Thoughts on snow guards on 4/12 roof?

[tlmartin84]

I live in WV, we receive quite a few inches of snow through the winter. My house has snow guards, and I often hear ice/snow slide down the roof. My house roof is metal and has a 12/12 and 7/12 pitch to it.

My new shop has a 4/12 and 3/12 metal roof on it. Any of you other snow belters with lower pitched roofs have any input?

 

[BlackTalon]

Berger Bros has some of the best snow retention products. For metal roofs they have both snow guards and snow rails.

http://www.bergerbp.com/products/snow-retention/snow-guards/

 

[readhead]

Just finished installing two rows on a 2/12 metal building. The GC bought them and I was quick to put in the CO that there would be no warranty since they were screwed to the high ribs. The best install is in the low part of the panel and into a purlin. I have seen the others ripped right out of the high ribs on low sloped roofs from ice build up and on steep sloped roofs from ice sliding.
The single units work well but tend to get bent or broken when someone goes up to shovel the roof and doesn't know that they are there.
My personal choice would be snow bars, either one, two or three rows tall, with the brackets installed over the purlins.

 

[BlackTalon]

Snow guards need to be dispersed throught the roof, usually in groupings of 2-3 rows every 8 feet or so upslope. The whole intent is to keep the snow/ ice from starting to slide. So a couple rows at the eaves are rarely effective, as they are often ripped out by sliding snow/ ice that starts upslope. The rail systems are better at stopping snow/ ice that has already started sliding, but you usually still need more then just a single line at the eaves.

 

[holdover]

my 40 X 60 (5/12 pitch) with a 16 X 60 lean-to on one side metal roof does not have gutters and I do not have snow guards. I just let the snow slide off the roof. If I had gutters I most likely would install them. There is a rock base and good drainage around the barn, so water drains away quickly. We get a fair amount of snow here, last year a 30" snowfall, plus many smaller ones. The garage is insulated.

 

[mygarageone]

Where I live snow guards are never used , we get way to much snow and it needs to slide off the roof . Personally I wouldn't use hem anyhow , why would you want all that weight on the roof all winter.
Last yr because it was so cold we had lots of metal roofs needing shoveling , mine included and it was over 4 ft deep at that point. Midway threw winter.

 

[kbs2244]

This is a 50 -50 issue.
IMO---
If you have space for the snow to go, let it slide.
It gets the weight off the roof.

If you are limited in your side yard then keep it as high for as long as you can so it melts and the gutters can take care of it.

 

[Mike007]

With a metal roof, without snow guards the snow sliding off can wreck gutters if you have them. Ask me how I know.