FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q How do Sno-Safe Original and Wide Snow Guards work?
A: Sno-Safe Original and Sno-Safe Wide snow guards are both designed to prevent snow from avalanching from the roof in an uncontrolled and dangerous manner. The guards hold the snow, allowing it to melt and shed from the roof gradually.
Q: What is the difference between Sno-Safe Original and Wide snow guards?
A: Sno-Safe Original snow guards are purposed to be used as cleats with the goal of holding the snow in place where it lands. To achieve this, it is recommended that they be fastened in staggered rows throughout the entire roof surface. Sno-Safe Wide snow guards have a larger surface area for holding snow and are installed using a different type of layout. Because the labor cost of installation is usually the largest expense, the more expensive Wide Guard can sometimes result in a lower overall project cost.
Q: How are Sno-Safe Original and Wide Snow Guards fastened to the roof?
A: Both Sno-Safe Original and Snow Safe Wide snow guards can be fastened to a roof surface in two ways. One way is to fasten snow guards with adhesive only. This is a simple installation which avoids penetrating the roof. The second installation method is to use roofing screws along with a sealant or adhesive.
Q: How strong is mounting snow guards with adhesive only?
A: Mounting with the Surebond SB-190 adhesive only is exceptionally strong if it is done correctly according to our instructions. Our polycarbonate Original snow guard will hold up to 1,220 lbf when fastened to a metal roofing panel with Surebond adhesive only. Our Cast Aluminum snow guard will hold up to 1,440 lbf when fastened to a metal roofing panel with Surebond adhesive only.
Q: What are Sno-Safe Original and Wide Snow Guards made of?
A: Sno-Safe Original and Wide snow guards are injection molded using a high strength polycarbonate. This is the same material used to make safety glasses and bulletproof windows.
Q: Can Sno-Safe Original and Wide Snow Guards be used on rubber membrane or TPO roofs?
A: Both Sno-Safe Original and Wide snow guards can be used on rubber membrane and TPO roofing surfaces. The Surebond SB-190 works well for fastening snow guards to rubber membrane surfaces. When fastening to TPO surfaces, we recommend using a TPO primer and Lucas #6600 terpolymer sealant. It is best to fasten guards evenly throughout the roof for even weight distribution to prevent overloading and potential damage to roof.
Q: Is the outdoor temperature important during installation?
A: The outdoor temperature is very important for proper adhesion when using any adhesive for fastening. The Surebond SB-190 requires a minimum of twenty-eight (28) days of temperature above 10 C to reach operational strength. Springtime is an excellent time to install snow guards using adhesive only as the Surebond will have all the spring, summer, and fall seasons to properly cure. If installing in colder temperatures, we recommend using Project One Neutral Cure silicone adhesive or equivalent. This type of adhesive can typically be used in temperatures as low as -10C, although colder temperatures will slow curing.
Q: How many snow guards do I need on my roof?
A: We provide a custom spacing or layout for all of our customers. This layout will indicate the exact number and positioning of either of our Original or Wide snow guards for the particular roof. Just go to our spacings page here and fill in the information for your roof.
Q: Can I install the snow guard myself?
A: Sno-Safe Original and Wide snow guards are relatively simple to install. A typical installation is detailed on our Installation Page here.
Q: How do the Sno-Safe Original and Wide Snow Guards fit on a roof with minor ribs?
A: Both the snow safe original and wide snow guards are designed to fit on standing seam / flat panel metal roofs as well as metal roof panels with minor ribs. The snow safe original is designed as the perfect width to fit in between the two minor ribs centering it in the middle of the panel. The Sno-Safe Wide snow guard is the only snow guard specifically designed to straddle the two minor ribs on most popular metal roofing panels. This centers the wide snow guard in the middle of the panel and provides a perfect fit to the panel profile.
Q: What are the dimensions of the Sno-Safe Original and Wide Snow Guards?
A: The Sno-Safe Original snow guard measures 1.5 inches wide x 5 inches long x 2.3 inches tall. The Sno-Safe Wide snow guard measures 5.25 inches wide x 3.1 inches long x 3.1inches tall.
Q: Can I install just 2 rows instead of covering the entire roof?
A: Sno-Safe Original snow guards are purposed to function as cleats, holding the snow where it lands. These are best used when fastened in staggered rows throughout the entire roof. Fewer rows can be used in areas that do not receive large snowfall amounts such as in the Southeastern US. Sno-Safe wide snow guards have a much larger surface area for holding snow. As a result, they can function as a barrier rather than a cleat. Fewer rows of snow guards are required. Homeowners installing snow guards themselves are sometimes only comfortable reaching the eaves of their roof and cannot access the entire roof. Although we do not recommend placing guards only at the eaves, the Sno-Safe Wide guards are the better choice if this is unavoidable.
Q: Do the snow guards come with screws?
A: We do not provide screws for mounting the snow guards. Most installations use adhesive only and there is plenty of holding strength with only the adhesive. If screws are needed or desired, you will want to use roofing screws specifically designed for metal roofing that have a neoprene washer attached and are of appropriate length for your particular roof substrate. It is recommended that a watertight adhesive or sealant is also used to prevent leakage through the penetrations in the roof.
Q: Do the snow guards come with any gasket?
A: Our snow guards do not use a gasket. If screws are used, which will penetrate the roof, we recommend also using Surebond adhesive or a silicone sealant in conjunction with the screws for water tightness.
Q: Can I install the Sno-Safe Original or Wide Snow Guards on Asphalt Shingle roofs?
A: The Sno-Safe original and Wide snow guards are not recommended for asphalt shingle roofs. They are too thick to mount under a shingle. Adhesives will not sustain long term strength to the granular surface of asphalt shingle, and the use of screws is not recommended.
Q: Will the color or clarity of the snow guards fade due to exposure from sunlight?
A: The Sno-Safe Original or Wide snow guards in clear and colors are molded using UV resistant polycarbonate. This is the same material that is used to make high quality headlight lenses for vehicles. High quality headlight lenses on vehicles stay very clear for decades even though they are exposed to the elements and sunlight nearly full time. This same UV protection keeps our snow guards clear or color fast for many many years.
Q: How soon will my order ship?
A: Orders placed before 10 am MST will ship out the same day. We ship via Canada Post. All orders are shipped from Fort Macleod, Alberta Canada. Orders are shipped Monday through Friday. We make every effort to ship your order within twenty-four (24) hours of when the order is placed. Orders received on weekends or holidays will go out the next business day. See more about approximate shipping times from Canada Post.