extrusions per row instead of one. Each bar carries three internal support ribs and runs continuously through the upper and lower channels of a shared double bar bracket mounted on top of an MRM screw-down base. The result is a snow rail with roughly twice the cross-sectional holding area of a single bar system, paired with the deflection resistance of a structural aluminum extrusion - and the only aluminum double bar system on the market with a front-face ColorStrip channel for architectural panel match.
This is the configuration engineers specify on steep-pitched commercial roofs, buildings in heavy-snow regions, coastal and corrosive environments, and any project where the snow load math puts a single bar at the margin. The upper bar catches snow that rides over the lower bar; the lower bar absorbs the initial slide energy. Load distributes across two bearing surfaces into each bracket rather than concentrating on one - reducing point stress at every attachment into the purlin. The ColorBar extrusion has been refined across three decades of commercial, industrial, and architectural installations since the original SnoBar patent was awarded in 1993.
Why 6061-T6 Aluminum Outperforms
Spans Wider Panels
6061-T6 aluminum extrusion spans panel widths over 40 inches. Wider spans mean fewer brackets per row, faster installation, and lower total system cost on modern wide-panel roof profiles.
Aluminum Cannot Rust
Aluminum has no iron content - it forms a stable oxide layer and cannot rust. In coastal, industrial, agricultural, or high-humidity environments, aluminum outlasts any coated steel snow rail on the market.
40% Heavier Per Foot
The ColorBar extrusion carries more aluminum per linear foot than any competing aluminum snow rail. More material means higher holding strength, better deflection characteristics, and longer service life.
The ColorStrip Channel: Panel Color Match Built Into the Bar
Every ColorBar extrusion ships with a 2-inch channel machined into the front face. That channel is designed to accept a ColorStrip - a thin metal strip color-matched to the roof panel that friction-fits into the channel and runs the full length of the bar. On a finished installation the effect is dramatic: the snow rails read as part of the roof rather than a gray accessory bolted on top. Architects specify ColorBar for exactly this reason.
ColorStrips can be supplied in most common roof colors, or cut from the actual project panel stock for an exact match. For branded buildings, custom colors matching corporate identity standards are available. Where full color match is required across bars, brackets, and hardware, the complete double bar system can be powder coated to a single specified color. Call for powder coating and ColorStrip pricing.
Exposed Fastener Panel Compatibility
This ColorBar configuration is purpose-built for exposed fastener (through-fastened) metal roofs - PBR, R-panel, AG panel, 5V Crimp, Tuff Rib, Classic Rib, U-panel, and similar ribbed profiles where the panel is mechanically fastened rather than standing seam. Mounting uses the MRM bracket fastened through the panel into a structural purlin, with the aluminum double bar bracket mounted on top to hold both bars in upper and lower receiver channels.
For confirmed compatibility with specific manufacturer panel profiles, reference the Snow Guard Compatibility by Roof Manufacturer guide.
When to Specify Double Bar ColorBar
The project has panel widths over 40 inches, steep roof pitches, heavy snow loads, coastal or corrosive environments, architectural color-match requirements, commercial or high-visibility applications, or any combination of high snow load plus aesthetic specification.
Panel widths are under 24 inches, snow loads are moderate, budget is the primary driver over material specification, and architectural color match is not a project requirement.
What Ships in the Double Bar ColorBar Kit
- (2) 6-foot extruded 6061-T6 aluminum ColorBars in mill finish, each with a 2-inch ColorStrip channel on the front face
- MRM mounting brackets fastened through the panel into wood or steel purlins
- Double bar aluminum brackets that mount to the top of the MRM to hold both bars in upper and lower channels
- Purlin fasteners - 1.5-inch Master Drillers for metal purlins or 2-inch Master Grippers for wood purlins, with bonded sealing washers
- Tek screws for securing the bars to the brackets
- Aluminum splice connectors to join bar sections into continuous runs across the roof
- No end caps required - the sealed aluminum extrusion eliminates the plastic end caps used on SnoBar systems
ColorStrip material and full-system powder coating are available as add-ons. Contact us for pricing on custom colors, submittal samples, and architectural specification support.
Screw Down Double Bar ColorBar Installation Sequence
Full step-by-step installation instructions with photographs ship with every kit. The following summarizes the procedure. All workers must be harnessed and anchored per OSHA fall protection guidelines. The ColorBar system is not a fall protection tie-off point.
- Confirm the engineered layout. Use the spacing layout provided with your order. If none was supplied, place the first row 12 inches up from the eave (or over the bearing wall / first purlin) with additional rows spaced evenly up the slope. Every row must land on a structural purlin.
- Locate purlins and mark bracket positions. Most through-fastened roofs have visible panel fasteners aligned with each purlin - use those as your guide. Mark the row with a chalk line.
- Set each MRM bracket on the panel flat between minor ribs, centered over the purlin, with bar receivers facing upslope. Drive the supplied Master Driller screws (metal purlins) or Master Gripper screws (wood purlins) through every hole in the base. Seat each fastener so the bonded sealing washer just compresses.
- Install the double bar bracket on top of each MRM bracket. Tighten the top bolt with a 9/16" hand wrench.
- Continue across the row at the engineered spacing - typically 12 to 18 inches on center, varying by snow load, panel type, and purlin spacing. Every bracket must land on a purlin.
- Slide the lower ColorBar through the lower receiver of every double bar bracket in the row. Then slide the upper ColorBar through the upper receiver. Bars must seat fully and run continuously.
- Secure both bars with the supplied Tek screws and retaining hardware. Do not extend more than 3 inches of bar past the last bracket at the end of a row. Never attach a short bar to a single bracket - short sections must span at least two brackets.
- Install aluminum splice connectors where bars meet in a continuous run. Splices may be made anywhere along the row except inside a bracket. Butt ends should be no further than 1/8 inch apart. One Tek screw secures each splice connector to the first bar, allowing the other end to float for thermal expansion.
- Slide optional ColorStrips into the front-face channel of each bar. Strips are friction-fit and require no additional fasteners.
- Lay out additional rows evenly up the slope per the engineered spacing, always landing each row on a purlin.
Design Requirements Before Installation
- Load path. All retained snow loads transfer through the panel into the purlins. Panel attachment and purlin capacity must be evaluated before installation. New and existing structures must be confirmed capable of carrying the added snow load.
- Minimum panel gauge. 26-gauge steel over wood purlins or 24-gauge over steel purlins, with panel fasteners correctly installed at the panel manufacturer's recommended spacing. Do not install on panels with loose, pulled, or under-driven fasteners - correct panel attachment first.
- Bracket spacing. Typically 12 to 18 inches on center. Varies by snow load, panel type, and purlin spacing. Brackets may only be placed where they can be fastened through the panel into a purlin.
- Eave overhang. Where the eave overhangs unsupported framing, confirm the overhang can carry retained snow load - otherwise place the first row at the bearing wall or first purlin.
- Short sections. Any short run of bar must span at least two brackets. A short bar attached to a single bracket will fail under load.
- Bar overhang. Never extend the bar more than 3 inches past the last bracket on the end of a row.
- Coverage limits. No snow retention system retains 100% of snow and ice. The double bar ColorBar is designed to mitigate the dangers of sliding snow and ice across the full roof plane.
