Snow guards for roofs: snow barrier or snow guard?

Snow guards hold the snow on the roof, so that it does not fall all at once onto the gutters, the entrance or the pavement. For metal roof tiles there are two parts: the snow barrier, for steeply pitched roofs, and the snow guard, for low-pitched roofs. On click roofing sheets, the snow guards are bars fixed to the seams, without piercing the sheet.

Why does a metal roof need snow guards?

Sheet metal is smooth, and snow slides on it more easily than on other roof coverings. Without snow guards, the snow that has gathered comes off all at once, when the weather warms up. Snow guards stop it or break it into small pieces, which melt and fall one by one.

The snow barrier: for steep pitches

The snow barrier stops the snow from falling off the roof. It is installed in staggered, overlapping rows, so as to cover the whole roof slope, 70 cm from the bottom edge of the roof. The snow barriers are placed so that the weight of the gathered snow is carried by the structure of the building.

The snow guard: for low pitches

The snow guard is installed in a triangular pattern, to gradually break up the mass of snow sliding off the roof.

Snow guards for click roofing sheets

The system is made so that the panels are not pierced. The brackets go on the seams and are tightened with screws. One or more bars, which stop the snow from sliding, are passed through the holes in the brackets.

On standing seam roofing and on metal shingles

Standing seam roofing has its own snow guard, in the list of accessories of the system. On metal shingles the snow breaker is used: it is fixed over a shingle, and its tail stays covered by the shingle above.

Where do snow guards go?

Above the places where people pass or stay: the entrance to the house, the pavement, the terrace, the parking space. On a steeply pitched roof, the snow barriers run across the whole roof slope. How many rows are needed depends on the pitch, on the length of the roof slope and on the snow in the area: it is set for each roof.

In short

Steep pitch: snow barrier, 70 cm from the bottom edge. Low pitch: snow guard, in a triangular pattern. Click roofing sheets: bars on brackets fixed to the seams, with no holes. Snow guards are part of the sets of accessories for metal roof tiles and of accessories for click roofing sheets and are made in the colour of the roof covering. For your roof, request a quote.