Roofer Tips for Retrofitting Snow Guards
Spring weather often means phones are ringing with new business for roofers. Sometimes the calls are about roofs installed last year … when the homeowners are reconsidering their decision not to put snow guards on their new composite roofing.
If you’re a roofer getting those calls, we can help. Lars Walberg, President of Rocky Mountain Snow Guards, says roughly two-thirds of the snow guards his company sells are for retrofit applications. Here are his insights on what you need to know when you get the call from a homeowner ready to commit to snow guards.
Q: Which snow guards to you recommend for retrofit applications?
A: For DaVinci Roofscapes synthetic roofing material we recommend the SnowTrapper ST11 for all slate profiles, single-width and multi-width shake up to 9/12, and Bellaforté Shake up to 7/12. For Bellaforté Shake over 7/12 and slate profiles over 9/12, we recommend the RockyGuard RG10. (Click HERE for more product details)
Q: How are snow guards retrofitted to DaVinci synthetic shake and composite slate roof tiles?
A: Sealant should be applied to seal between the snow guard strap and the shingle. Snow guards are attached with two or three Woodbinder Screws. These screws are self-tapping, self-sealing and have coated heads to match the color of the snow guard.
Q: What tips do you have for installers regarding retrofitting snow guards?
A: It’s easy. The most important things are to place the snow guards so there is a significant space between the butt end of the shingle above and the pad face so the snow guard can “grab” the snow. We recommend that the strap is showing equal to three times the thickness of the butt end of the shingles on pitches up to 6/12, and six times the thickness on pitches over 6/12. It’s also important to mark the placement so the pattern is uniform.
For more insights from Walberg, see Ask the Experts: Snow Guards.