How To Install Snow Guards On Slate Roof

This article describes how to lay out the snow retainer or guard pattern on a roof in order to provide an effective snow retention system.

How to install snow guards on slate roof.

Based upon the range in estimates 300 1600 for 40 50 snow guards and my discussions with roofers there seem to be three methods for installing snow guards. Roof experts strongly recommend installing zinc coated steel guards as they proved to be heavy duty durable and have reasonably price. Snow guard layout snow guard spacing snow guard distances snow retainer layout snow retainer spacing snow spacer distance snow guard layout spacing on all roofs. The material that makes up a synthetic roof system is a closed cell product which allows no adhesion for built up snow and ice compared to natural products which are open cell or have natural pores for the snow and ice to grip onto.

Typically snow guards are made of stainless steel zinc coated steel copper or aluminum but sometimes they come in polycarbonate and plastic. I don t know the pitch for the roof but it is relatively steep. I ve had a handful of roofers provide estimates for installing snow guards on my 60 year old vermont slate roof in maryland. Snow guards are like corrals that mount on the edge of a roof.

They hold frozen precipitation in place causing the snow or ice to melt or slide off a portion of roof in small pieces rather than dangerous chunks. Synthetic slate and shake roof systems have one unique characteristic that separates them from natural slate roofs and natural shake shingle roofing products. Snow rails vary in their material. Snow retention systems guide to roof snow guards snow fences their installation methods.