Snow Guard for Steel Roof

[bjorn773]

I put a steel roof on my shop last year and found out too late that I need some kind of snow block or guard to keep the sheets from flattening my gutters and goats. I found some molded plastic guards at Lowes. They look to be well built, but they are plastic. I'm looking for feedback from anyone who may have used these or one that you prefer. My average snowfall is 3 feet per year, it's a 5/12 pitch and the roof is 15 feet peak to gutter. Thanks.

 

[Wooden Head]

I put a steel roof on my shop last year and found out too late that I need some kind of snow block or guard to keep the sheets from flattening my gutters and goats. I found some molded plastic guards at Lowes. They look to be well built, but they are plastic. I'm looking for feedback from anyone who may have used these or one that you prefer. My average snowfall is 3 feet per year, it's a 5/12 pitch and the roof is 15 feet peak to gutter. Thanks.

I have a metal roof with 12/12 pitch and when the snow and ice releases it sounds like a plane crashed.
Here is what I've found.
The molded plastic guards from Lowes may work on your pitch, they didn't work on mine. First year they were cracked and some torn off from sliding ice and snow. You really only get 1 chance to do this right. otherwise your punching holes in your new roof trying to find a solution.
Your gutters need to be installed so the ice has a chance to miss ripping them off. I know from having this problem.
I will get argument on this but It works for me. The outside edge of the gutter should be 2 inches below the roof angle.

The best solution I've seen is at snowprotect.com they have been doing this for years.

I've had the plumbing vents ripped off the roof from sliding Ice.
Hope some of this helps.

 

[greg13]

Try checking with some bole barn builders in your area or steel suppliers. I just put a roof on our house and Fabrel steel does have metal snow guards available.
Next time you are at Lowes, look up at THEIR roof and see what they use, NOT plastic!
.

 

[Ashful]

I have three metal roofs on my property, of three different types. One is true raised seam panels, the other full-length raised seam rolled on-site, and the third is an exposed fastener agricultural roof (on my barn). Each are between 10:12 and 12:12 pitch.

I’ve learned that even more important than the type of snow guard, is the spacing of them. On my main house, where the roof is quite large, the prior owner installed just a single row of guards, about five feet up from the soffit. Several were torn out when I moved in, and I suspected it was due to too much load (too much roof) for a single row, but settled on just repairing them the first year (short on time, winter was coming). Of course, several tore back out the following winter, so then I added a second row about half way up the roof, and the problem was solved.

I like the number 100 stainless snow guards from guttersupply.com, for a paneled raised seam roof. The only down side to these is they cannot be installed in multiple rows on very long panels or rolled-on-site roofing, as they do not allow for thermal expansion of the panel length (think buckling).

Do your research. In general, anything you can buy at lowes is lowest-bidder garbage, it wouldn’t go on my house!

 

[Hogwildz]

Plastic ones are junk. Get metal ones and do a search for adhesive made to attach them. No holes necessary.

 

[peakbagger]

I havent had to mess with them but when researching them for an large aircraft hangar, the suppliers were mixed on recommendations, some proposed "splitters" that held would split the snow into strips and others pushed "rails" that prevented the snow from sliding at all. The problem with the hangar was that the roof was not designed for adequate snow load so we ended up not being able to put anything that might slow down the snow from sliding. I think the splitters are a lot less obvious.

 

[Ashful]

Get metal ones and do a search for adhesive made to attach them. No holes necessary.

Depends on load and the system used. Also , depends on the condition of the finish on an existing roof. I used the adhesive and fasteners, for the no.100 guards, on my old steel roof.