Snow Guards: “What Are They?”

April 11th, 2019

A question once asked – On the roofs of many houses, along the eave, there are…best as I can describe it… shaped thingies. I’ve seen others that look octagonal and yet others that are round. I’ve seen them on steep roofs and not-so-steep roofs. My bank even has them. They look great, but do they do anything?

The answer is yes. What you’re talking about are called snow guards for retaining snow on the roof. When snow and ice accumulate on the roof, they are pulled by gravity and want to slide down the slope of the roof. A well-designed snow retention system is intended to hold the snow on the roof so that it can melt in place.

At TRA Snow and Sun, we engineer and manufacture over 54+ variations of snow guards, and always welcome custom pieces made just for your roofing project. Yes, 54 may seem a lot, right? And your right it is, and here’s why – every roof design can be complex and is different from material, slope, shape, size, pitch, valleys, etc.., and ground snow loads vary significantly from one area to another. This is why we make several different engineered (from the fail point of the system) snow guards tailored to each unique roof designs for every roof type, new or existing, and in many styles that differ in form and function.

The Snow Bracket™ D – Apex is a permanent snow retention system that is aesthetically pleasing on any new asphalt shingled, simulated slate /or simulated shake roofs. Choose between a vast array of painted powdered colors, available in standard mill finish of steel, copper or aluminum. The Snow Guard Bracket D fastens to roof sheathing to any new construction of an asphalt shingled roof.

Asphalt shingle roofs very common in the United States and it is important you have a Snow Bracket™ that fits the roof type you are installing the product on.

Secure Attachment

Superior Strength

Variety of Material Types

Snow Bracket™ D – Apex

Dimensions

Length: 12″
Width: 2.25″
Height: 3″

Materials

• Paintlok Steel: 16 ga
• Copper: 48 oz (ASTM B152)
• Stainless Steel: 16 ga (ASTM A240)

Colors/Finishes

• Zinc Plated
• Powder coating available in many colors

*We can provide Paintlock brackets unpainted BUT they must be painted before installing or rusting will occur.

At TRA Snow and Sun, we engineer and lay out each project free of charge using many factors specific to your roof. We then provide you with the snow retention plan, layout and product detail. TRA Snow and Sun representatives will work with you to design the most efficient snow retention system. Fill out our Snow Retention Checklist to get started.

Testing

All Snow Brackets have been tested from the fail point of the system.