InspectAPedia®   -   Search InspectApedia

Snow guards on a metal roof (C) Daniel Friedman Snow Guard Installation Pattern, Spacing, Location on Roofs
How to locate & space snow clips, snow guards, & snow retainers on roofs

Snow guard layout & spacing on all roofs.

This article describes how to lay out the snow retainer or guard pattern on a roof in order to provide an effective snow retention system. Spacing requirements for snow retention devices vary depending on the roof slope or pitch.

We give recommended side spacing between individual snow guard devices & we discuss an important consideration to avoid structural damage: how far up the roof from the eaves should the first row of snow guards begin.

This article series illustrates types of snow guards or snow brakes or other snow retention devices used on metal, rubber, asphalt, and slate roofs.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Snow Retention Device Installation Specifications for Location & Spacing

Snow hooks or guards Justin Morrill Smith House (C) Daniel Friedman

Snow Guard Spacing Distances side-to-side in staggered rows

Experts point out that for the placement of individual snow guards (as opposed to long horizontal snow fences or snow brakes) depends on the pitch of the roof. According to Precision Snow-Guards[2]

[Click to enlarge any image]

Snow Guard Row Location: where to place the rows, how to prevent structural damage from accumulated weight of ice & snow

In addition to installing one or more staggered sets of snow guards "across the lower roof edge" with quantity and spacing varying by roof slope (discussed above), we'd like to know how far back from the lower roof edge or eaves should the first row of snow guards begin and how many feet of space should be provided between banks of snow guards on larger roofs with multiple installations of snow guard products.

Watch out: Berger Building Products (ret 2014) warns that

Alpine Snow Guards recommends placing a three row pattern on the lower roof, 24" o.c. with the middle row staggerd 12", and covering the remaining roof to within 10 feet of the ridge with evenlyspaced snow guards between the bottom three row pattern and the top un-guarded area. - Alpine (ret. 2014)

5 Snow Retention System or Snow Guard Installation Mounting Methods

Individual snow guard mounting methods vary depending on the roof covering material. All snow retention systems use one of these methods to provide snow and ice retention for building roofs.

In short the methods are:

  1. Structurally-connected snow retainer mounts
  2. Clamp-on snow retainer mounts
  3. Adhesive-bonded snow retainer mounts
  4. Clip-on snow retainers
  5. Snow-retention coating

...

Continue reading at SNOW GUARD BUILDING CODES? or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Snow Guard & Snow Brake Articles

Suggested citation for this web page

SNOW GUARD SPACING & PATTERN at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING ROOFING

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Search the InspectApedia website

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification
when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca

Comment Form is loading comments...

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.



ADVERTISEMENT