Metal roof snow avalanche prevention.


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Old 10-18-19, 03:28 PM
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Metal roof snow avalanche prevention.

Last winter was the first winter in our new to us house. We have a metal roof and it slopes right down to our front door and driveway. Needless to say when the snow starts melting it avalanches onto our porch and driveway and then by the time I get home from work it has frozen and I can’t shovel it.
What do you call the snow stops most people have on their metal roofs? What’s the best angles to place them? Any tips would be appreciated.
 
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Old 10-18-19, 03:37 PM
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Old 10-18-19, 07:54 PM
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Needless to say when the snow starts melting it avalanches onto our porch and driveway
I'd double check for heat leaks into the attic spaces, what sort of insulation does your roof have?
If it's a dark color, south facing roof, you'll have avalanching, but a heat leak will help speed that up...
 
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Old 10-19-19, 05:38 AM
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It depends on the snow you get. At the mountain cabin where we get heavy, wet snow and a fair bit of ice regular snow guards only survived a few seasons before most were broken or ripped off. Right now there is a solid bar running horizontally across all the ridges of the roof. It's proven much stronger and more resistant to damage than individual snow guards.

 
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Old 10-19-19, 06:38 AM
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As Pilot says the solid bars is the best depending in the type of snow. Most people will put the snow breakers just over the entrance areas of the structure. When I had the Amish install my cabin tin roof we considered snow breakers and he wanted to use the full bar type. We decided against using any since the cabin is not in use during winter months.
 
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Old 10-19-19, 09:56 AM
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Yes I would only put them where absolutely necessary.

Then get a snow rake and keep the snow accumulation at a reasonable depth.

The snow stops make it a pain to try and get the snow off with the rake.
 
 

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