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The winter is slowly fading into Spring, but as the snow and ice melts off your roof, there might be some signs that you need snow retention:
Are you noticing large pieces coming off in big chunks?
Do you hear it slipping? (This can be pretty loud and frightening when it happens unexpectedly!)
Are pieces of your gutter coming off due to ice tearing it off as it slipped off your roof?
Are there high spots of snow and ice piled at the eave line on the ground? This might mean that snow or ice has come off that place during the winter.
People die due to snow and ice sliding off roofs. This is extremely tragic and often avoidable. Use roof snow retention for these reasons:
It is especially important to install snow retention above:
You might wonder if your roof can support the weight of snow and ice staying on the roof. If your home is less than 40 years old, the answer is probably yes.
During the 1970-80’s, most states adopted building codes that required structures to support the weight of the building materials (dead load) and the weight of the snow, ice, water, people, etc. (live load). By the year 2000, international building codes were universally adopted with similar standards. So, if the structure was built post 1975, you are unlikely to have any structural problems when keeping snow on the roof (it also helps insulate your roof, saving heating costs!).
TRA Snow and Sun has something every roofer needs: VersaFlash. It’s a must-have for all roofers. We call it the “roofer’s duct tape”. Here’s why you need it for every roofing project.
The primary reason any type of roofing exists is to provide a protective layer to maintain a barrier between the interior of a building and the weather. How this is accomplished can take many different forms, but there’s nothing proven to work better than TRA Snow and Sun’s VersaFlash: flexible aluminum flashing that attaches down with a butyl. It adheres to the wall or other roofing structure or tile, is extremely flexible, and adds a professional finish to all roofing projects, while being extremely effective at sealing out water and preventing leaks.
Some types of VersaFlash are meant just for concrete and clay tile roofing only, while others are effective for all types of roof. Here’s a breakdown of VersaFlash offered by TRA Snow and Sun.
Simply put, VersaFlash is easy to use, flexible, and will save you time and money without sacrificing an inch in quality. There are many reasons you’ll love Aluminum and Copper VersaFlash — here’s why once you choose it, you’ll never roof without it again.
We don’t call it the “roofer’s duct tape” for nothing. VersaFlash is made of flexible, stretchy material that can be used to seal roof-to-wall abutments, chimneys, and basically anything you can think of. It’s very easy to work with so you can get the job done right the first time.
A roofer looking for a go-to roofing adhesive need look no further than VersaFlash. Other than the HD Aluminum Roll (clay and concrete) we offer, VersaFlash will conform to most types of roofs including, but not limited to:
Leave all of your re-flashing worries behind with VersaFlash. It’s highly durable, flexible, and weather resistant. It stretches to a maximum of 33 percent, conforms easily to roof surfaces, and installation is easy. If you want a durable roofing adhesive that won’t give you problems down the road, VersaFlash is the gold standard. On top of it all, TRA Snow and Sun offers a 25-year limited warranty.
TRA Snow and Sun is your number one source for solar mounting, snow retention, flexible ventilation, and flashing material. We offer competitive prices and guarantee our products. Give us a call today at 877-290-8669 for more details, and check out all of our flashing products at trasnowandsun.com.
Camp Kostopulos’ new Equestrian Center experienced avalanching snow and ice during it’s first two winters, so TRA Snow and Sun installed a snow retention solution to project disabled campers in 2014.
In 2012 when TRA Snow and Sun of American Fork, Utah established their new mission statement to include offering roof snow retention and solar mounting products “that provide the ultimate in protection” for people and property, they didn’t know how important this focus might be for disabled individuals in 2014.
Just a short drive north along the Wasatch Front, Camp Kostopulos, a camp for disabled individuals, also has a mission statement that focuses on the value of human life. They are “dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities” and endeavor to open a world of opportunities for people with disabilities. During the winter of 2014, the focus of both companies combined to provide safety for campers who use the new Equestrian Center which had experienced a serious problem from dangerous falling snow and ice.
According to Jacob Anderson, TRA Snow and Sun Sales Director, the 62 pounds per square foot snow load on the building’s 5/12 pitched standing seam metal roof had fallen victim to the ferocious forces of sliding snow and ice during the winters of 2012 and 2013. This caused the gutters along the front of the 200 ft. long and 100 ft. wide arena to be torn off. Sliding snow and ice can avalanche off and literally kill an unsuspecting person unexpectedly and can damage
anything in its path on the ground.
Mircea Divrician, who began as a counselor at the camp in 1998, and stayed on to become Executive Director of the Kostopulos Dream Foundation, realized that there was a real possibility for tragedy to a camper or staff member going in or out of one of the buildings if something wasn’t done. “We built the Equestrian Center two years ago but didn’t plan on putting snow clips on the roof. We didn’t foresee how much of a threat the snow could be! The first winter was horrible. We get a lot of snow in Emigration Canyon and then there would be a nice sunny day and the snow melts and then, boom, a huge chunk of snow comes down. So we installed gutters with heat tape, but the second winter the snow came down and smashed the gutters. Another time a huge chunk of snow came down and when it hit the ground it fell back onto the side of the building, causing damage to the metal panels. We knew this was a real hazard for the people around this building and the vans and cars parked right outside.”
TRA Snow and Sun, Inc., obtained the key data needed (snowload, slope, type of roof, etc.) and provided an engineered layout for the north side of the building. TRA Snow and Sun, Inc used their Universal Snow Guard and specified spacing them throughout the span of the roof approximately every six to eight feet. The system was installed this year and Divricean anticipates no further problems from the dangers of snow and ice on the roof next winter. President of TRA Snow and Sun, Terry Anderson, was glad to be part of this project. “We do many snow retention projects, but whenever we get a call to be part of something that focuses so much on improving the quality of life for special people like those who use Camp Kostopulos,we really like it. I got into the roof snow retention business originally because I couldn’t stand the thought of someone being injured by falling snow and ice from a roof.”
At Camp Kostopulos kids, teens, and adults with disabilities enjoy riding horses, swimming in a heated pool, fishing in a trout pond, utilizing a ropes course, canoeing, creating arts and crafts, and more. Since 1967, the Kostopulos Dream Foundation has been dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities through the medium of recreation and leisure education
TRA Snow and Sun, Inc., located in American Fork, Utah, offers Roof Snow Retention Devices, Solar Mounting Systems and Roof Flashing Solutions. They supply to all types of customers, from the individual homeowner to the big developer and free engineered designs of all their systems. For more information call Terry Anderson at TRA Snow and Sun at 800-606-8980 or
visit https://trasnowandsun.com/product-category/snow-retention/
Camp Kostopulos, accredited by the American Camp Association, is a residential summer camp where kids, teens, and adults with disabilities are able to choose from two options a five day residential camp or travel trips. For more information contact Mircea Divricean, Executive Director Kostopulos Dream Foundation,4180 Emigration Canyon Road, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, Phone: (801)582-0700, Fax: (801)583-5176, mdivricean@campk.org. Visit http://www.campk.org/.
For any who have experienced the damages to a home or property stemming from clogged gutters, then you already know how important it is to keep an eye on the gutters of a home and ensure that they are cleaned regularly in the fall. For those who are ignorant of the damage that could occur to a home due to clogged gutters because you have never had to deal with that issue, consider the effect of a massive fall rain storm or the aftermath of a winter’s thaw.
When heavy rains or melting snow accumulate on the roof, the sheer amount of water that can be produced is astounding. This water can be safely removed from the home’s gutter system and clear the home from danger, but only if the gutters in the home are cleaned and cleared of debris.
If the gutters are clogged, then all of the water that could have otherwise been dispersed and drained properly back-builds to overflowing in the gutters of the home. This can result in damage to the roof of the home, the siding or other framing of the home and even to flooding to the lower parts of the home once the water accumulates enough in areas that are supposed to be protected by the gutter. With the winter storms approaching and the leaves on the trees in the yards of homes shedding off, gutters of homes can quickly be clogged with debris and falling leaves.
By taking the time to clean the gutters of the home, multiple times a month if necessary during the fall, a homeowner can be assured that they will be better prepared and protected against the potential for damage due to clogged gutters.
The winter months of February and March create an interesting time of year when winter slowly melts into spring during the day and then promptly freezes back into winter at night. It is this cycle of bright, sunny, and relatively warm days followed by freezing nights that can create a dangerous flow of water and ice emanating from a home’s roof.
Throw in the occasional blinding snow storm as is common in late February and the situation can become extremely dangerous for a homeowner and their property. Taking precautions, then, will become a priority of all homeowners.
In the mountains, the years’ worth of snow fall accumulates into one giant whole known as the snow pack. The mountain snow packs are responsible for providing local rivers, streams, and lakes with their water throughout the year and are an indication of the level of water that will be available for the local populace.
But these snow packs can also be extremely dangerous as they melt as they can degrade into perilous avalanche conditions and flash floods. In a similar way, snow packs that have formed on the home’s roof have the ability to come crashing down on to patios, decks, porches, driveways and walkways with the potential to cause great damage and destruction.
This damage can become a threat to people as well. This is most commonly seen when melting snow during the day falls from the roof or driveway covering to the sidewalks and pathways below only to freeze when the temperature drops at night.
This process creates hazardous black ice conditions that can easily result in a slip and fall for anyone who passes by. Keeping melting snow and ice on the roof has been proven to be safer for both the property and the homeowner themselves and can be accomplished by our professionally installed systems.
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American Fork, UT 84003
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