If you have a metal roof and get regular snow, you should consider the best type of snow guard system for your roof.With winter upon us, snow and ice can pile up fast on your streets, roof, and sidewalks.Going back hundreds of years, snow guard systems have helped prevent snow avalanches and the resulting damage.
Snow guards are easy to install and non-obtrusive. They have helped both residential and commercial owners protect both people and property from huge amounts of sliding sheets of ice and snow.
When choosing the right snow guard for your roof, it is crucial to evaluate your roof style, roofing material, snow load (depending on your location), roof pitch, and aesthetic preferences (bar style or pad-style). There are many styles of snow retention products to choose from, the most popular are discussed below.
1. Bar-Style Snow Guards
They are typically installed horizontally on your roof and feature a continuous bar length. Mounts are available for most roof types.Many bar systems only require one row, however each project should be calculated to determine the appropriate number of rows.Many factors are used in determining the correct layout for a roof.Bar-style guards have a clean, streamlined look that is popular with architects and design professionals.
2. Seam Mounted Snow Guards
This is a very common style of guard with very simple installation.It combines the pad style guard with the attachment method of the more expensive bar systems.Newer designs, such as the SnoCleat, allows for adjustable angled faces.This allows the faces to be set based on the angle of the converging valley or to allow for a swivel point to avoid seam damage.Seam Mounted snow guards are sometimes referred to as snow cleats, snow dogs, snowbirds, snow jacks, snow pads, and many more.
This type of snow guard is designed for use on standing seam panel roofs.
3. Pad Style Snow Guards
This style of guard is designed to be installed in multiple staggered rows, spaced evenly up the slope.The strategy is to hold the snow and ice where it lands, not to try and catch it at the bottom of the slope.These can be manufactured from various materiels, the most common being polycarbonate plastic or stainless steel.They can be attached with adhesive or mechanically fastened with screws.
Depending on your roofing system, there are different snow guard styles that can help resolve issues with sliding snow and ice.These snow guards are effective in offering added protection for your property. Speak with a licensed and professional roof installer in your area to discuss the most optimal solution for your needs and always consult with the manufacturer for assistance in product selection and layout.
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When realizing that snow retention is a critical component of your metal roof, your first question is what type to use.
This decision will be based on what type of roof panel you have or perhaps as simple as what type of look you want. There are many configurations of snow guards on the market but individual/pad style snow guards and continuous rail type snow guards, such as DYNA-GUARD, are the two most commonly used in the U.S.
Pad and Rail
Both can be installed on through fastened panels or standing seam panels. Individual snow guards will either adhere to the roof panel via adhesive/sealant or fasteners that penetrate through the roof panel into the structural substrate.
These pad-style snow guards are typically polycarbonate, and do not usually offer the same strength characteristics of a continuous rail system. Continuous rail-type snow guards will attach to either a mount that is through fastened into a structural member, for corrugated or through fastened panels, or via clamps that will attach to the seam of a standing seam panel, using non-penetrating setscrews. Either of these two methods will then use a continuous rail/extrusion that attaches to either the mount or clamp, and will also have a SNO-DAM or a flag that hangs down and rests in the center of the flat of the panel, which will keep snow and ice from sliding under your snow guards.
Rail-type snow guards are commonly manufactured from aircraft quality, high-tensile aluminum and use stainless steel hardware for attaching. Both individual and rail-type snow guards give you the option to color match your roof panel. Preferred systems will use flat stock panel that has been cut down to slide in the face of your rail/extrusion. This will ensure roofline aesthetics for years to come as you won’t have to worry about your snow guards fading at a different rate than your roof panels.
Other things to consider are whether or not the system has been independently tested and if the system can be designed/engineered for your specific roof. Generically speaking, most continuous rail-type snow retention will be installed in a single row within a few feet of the eave line while individual/pad-style snow guards will be installed in a grid or staggered pattern. In certain circumstances, multiple rows will be required to properly retain the accumulating snow no matter which system is used.
Rail-type systems are more likely to use a single row due to the greater holding power versus glue-down pad style. Long panel lengths combined with steep roof slopes are two factors that play into calculating whether or not multiple rows are needed. Other factors to consider are: designed roof snow loads as well as the roof panel base material, width and configuration. Consult the snow guard manufacturer for engineering/calculations for each individual roof.
Correct Installation
Proper installation of whichever style snow retention you choose is imperative. Since individual or pad-style snow guards rely on adhesive/sealant for attachment optimum weather conditions as well as a clean panel surface is vital for installation. These adhesives/sealants are recommended to be installed at temperatures above 40 F for application and require seven to 14 days to fully cure. Continuous rail-type snow guards can be installed in virtually any weather condition.
Choosing the correct clamp for your roof panel configuration is essential. Also, clamp setscrew torque is a critical component in the strength of a continuous rail system. Using a calibrated torque wrench to tension the setscrews properly is a necessity, remembering to alternate tightening the setscrews repeatedly until they all hold the required tension during installation. Manufacturers should be able to provide clamp/panel specific torque values. Consult with the manufacturer prior to installing for recommended materials, tools and installation procedures.
Snow sliding and ice accumulation on unprotected metal roofs can cause issues such as property damage as well as potential physical injury. Using the properly engineered/tested snow retention system can alleviate these dangers.
Jerod Webber is sales manager at Dynamic Fastener, Raytown, Mo. To learn more, visit www.dynamicfastener.com.
Twenty five-plus years ago, you could have counted the number of major snow guard manufacturers/suppliers on one hand. Fast forward to today and there are 20-plus major manufacturers/suppliers. The products offered range in various sizes, shapes, attachment methods, materials, designs and color options. So how do you choose the right snow guard system for your project? And why are these options so important? Let's focus on some of the key points to navigate through all of your choices.
The key purpose of a snow retention system is to hold and retain snow/ice on the roof and allow a controlled evacuation of the snow, which will help protect your assets and decrease your liability. A properly designed and installed system will retain the snow on the roof and prevent damage to gutters, signage, lighting, landscaping, canopies, awning, and vehicles and most importantly of all: people. Architects and contractors are incorporating snow retention systems in the original design of new construction projects but there is still a great amount of buildings that do not have snow retention. Also, re-roof projects that did not originally have a system in place may now need one. Did the roof slope change? Was the roof material changed from asphalt shingle to metal? A metal roof will be a much slicker surface compared to asphalt shingle so snow and ice will slide off that was not happening before.
Attachment Methods
How the snow guard system attaches to the roof is crucial in the selection process. There are plastic/ metal individual pad-style snow guards that have to be glued to the roof panel in which the glue will have a certain holding strength that is less than a mechanically attached option. There are clamps on snow guards that attach to the standing seam ribs and use set screws to mechanically attach. This attachment method yields the strongest holding strength of the non-penetrating methods.
Furthermore, there are screw-down brackets for the widely popular exposed fastener roof panels. Most of the roof panel manufacturers prefer the clamp-on snow guards due to the non-penetrating attachment and not interfering with the roof panel warranty. The glues used to attach the individual glue on can have adverse effect on the Kynar paint that carries a 20-year warranty. It is best to check with the roof panel manufacturer before making your decision
Materials
Plastic, extruded aluminum, stainless steel, brass and cast aluminum are available material choices. The best option is extruded aluminum, stainless steel or brass (for copper roofs) systems. Over time, plastic and cast aluminum will become brittle and break or fracture. Aluminum, stainless steel and brass systems will have a longer life span equal to or greater than the metal roof itself. There have been independent studies proving that metal roofs last 40-plus years longer than other roofing materials.
Design
Snow guard systems that mechanically attach are proven to be stronger than glue on snow guard systems. A majority of the time, a single row of a mechanically attached system can be installed at the eave of the roof compared to multiple rows of glue on plastic snow guards due to the holding strengths and having to spread the load across and up the roof. Will one row of a continuous mechanically attached system cost more than multiple rows of a plastic snow guard system? Typically, not when you factor in all of the criteria: cost of components and installation time. Most all of the snow guard manufacturers/suppliers offer design calculators and design assistance. Use this service to correctly design your system. If a manufacturer/supplier does not offer this service, it is best to move on to another. Also, ask for their independent test results.
Continuous Versus Individual
There is an ongoing debate of which is better: a continuous bar system that runs the full length of the building or staggering individual snow guards across and up the slope of the roof? When installed correctly per the manufacturer's installation instructions, both systems can function properly holding and retaining snow and ice. However, there is the overall look that is trying to be achieved from an architectural stand point. During the non-winter months, what look is acceptable? A continuous row above the gutter or individual staggered snow guards?
Color Options
Multiple years ago, the technology of color matching snow guards to the roof panels significantly enhanced the overall look. Systems can be painted or powder coated to match. Some systems are designed to accept a strip of Kynar coated roofing material. The Kynar strip insert is the superior option due to it will weather over time the same as the roofing material it is being installed on. However, there are times when a non-painted system better fits the look that is trying to be achieved.
Clint Funderburk is the vice president of marketing of LMCurbs, Longview, Texas. To learn more, visit www.lmcurbs.com.