One of the most dangerous things about winter is snow, but not when the snow is falling. Snow that accumulates on the ground also accumulates on the roof and can become extremely dangerous as its mass grows and it starts to melt. When the snow is on the roof and melts, it transforms in to ice, and when that ice starts to slide off of the roof it becomes a dangerous and potentially deadly mass that moves at a dangerous speed. The only way for homeowners to protect themselves and their families is to use some kind of snow guard or snow rail to keep the ice and snow in place and to limit the amount of snow that hits the ground at once. Snow guards offer a variety of protections for homeowners.

Property Protection

Heavy snow and hard ice can cause serious damage to gutters and other roof components. A metal roof is especially vulnerable because of the low friction between the metal and the snow or ice as it begins to slide. Snow guards will keep the snow from gaining momentum that will crash in to the gutters and cause them to separate. The snow guards can also protect landscaping by retaining the snow until it begins to melt, reducing the mass of the snow that hits trees or hedges around the home. Without any kind of protection, gutters and landscaping stand little chance of escaping unscathed after a heavy snow storm.

Advanced Stability

Roofing guards offer a strategic solution for protection and they do more than simply blocking snow and ice from passing off the roof. Smart placement of the guards increases friction between the snow or ice accumulation and the roof. This counters the natural sliding motion of heavy melting ice and helps to hold the snow in place. Again, because of the low friction that metal roofs naturally offer, the increased friction offered by the snow guards is essential to keeping the snow in place.

Versatile Designs

Homeowners have often complained about installing snow guards because the guards looked ugly and detracted from the appearance of the home. Even though the guards offered property protection and reduced injuries from falling snow, it was more important for homeowners to keep their homes looking good, so they passed on the guards. Modern designs are made to match the color and style of the home, so you can choose to have both form and function in your design and you do not have to compromise the appearance of your house.

Over the last few years demand for snow guards has risen dramatically. Homeowners are seeing the value in protecting themselves from falling snow, and there has never been more companies offering snow guards services.

Recently Daniel Loggins, a happy customer had this to say, “I am Daniel Loggins and I have been a homeowner for ten years. Last year my wife and I installed guards from Sno Shield on our home, and while our neighbors were dealing with thousands of dollars in damages after a major blizzard, our repair costs were minimal.” Do yourself a favor, minimize your damage like the Loggins’ and install snow guards or a snow rail on your home.