A snow guard is the most commonly installed safety element on the roof. Its purpose is to prevent avalanches of snow and ice from the roof. The snow retainer protects the life and health of people, the drainage system, slopes located below, as well as other property under the eaves (car, fence, trees, etc.).
At UNIKMA you can buy snow guard kits and additional supports for all models. This way you can complete the snow retention system in accordance with the calculated loads for your roof (). You can also buy tubes, nets and gratings from us if you need to repair damaged snow guards.
Kits, additional supports and tubes/mesh/grids are combined into kits. This makes it easier to find components for your snow retention system. You can enter the sets from the set card.
What do you need to know when choosing a snow retention system?
1. It is advisable to install a snow retainer during roof construction. In this case, the roofers the best way they will prepare the roof, securely fasten the snow guards, the cost of the work will be minimal, that is, maximum quality will be obtained at a minimum cost.
2. Installing snow guards after roof construction is possible in most cases, but not always. Each case requires the involvement of an experienced roofer to assess the possibility and select a model that takes into account the type of material and features of your roof.
3. Snow guards should be installed on the roof only based on the results of load calculations. The type of roof covering, the angle of the slope, the geometry of the roof, the presence of pipes and roof windows, the snow load, and the load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer supports are taken into account. The result of the calculation will determine the installation step of the supports and the number of rows of snow retainers on each slope.
4. Tubular and grid snow retainers must be installed in a row with the tubes/grids connected to each other. If a different solution is applied, it must be taken into account in the calculation.
5. UNIKMA is a center of competence for snow retention systems for pitched roofs. We have experience in installing snow guards since 1999 for new construction, repair and reconstruction of roofs, and have been monitoring the behavior of snow on roofs for many years. different types, we have developed and use a special stand to study the load-bearing capacity of snow retention supports, developed our own methodology for calculating the pitch of supports and the number of rows of snow retention, we conduct seminars for builders and roofers on the calculation and installation of snow retention systems, and we recommend specialists for the installation of snow retention systems.
Do you want to be sure that your roof is safe? Call and come to our offices. We will give advice, carry out calculations, form an order, and help you find a builder to build a roof or install snow guards.
Selecting a snow guard is sufficient difficult process, in which many factors need to be taken into account:
- V different models the thickness of the steel supports and the cross-section of the tubes differ, which directly affects bearing capacity snow retainer;
- the required number of rows of snow retention and/or the installation pitch of the supports depends on the load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer;
- the selection should take into account the coefficient of friction of the roof covering and the snow/ice mass, the length of the slopes and the angle of the roof.
: Determine the load-bearing capacity of the selected snow guard model;
: Determine the number of supports, number of rows and maximum distance between them, using or ON-LINE calculator.
Difficult? Maybe.
Selecting a snow guard is the work of an engineer whose task is to find optimal solution taking into account the nuances and characteristics of materials and systems. Simplification in this work leads to averaging, and averaging leads to one of two results: either we pay for excess strength, or we get insufficient strength
In our experience, in most cases in private construction, the length of the slopes and their angle of inclination make it possible to obtain sufficient strength when installing only one row of snow guards. Our tables help you verify this or understand that this is not the case in your case and determine required quantity rows of snow retainers or the installation step of supports.
Step 1. Determining the load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer
So, you need to start with the load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer. What do UNIKMA specialists mean by “bearing capacity of a snow retainer” and how is it determined?
The load-bearing capacity of any snow guard model is checked for test bench developed by UNIKMA. The stand can simulate two types of loads acting on the snow retainer: along the slope and perpendicular to the slope.
During the test we check three elements:
- joint work of supports
- roofing material
- structural elements
Based on the results, we draw a conclusion about the bearing capacity of the support “in the system.” In short, we call this parameter “bearing capacity of the support.”
Manufacturers very rarely indicate the load-bearing capacity of a snow retainer. Our engineers determined it empirically. In the table below you will find the load-bearing capacity of the most popular models of snow guards.
An asterisk (*) indicates models that we have not tested at the stand and for which we present the value based on the expert assessment of our engineers.
For each roofing covering, we introduced four classes for the perception of snow load (see).
For metal tiles, seam roofing, composite tiles
And corrugated sheets these classes correspond to a load of 300, 250, 200 or 150 kg per 1 support, taking into account the method of fastening and the impact on the roofing material.
For piece tiles loads should be less to reduce the likelihood of splitting the tiles under the snow retainer support; loads below: 250, 200, 150 or 100 kg per 1 support, taking into account the method of fastening and the impact on the roofing material.
Snow guards for metal tiles |
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| Model | Type and kit | ||
| Tubular | 300* | ||
| Tubular | 300 | from 2425 RUR/pcs. | |
| Tubular | 300 | from 2128 RUR/pcs. | |
| Tubular | 150 | from 921 rub./pcs. | |
| Tubular | 150 | from 1561 RUR/pcs. | |
Snow guards for standing seam roofingThe load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer is in the range of 300-150 kg per 1 support [Collapse...] |
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| Model | Type and kit | Support bearing capacity (kg/piece) | Price for invoice amount from 30 thousand rubles. |
| ORIMA LE.2 | Tubular | 300 | 5635 RUR/pcs. |
| For seam roofing | Tubular | 300 | RUR 3,068/pcs. |
| ORIMA CU LE.2 (copper) | Tubular | 250* | |
Snow guards for piece tilesThe load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer is in the range of 250-100 kg per 1 support [Collapse...] |
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| Model | Type and kit | Support bearing capacity (kg/piece) | Price for invoice amount from 30 thousand rubles. |
| Tubular | 250 | ||
| Tubular | 250 | 3008 rub./pcs. | |
| ORIMA CU LE.8/5 (copper) | Tubular | 250* | |
Snow guards for composite tilesThe load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer is in the range of 300-150 kg per 1 support [Collapse...] |
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| Model | Type and kit | Support bearing capacity (kg/piece) | Price for invoice amount from 30 thousand rubles. |
| Tubular | 250 | from 5881 rub./pcs. | |
| Tubular | 150 | from 2474 RUR/pcs. | |
Snow guards for corrugated sheets.All models of snow guards for corrugated sheets are applicable. There are also several specialized models.The load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer is in the range of 300-150 kg per 1 support [Collapse...] |
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| Model | Type and kit | Support bearing capacity (kg/piece) | Price for invoice amount from 30 thousand rubles. |
| ORIMA LE.6 | Tubular | 250* | from 5622 rub./pcs. |
Step 2. Determining the number of supports, the number of rows and the distance between the rows of snow guards
Knowing the load-bearing capacity of the snow retainer supports, the type of roofing and the length of the slope, you can determine the number of supports (step between supports) and the number of rows (step between rows).
The easiest way is to use tables that can easily be found on the Internet. These tables came to us from Scandinavia along with the Swedish standard (sometimes in Finnish translation). These tables do not take into account "support class", distance between supports and type of roofing material.
Until we learned to define permissible load on the support, taking into account the method of fastening and didn’t learn to take the material into account, we also used average tables. Now we have a more convenient and accurate tool. We hope that with its help you will be able to choose a reliable snow retainer for your roof.
Tables for selecting the installation pitch of rows of snow guards
If you need a more accurate calculation, you can use our ON-LINE calculator.
The calculator fully complies with the UNIKMA standard for calculating the loads that the snow retainer must withstand. In the calculator you can set the slope angle and length of the slope, the distance from the eaves to the first row of snow guards, the pitch between supports, the permissible load (from 100 to 300 kg per support), the type of roof and the region in which you are building a house.
On our website you can find snow retainer kits for any roof covering, additional supports and tubes/grids. We are also ready to find an experienced roofer to install a snow guard on your roof.
Still have questions? Contact us!
Installing a snow retention system on a new or reconstructed roof for a private customer is much simpler and cheaper than installing snow retention systems on finished roof. In case of new roof the builder knows how the roof is planned to be built, will make load calculations, and select optimal system snow retention for your home and roofing, will best prepare the roof structure.
If you plan to install snow guards on a finished roof, you need to consider several nuances:
Firstly, it will not be possible to install any type of snow guard. For example, for a roof made of flexible tiles It will not be possible to install brackets since they are only installed with the shingles. In this case, the solution may be to use tubular snow retainers, but their installation also has its own peculiarities - the supports need to be attached not to the OSB, but to the step lathing. Finding it under the roofing layer can be difficult. Secondly, the requirements for the qualifications of roofers are increasing. We have already talked about calculating loads and determining the number of rows and supports. Here, to these mandatory conditions are added the ability to assess the reliability of the existing roof structure and find right places for attaching supports.
Thirdly, accounting for installation time. Don't put off installation until October/November. At this time, builders are trying to complete work on houses that started this year, and roofers have a lot of work - they will be looking to make the most of the days with good weather. At this time, it is difficult for them to be distracted by small amounts of work that require moving crews and installing/removing scaffolding.
Perfect timing Spring is the time to install snow retention systems. At this time, roofers have more free time and at the same time they can carry out a full inspection and maintenance of the roof.
The cost of installing a snow retention system on a finished roof of a house starts from 20 thousand rubles. You can find roofers to install safety elements yourself or on our website: Select a roofer from the list using the link. You call and negotiate with the builders yourself.
Send a request to all roofers involved in installing snow guards on finished roofs. No more than three builders will contact you within 24 hours. In this case, roofers will call you. A specially designated UNIKMA employee monitors all applications and will help if difficulties arise.
Our builder selection service has been operating for over 10 years. All this time, our goal has been and remains the desire to help our clients buy good material and install it correctly on their home.
For soft roofs, special structures are used that are practically invisible against the general background. Special fasteners will not damage the surface and will perform their task perfectly. And to calculate the number of elements, you just need to correctly calculate the load.
Features of snow stops for soft roofs:
- They can be quite small - as a rule, soft roofs have a more pronounced texture and are not so prone to sudden snow falls. Therefore, they do not require such powerful barrier elements as is the case with other types of materials.
- There are several options for snow stoppers. These can be small triangles and leg-shaped elements. The specific type is selected depending on the client’s wishes and the specific type of roofing material.
- Ease of installation - as a rule, soft roofs are attached to a massive solid base, on which snow guards are mounted. Despite the fact that soft roofs are not so prone to problems with snow melting, the probability still exists and it is quite high. This is exactly what snow guards are used for. As a rule, they are made of durable metal elements.
Why choose snow stoppers from Borge and Roofsystems
- Reliability. The use of modern durable materials allows you to extend their service life and increase the reliability of protection. Manufacturers provide a guarantee for additional elements- 25 years.
- Great looks. They are almost invisible because necessary elements easy to choose by color. Such features play a very important role - everyone wants their home to be not only safe, but also aesthetically attractive.
- Easy to install. The elements do not violate the tightness of the surface.
Snow guards ensure the safety of the building, so you should not skimp on their installation. They can be installed either when installing new roofing material or on an existing roof.
Flexible roofing is a specific material. A roofing system with it is significantly less susceptible to the risk of snow melting than metal and ceramic analogues. However, given the climatic features of the Russian climate, snow retention is also relevant.
Roof snow guards for soft roof not as powerful as for other types of materials. This is due design features roof and the bitumen shingles themselves.
- As a rule, soft roofing is made with slopes of approximately 15 degrees. Such a roof prevents avalanches of snow.
- The bituminous surface of the tiles is rough, which also reduces the risk of collapse of a large volume of snow mass.
A roofing snow stopper for flexible tiles is not only protecting a building from destruction, increasing the level of safety of property and people, but also a kind of decorative decoration.
Reasons to buy snow stops
- Reducing the risk of harm to human health and life when snow melts.
- Reducing the risk of damage to property, vehicles, facade of the building.
- Protection drainage system from deformations and destruction.
- Frame protection roofing system from damage.
Of course, it is up to the individual consumer to decide whether or not to buy a snow protection system. But structural devices can significantly improve operational safety; the roof becomes more protected from destructive factors.
Types of snow stoppers
- Lattice. Brackets with vertical grid made of of stainless steel ranging in size from 5 to 20 cm. Relevant on long slopes with a large slope as they allow you to contain snow masses even in this case.
- Tubular. May vary. On a soft roof, double-row pipes are usually installed with brackets attached to rafter system. Reducing the pitch, the distance between the brackets, increases the permissible load on the structure.
- Lamellar. Plate stoppers are more relevant for metal sheet roofing(profiled sheets, metal tiles, galvanized steel). However, devices are also used in regions with heavy snowfall in winter.
- Spot. Roof spot snow retainers are optimally installed on pitched roofs with a slight angle of inclination. The devices can withstand loads very well even when there is a small accumulation of snow.
There are other snow stops for soft roofs, but these four varieties are the most in demand. Each species has own merits and shortcomings. Depending on the type of roofing system and architectural features object, the optimal option is selected.
Typically, manufacturers of soft tiles supply each type of material with assorted accessories. Snow stoppers are made in the color and tone of the roofing material, in the same style and design. For example, for a brown roof, a snow guard for soft roofs in RAL 8017 Brown is offered.
You can select a snow retainer for flexible tiles separately from the roofing material. If the roof was installed without installing snow stops, then, if necessary, devices can be purchased later. The arresters are installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, taking into account the characteristics of the roofing system and the architectural object.
Where to buy snow guards?
The Turnkey Roofing company sells soft bitumen roofs on the Russian market; products can be purchased in Moscow and the Moscow region, regions of the Russian Federation. For bitumen shingles there is a wide range of accessories, components and accessories. Snow stoppers are available for a variety of roofing materials from different manufacturers.
In regions with snowy winters, there is a common problem - an avalanche of snow from the roof of a house, which can not only cause material damage, but also take the lives of passers-by. This problem can be avoided by installing snow guards on the roof. These structures allow you to keep the main layer of snow on the roof surface. Only by melting can water from the snow flow freely through the gutters. The type of snow guards is selected depending on several important factors: slope angle, roofing material and quantity snow cover in the region. Let's take a closer look at what types of snow guards there are and what are the features of their installation on different roofs.
Types of snow guards for the roof
Snow guards for the roof can be purchased together with the roofing material when building a house, or they can be purchased separately when the house is already built. In different stores, such devices may be called differently: snow blocking fences, snow stops, snow stops, snow cutters, snow barriers, snow stops, and of course, snow retainers. This variety of names is due to the fact that these simple devices can perform different functions.
First category - snow barriers or snow blocking barriers- completely retain snow on the roof surface. Snow should melt naturally on the roof. The removal of its layers even partially from the roof is unacceptable.
Second category - snow cutters- designed to cut the total layer of snow into small pieces. Thus, its energy during the fall is much lower than it would be if the entire layer of snow went down in an avalanche. This is enough to ensure safety.
Roof snow guards differ not only in shape and size, but also in material and structural reliability. First of all, when choosing a particular type of snow retainer, you need to focus on how much snow it should hold back.
A tubular snow retainer for a roof is a structure made up of brackets into which two pipes with a diameter of 15 - 30 mm are inserted. Overall height the structure is about 15 cm. The bracket looks like a vertical plate with holes for pipes. At the bottom of the bracket there is a horizontal shelf for attaching to the roof slope. Metal screws 8x60 mm with a hex head are screwed into it. Sometimes the type of bracket may differ depending on what type of roofing material the snow retainer will be used for. The installation method may also differ.
The strength of the tubular snow retainer structure depends on the distance between the lower pipe and the roof surface. The optimal distance is 2 - 3 cm from the roof to the first pipe and 8 - 10 cm between the pipes.
Important! Tubular snow guards can be installed on roofs with very high slopes of up to 60°. Indeed, in such cases, the snow pressure is very high and its movement occurs very often. On roofs with a slope of more than 60°, snow guards are not installed at all, since it is believed that snow does not linger on them and falls off immediately.
Tubular snow cutters belong to the category of snow retainers that are designed to cut a layer of snow into several parts. These structures are considered the most reliable, capable of withstanding the powerful pressure of a snow layer and can be used on roofs of any type - from sheets, rolled soft materials, as well as from natural tiles. They are installed along the entire perimeter of the building, along the entire slope. Moreover, the installation of tubular snow cutters is carried out in a continuous row, and not in a running pattern. Sometimes, when the snow load is very high, two rows of snow guards are placed at a distance of 2 - 3 m from each other.
The lower row of tubular snow guards is secured above load-bearing wall, i.e. at a distance of 40 - 50 cm from the eaves overhang. After installation, they are practically invisible against the background of the roof, because the color of the snow guards can be matched to the color of the roof. Typically, tubular structures are made of galvanized steel, and the top is covered with a layer of paint to match the color of the roofing material. As a result, the product is durable and non-corrosive.
Lattice snow guards for the roof come in a variety of sizes. Universal look structures: brackets to which the vertical grille is attached. All parts are made of galvanized steel, painted on top, so that the gratings can also be matched to the color of the roof. But the size of the grate may be different. The largest ones are 15 - 20 cm high, but there are also small ones, where the height of the grate is no more than 5 - 7 cm. Naturally, depending on the size, lattice snow retainers can hold different volumes of snow.
A large steel grate is capable of resisting large volumes of snow and ice flakes. As a rule, the entire layer of snow is retained on the roof, including the smallest pieces of ice, and only melted water flows down.
Lattice snow guards are installed on long slopes with a fairly large slope to ensure that blocks of snow are kept from falling. The effectiveness of these actions depends on the height of the grate. Also, the roofing material does not matter either; almost all materials have their own types of fasteners.
Important! Please note that tubular snow guards are more robust construction. If the volume of snow is too large, the slatted plates can buckle, bending outward under the pressure of the block. This does not happen with pipes due to the strength of the structure. The strength of lattice snow guards is also affected by the shape and reliability of the brackets or guides. You should not purchase flimsy products that are the same thickness as the grill itself.
There are also designs of lattice snow retainers, in which the lattice is welded to longitudinal pipes. In this case, the product turns out to be extremely reliable.
Installation of lattice snow guards is carried out in a row along the eaves of the slope. If the length of the slope is more than 5.5 m and the snow load in the region is high, then in addition to lattice ones, other types of snow barriers are installed, for example, plate ones.
For small amounts of snow on the roof, corner snow guards are installed. They are mainly installed on roofs made of metal tiles or corrugated sheets, since the snow guards themselves are made of the same material and have the same color.
As can be seen in the photo showing corner snow guards for the roof, they are metal products bent into a triangular structure with two edges and shelves for attachment to the base. The height of such snow guards is from 4 to 6 cm. They are usually installed on roofs where the slope angle does not exceed 30 °, since they simply cannot withstand high pressure.
Corner snow retainers are attached directly to the roofing material, including the upper wave of corrugated materials.
Install similar snow impellers along the ridge in a checkerboard pattern in several rows, from 2. The distance between rows is from 50 cm to 1 m.
Corner snow guards are no different great strength, are not able to keep a large layer of snow from collapsing, so they are used in regions where there is not much precipitation. The roof also needs to be regularly cleared of snow.
Yokes - point snow retainers
Snow yokes, or hooks as they are also called, are not a way to retain any significant volume of snow, so they are used as an addition to lattice and tubular snow retainers, as well as on soft roofs with a slight slope.
On a soft roof, snow usually stays on its own; this is facilitated by the rough surface of the material and the granule topping. For example, snow accumulates on bituminous shingles or roofing felt and is retained without problems. And if the roof slope is small, then snow melting is unlikely. However, for safety reasons, spot snow retainers are installed in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 50 - 70 cm from each other.
The peculiarity of the yokes is that they can only be installed at the stage of roof installation. They are triangles with a long plate for attaching to the sheathing. The plate should be located under the roofing material, and attached to the sheathing, laid on top bitumen shingles and hides the attachment points. Thus, the roof is protected from leaks.
Wooden logs are used very rarely to retain snow. They can be found on no less rare wooden roof- shingles or shingle roofing. The logs are installed on special hooks, which are secured to the sheathing or rafters of the roof structure. The larger the diameter of the log, the greater the volume of snow such a snow support can hold.
The log itself is located on low altitude above the roof surface - 2 - 3 cm. Therefore, melting snow can flow freely to the gutters. The rest of the snow is held until it melts completely.
Installation of snow guards on the roof
It is best to install snow guards together with the roofing material. Sometimes it is recommended to install snow barriers not along the entire perimeter of the roof, but only over important objects: pedestrian paths, car parking, roof windows and balconies. Installation locations are selected on the basis that when a snow avalanche descends from a roof with a slope of 35°, the snow fall zone is 0.4 - 1.5 m from the roof overhang.
The distance from the snow retainer to the eaves overhang should be from 50 cm to 80 cm. Snow retainers cannot be mounted directly on the eaves overhang. The only exception is when the cornice is formed rafter legs roofs.
Important! If you install snow retention structures on or near the eaves overhang, the collapse of the eaves along with the snow retention structures and a snow avalanche will inevitably occur. Lightweight design the overhang is simply not able to withstand such pressure.
For roof snow guards, the price depends on the type of product, material of manufacture, size and popularity of the manufacturer's brand. And it can vary in the range from 1.5 to 230 USD.
Metal tiles are by far the most common roofing material. But its very design suggests that snow will fall on it very often. Smooth surface the material is practically not retained by snow. And the sensitivity of the material to temperature changes contributes to the fact that during the day the snow melts and slides down along the surface of the metal tile, carrying the entire layer of snow and ice.
Considering all this, snow guards for metal tiles are simply an urgent need.
For roofs covered with metal tiles, you can use the following types of snow guards:
- Tubular;
- Lattice;
- Lamellar.
The latter are used only on slopes with a slight slope and in regions with little snow in winters. In other cases, tubular and lattice structures are used, as they are the most durable and easiest to install.
Produced directly through the roofing material:
- We outline where the snow guard will be located.
- We strengthen the sheathing with an additional bar.
- We assemble the snow guard kit, but do not tighten the bolts.
- We fasten the roofing material, and drill holes on top for fastenings. The holes should be located in the lower wave, which is adjacent to the sheathing.
- We secure the assembled bracket to the slope with 8x60 mm bolts. We seal the holes with rubber pads. The pitch between the brackets depends on the slope of the roof and the length of the slope. The greater the slope, the more often the brackets should be located. For example, a step of 50 cm will be more than enough for the strongest structure.
- We insert the pipes into the brackets. Or if lattice snow guards are installed, then we connect adjacent sets together.
We remind you that it is necessary to attach snow guards above a load-bearing wall. To install a snow guard over dormer window, it is necessary to strengthen the sheathing.
If the slope is longer than 5.5 m, two rows of snow guards should be installed.
Depending on the type of metal tile, the design of the bracket supports varies. For example, for installation on Monterrey metal tiles, snow retainers are used, the brackets of which are equipped with a special protrusion. This makes it possible not to strengthen the sheathing.
The surface of the corrugated sheet is as smooth and sensitive to temperature changes as that of metal tiles. Therefore, snow retainers are simply necessary to keep snow on the roof. In addition, the melted snow freezes in the evening, when the next day the melted snow again begins to move along the roof, ice flakes scratch the corrugated sheeting. As a result, over time, the galvanized coating is peeled off, scratches appear in which rust develops.
Just as in the case of metal tiles, tubular, lattice and plate snow retainers can be used for corrugated sheeting. Most often, tubular snow guards made of galvanized steel, painted to match the corrugated sheet, are used.
Installation of snow guards on a corrugated roof practically no different from installation on metal tiles:
- The fastening is made through the material.
- The sheathing needs to be strengthened.
- And seal the holes for fasteners with special gaskets made of weather-resistant rubber.
- The fastening must be located in the lower part of the corrugated sheeting wave, which is adjacent to the sheathing, otherwise the sheet will bend and become distorted.
If you plan to install snow guards on an already finished roof, you will have to disassemble part of it to strengthen the sheathing. Or strengthening the structure must be taken care of in advance.
To install corner or plate snow retainers, reinforcement of the sheathing is not required, since they are fixed directly into the sheet of corrugated sheets or metal tiles in the upper wave. The bolt must cut into the wood of the sheathing, otherwise the structure will be fragile. The corner snow support mounts should be located through one wave.
On seam roofs, only tubular and lattice snow retainers are used. The main difference between installing tubular snow retainers on a seam roof is that the brackets have a unique shape and are attached directly to the seam. Thus, the tightness of the coating is not compromised.
As you can see in the photo, fastening to folds made using clamps:
- We put the clip on the fold.
- Drill 2 - 3 holes.
- Insert the bolts and nuts and tighten.
- The pitch between the supports depends on the slope of the roof. Most reliable option- fastening to each fold.
An undeniable advantage of attaching snow retainers to a seam roof is that there is no need to strengthen the sheathing. All work is carried out from above, onto the finished roofing material. As a result, the design turns out to be quite reliable, since the main snow pressure is distributed along the fold.
Please note that not all snow guards for standing seam roofing are made of galvanized steel. There are models made of copper. They are not sold as a set, but individually: a piece of pipe, lower and upper brackets. Prices for copper snow guards are higher than for regular ones, but copper seam roofing is not a cheap pleasure.
Soft roofing has its own characteristics, which affect the choice of the type of snow guards and installation nuances:
- The slope angle of a roof with a soft roof should not exceed 15 °. With such a slope, an avalanche of snow is unlikely. Therefore, powerful tubular snow retainers are practically not used.
- A sprinkle of stone chips on the surface of soft roofing materials traps snow and prevents it from sliding off.
- Due to the fact that a continuous type of sheathing in the form of sheets of moisture-resistant plywood is used for the installation of a soft roof, there is no need to reinforce the sheathing.
- However, all work on installing snow guards on a soft roof must be carried out at the stage of laying the roofing material.
For soft roofs, yokes are most often used, less often - tubular snow retainers.
Installation of tubular snow retainers on a soft roof is practically no different from installation on corrugated sheets or metal tiles. The disadvantage of fastening such a structure is that the fasteners are located on top, i.e. The seal of the coating may be compromised.
Triangular yokes or stoppers are attached using this technology:
- They must be arranged in a checkerboard pattern in 2 - 3 rows with increments of 50 - 70 cm.
- The yoke is attached to the sheathing so that the next sheet of soft tile hides the fastening plate, and the triangle of the yoke itself remains on top.
- We fasten with self-tapping screws.
If the roof is already installed, the yokes can also be fixed on top; in this case, gaskets made of weather-resistant rubber are used.
In conclusion, I would like to say that in the conditions of our snowy winters, the use of snow retainers on roofs is mandatory. However, it is still necessary to clean the roof once every week or two, depending on the amount of precipitation that has fallen. You can get rid of the need to clean the roof and trap snow by installing a heating cable under the roof. This way, the snow will immediately melt and flow down the drain. The formation of icicles and snow avalanches is excluded.
Buy snow retainers for soft roofing (flexible tiles) on the roof with delivery and installation from GoodRoofing ( The best roof). Price on the website.
Is installation required?
When covering a roof with soft roofing material, it is important to understand in what situations it is advisable to carry out snow retention, and when it is better to simply save money. The following are considered qualitative criteria for assessing the need for installation:
- A large amount of precipitation falls, the removal of which cannot be handled by a specific roofing structure and there is a high probability of large snow masses falling off. The angle of inclination of the slopes should be more than.
- The surface of the roofing material has significant roughness, which prevents the timely removal of falling snow from the roof and favors the formation of an ice crust as a result of sudden temperature changes. A striking example bituminous shingles can serve.
- There are objects near the house that cannot be damaged, or a pedestrian path has been laid.
Attention! If the angle of inclination of the slopes is up to 15°, at which the probability of snow falling off them is large quantities is minimal, this does not mean that snow retainers on soft roofs should not be installed, which is especially true in the northern regions. It is important to ensure safety in any situation. IN in this case This will allow you to save money and purchase point snow retainers instead of tubular ones.
A snow retainer designed for flexible tiles can only be omitted if the roof is used in a hot or dry climate, or with minimal precipitation. In other cases, it is simply necessary to buy snow-retaining structures, since they will cost much less than the cost of restoration roofing pie and soft lining.
Installing a snow holder on a soft roof in our climate with abundant winter precipitation is not just a decorative element, but a necessary protection for property and human health.
How does installing snow guards on a roof made of soft materials differ from other types of roofs? The answer is obvious:
- Arrangement of a soft roof prerequisite assumes a small roof slope angle (about 15°). In other words, an avalanche of snow from the roof is impossible in this case.
- A soft roof has a rough surface, unlike a metal one. In view of this, the chance of snow accidentally sliding off the roof is significantly reduced.
In view of the above, we can conclude that soft roofing requires the installation of less powerful retainers than other types of roofing.
Today, manufacturers offer the following types of snow guards:
- lattice;
- tubular;
- lamellar (point).
Let's take a closer look at each of these types.
Lattice snow retainers. The structure consists of lattice sections that are attached to the roof using brackets.
Tubular snow guards in their own way appearance reminiscent of window curtain rods. In this case, brackets are attached to the roof sheathing or rafter system, through which they pass in two rows metal pipes. How smaller step between pipe fastenings - the more permissible load on the design.
Tubular snow guard
Plate snow retainers are most often installed on roofs made of metal (galvanized steel, European tiles, etc.). However, it is also rational to use them for soft roofing in regions characterized by abundant winter precipitation.
Point snow guards – suitable option For soft roof with a small snow load and a slight slope.
Installation procedure
Structures for retaining snow are attached at the stage of roof installation; sometimes they are mounted directly on the covering, placing the elements parallel to the eaves. Optimal size the pitch between the retainers varies between 35-50 cm. The method of fastening the elements entirely depends on the chosen type of retainer design.
So, for example, hooks, point and corner structures are placed in a checkerboard pattern, and tubular specimens are placed strictly in one line. Let's take a closer look at the installation algorithm for each type of delay.
Tubular structures can be purchased with fasteners included. They are mounted to the sheathing using ordinary screws. It is rational to place the clamps along the line of the supporting wall, the step between them varies within 0.6-1.1 m.
Important: holes for screws in roofing must be sealed with rubber strips, which are included in the design kit.
Snow stoppers or point stoppers are installed during the installation of roofing material. They are simply screwed to the base and the fastening points are covered with a sheet of roofing material.
If snow retainers are installed on a finished soft roof, it is rational to use rubber seals to avoid leaks at the fastening points.
Luxury or necessity
The absence of snow guards on the roof can lead to dire consequences:
- threat to human life;
- damage to property as a result of snow falling from the roof;
- deformation or breakage of elements of the drainage system;
- damage to the roof structure frame.
Important: even if your roof has snow guards, if there is a lot of winter precipitation, it must be periodically manually cleared of snow and adhered ice.
