Safety First - When Melting Snow Meets Metal Roofs

Marco Lujan, director of services for Revelation Roofing, LLC does not take any chances with melting snows causing potential injury or property damage on the metal roofs he installs. The Colorado-based roofer insists his clients use snow retention systems that slowly release the snow from metal rooftops.

For a recent high-profile project in the heart of the Steamboat Springs ski area, Lujan relied on the free layout and quote services of Rocky Mountain Snow Guards to come up with an initial snow retention plan for the metal/asphalt roof.

"We used this service for about 40 projects last year, which allows us to build our systems with confidence," says Lujan. "For this project we used 2,200 RG7 dark bronze snow guards and 450 linear feet of Blizzard Heavy Duty III powder coated snow fences. Then, after that added a heating cable to keep the roof eaves and gutters warm enough to stop ice from forming and building up on the roofs. We kept the cable in place with roof clips and heat tape."

Safety First

The extensive effort Lujan and other roofers take to assure snow and ice are retained and allowed to melt from roofs is done strategically. The process is calculated based on roofing material, roof pitch, and normal area snow load to help prevent tragic avalanches of accumulated winter precipitation that can damage property, injure pets and people and in some cases, cause death.

With safety at the forefront of every consideration for snow retention work for both roofers and specifiers, March is National Snow Guard Safety Month. This month, the entire industry is turning its attention to not only making roofs safer but educating consumers on why snow retention systems are essential for those living in areas with significant snowfall.

This is especially true if homeowners have certain types of roofing, like slate, synthetic and metal. Which is why various snow retention companies offer snow fences, snow bars and snow guards.  There are also ice flags and ice screens.

Key Differences Explained

Here's a quick education on the differences between these pieces:

Snow guards:  Individual small and large (low and higher profile) snow guards can be attached in a pattern to all types of roofing, occasionally to the flat part of a metal roof but sometimes clamped to the seam. They can be installed on standing seam panel roofs, through-fastened metal panels roofs and most metal shingles. Oftentimes they are installed in a "Soldier Row" pattern, placed 12 inches apart horizontally on a roof, for the most effective way to hold snow.

Bar-style system: A continuous length of rectangular metal "bar" that is installed horizontally across the metal roof to form a barrier to snow and ice. The product looks very clean and modern on a roof. Factors like the roof pitch, the distance from eave to peak and the area snow load are used to determine whether one row is sufficient or if multiple rows are needed to handle the snow load.

Fence-style system: Two or more tubes vertically oriented like a split rail fence. These systems are often used on custom homes and in situations where a less modern appearance is desired. Two methods of attachment are used. One is a screw or lag bolt that attaches the snow fence bracket to the roof structure. The other is a clamp-to-seam attachment.

Ice flags or SnoClips: When the metal panel seam height is 1-3/4 inches or more these pieces prevent snow and ice chunks from slipping through or under the bar or tubes.

Ice Screen: For snow fences to help keep ice and snow above the fence, especially on eaves above high-traffic areas, where even the smallest release can be problematic. Especially helpful in conjunction with solar snow fences.

Shiny Copper Roofs

While most people immediately think of standing seam roofs when the topic of metal roofing is brought up, there is also a growing trend toward specialty metal roofs. Top on that list is copper roofs.

Durable and aesthetically unmatched by any other material, copper can serve as both a full roof or in accent areas. Whether horizontal seam, mansard roofing, or long pan systems, copper has the initial glow and eventual patina, making it shine as a masterpiece on a project. However, it is also as slick as other metals and needs snow retention attention.

The team at Umbrella Roofing in Eagle, Colorado, used their talents to install an impressive full copper roof on a residential property last year including a unique spiral turret. For the home, the roofers had a customized snow retention plan that called for copper snow guards and snow fencing. They also used a clamp-to-seam fence in copper.

"Together the snow retention systems works beautifully to accent the roof while providing much-needed protection for the homeowners during heavy winter snowfalls," according to Josh Yandle with Umbrella Roofing.

According to Walberg, RMSG has experienced an annual growth of 20 percent per year of copper snow retention products over the last 10 years. He relates that most of the sales are on higher-end homes and commercial buildings, like the University of Denver, where the majority of the campus has copper standing seam roofing.

"Resort areas like Vail, Aspen and Big Sky have a large base of copper projects," says Walberg. "However, we've also worked on a project in Iceland where an architect specified a large quantity of copper snow guards. Moving into 2025, copper is the metal to watch as it plays a larger role in roofing designs."

*Brian Cross is involved in all aspects of the business here at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards and has been with the company for five years. He provides free training classes to individuals and companies on snow retention systems, works in the sales and marketing arenas and is heavily involved in product and technology development.