Snow retention
Snow guards for metal roofs
A metal roof is designed to shed snow, and it does that extremely well. The problem is that it tends to do all of it at once.
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Why it matters here
A roof load lets go in one piece
On shingle, snow melts and slides off gradually because the surface grips it. On standing seam or ribbed metal there is almost nothing holding it, so a thaw can release the entire roof plane as a single slab.
That slab takes the gutter and its hangers with it on the way past. It lands on whatever is below, which in this part of the world is usually a doorway, a walkway, an air conditioning unit, a propane tank or a parked truck. The gutter is the cheapest thing in that list.
What they do
Hold it in place and let it melt
Snow guards do not stop snow leaving the roof. They stop it leaving all at once.
- They protect the gutter you just paid for. A sheet release will strip a new seamless run off the fascia. Retention is cheaper than replacing the gutter every few winters.
- They protect what is underneath. Entrances, walkways, steps, decks, heat pumps, propane tanks and anywhere people park. The timing of a release is not predictable.
- Layout matters more than quantity. Placement is worked out from the roof pitch, the panel type and the span being held, not by spacing them evenly and hoping.
- The fixing depends on the panel. Standing seam normally allows clamp-on fixings that do not penetrate the panel. Ribbed and exposed-fastener roofs are a different method. Getting this wrong puts holes in a roof that did not need them.
- Fit them before winter, not during. This is autumn work. Once there is snow and ice on a metal roof it is not a job anyone should be doing.
Straight answers
Snow Guards questions
What are snow guards?
Small retainers fixed to a metal roof that hold snow in place so it melts off gradually rather than releasing in one sheet. They are sometimes called snow retention or snow birds.
Do I need them if I already have gutters?
If you have a metal roof, the gutters are one of the reasons to fit them. A full sheet release will tear a gutter off its hangers on the way down, and it will do it again the following winter.
Will they damage my roof?
Not if they are fixed correctly for the panel type. On standing seam, clamp-on fixings grip the seam without penetrating the panel at all. On ribbed and exposed-fastener roofs the method is different, and it needs to be matched properly to avoid creating leaks.
When should they be installed?
Autumn, before the first real snow. Once a metal roof is carrying snow and ice it is genuinely dangerous to work on, so this is work to book ahead rather than after the first time a load comes off.
Can you fit them to an existing roof?
Yes. They do not have to go on at the same time as the roof, and most of the ones we fit go onto roofs that have already been through a winter or two and taught the owner why they are needed.
Do shingle roofs need them?
Very rarely. Asphalt shingle holds snow well enough on its own. This is a metal roof problem, which is why it comes up so often around here.
Also
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Four services, all of them gutters. Based in Equinunk and working both sides of the Upper Delaware, across six counties in Pennsylvania and New York.
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