What do Sno Shield Snow Guards, 3M Post-it Notes, Hanky Panky Lingerie, and Harley Davidson Motorcycles have in common?…

…They are all products of only a few in the world that are still MADE IN AMERICA!

With the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama taking place in the nation’s capital yesterday, our feelings as a nation have once again been turned towards this great land we live in; whether the inauguration got you excited for the United States, or even if it got you more worried about it, these wintery times of socio-economic hardship require us all to reflect deeply on the state of our own lives, our neighborhoods, and our country as a whole. We just about survived 2012, but domestic and global events have us questioning whether or not 2013 will be any better.

Fortunately however, there are some companies out there that are willing to wield the banner of American exceptionalism in positive ways that significantly boost the US economy, and Sno Shield is proud to be one of the few amongst them. We do not compromise in any degree the quality of our MADE IN AMERICA products, and look forward to an even greater year of business in 2013 not only for ourselves, but for you, our clients and customers across not only the United States, but Canada, and the rest of the world too.

For more articles on products made in America, go to Country Living, Huffington Post, and CNN Living.

We recently had a call from a domestic-use customer who informed us of their Sno Shield Rib Guard Snow Guards as out-lasting the roof itself after a freak hail storm hit the area… the Rib Guards remained intact, but unfortunately the roof needed replacing. Whether or not our guards could hold on during something like Hurricane Sandy remains to be seen (we haven’t done that test yet!), although we’re pretty confident that like the hail storm, the roof would probably need replacing before the guards themselves.

If you’re in a part of the country that is less prone to freak acts of nature, that sees precipitation in its various forms on a relatively regular basis, then you have the advantage of annual foresight to help inform your preparation decisions for the pending snow season (if it hasn’t hit already like it has in Idaho!)

Check out the images below to see what could be damaging your roof(s) in the following months if you don’t prepare now.

Be sure to be safe this winter season! Since the dawn of time, mankind has battled through the elements to pass their wisdom and prosperity along to the next generation, so make sure that you make it through the next few months so that you can do the same.

As the following video shows, overhanging and unprotected roofs can pose a significant risk to life, limb, and valuable property. Without snow guards or railing of any kind, risk and liability are significantly increased, especially on steep roofs like the one shown in the video.

As you get in your car or vehicle this festive season to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving and Christmas, be sure to be aware of not only what is over your head, but under your feet as well–drive safe, and don’t park too close to places where there’s a dangerous overhang with snow and ice!

Home owners and roofers are all searching for cheap snow guards these days.  If this is how you found our article, you need to be careful about how you define the word cheap.  Typically when searching for something cheap, customers are looking for something that costs very little or is relatively low in price.  Who doesn’t want to get a deal?  However, cheap can mean more than just low cost.  Consider the following three sentences for example:

1. “Sno Shield would feel cheap if we made the mistake of selling you a bad snow guard.”
2. “That snow guard did not have much thought put in to its design and construction, it has cheap workmanship.”
3. “I bought some dirt cheap snow guards.  I got 20% off.”

As you can see there are several ways to use the word cheap.  More and more we are seeing snow guards made in China appear on the market here in the USA.  They range from polycarbonate to metal snow guards.  We believe this is a result of several things, but mostly as consumers none of us want to spend a lot of money if we can purchase something for less, and roofers want to make as much profit margin as possible while keeping their bids competitive.  When purchasing snow guards though it is VERY important to really think about whether or not it is good to purchase cheap snow guards.  If you knew you were going to be shot in the chest, would you buy a cheap bullet proof vest or would you do your research and purchase the best vest money can buy?  A bullet proof vest is similar to snow guards in that both of them are safety devices.  Make sure when you buy snow guards you are not buying a poorly manufactured guard as you will end up paying more in the long run when you have to replace your snow retention system.

Another thing to make sure of is that you do not go cheap on the number of snow guards your purchase.  You need to make sure that you purchase the correct amount of snow guards for your roof.  Too many snow guards and you are not being frugal, not enough and your snow retention system may fail becoming more dangerous than had you just let the snow slide off your roof on its own.  Many of the companies willing to sell you cheap snow guards are also willing to tell you that you do not need the correct amount of snow guards.  They are only in the business for a quick sell and have not invested in their product to ensure it is a long lasting, durable product.

We are here to declare that the best snow guards on the market today are made in the USA right here at Sno Shield.  By purchasing Sno Shield snow guards you are sustaining American jobs, lowering your risk, and receiving a superior snow retention system.

I’ve heard the question, “Are snow guards necessary?” probably a hundred times over the past few years.  When I hear this question, it makes me think, “Why are you considering snow guards?”  If you have snow sliding off your roof that is causing damage, the easy answer is “Yes, snow guards are necessary for you.”  The real question you should be asking is, “Which snow guards are right for my roof application?”

Buying snow guards for your home or roofing project should not be as difficult as many people make it.  Of course everyone wants the customer to purchase their snow guards, but let’s be honest – Sno Shield snow guards are the best, right!?  There really are a lot of choices available to you as a consumer.  We recommend you talk to someone from the company you are considering.  The level of customer service a company gives you will tell you a lot about the company, the quality of their snow retention products, and how they feel about you.

Sorry, I got off topic, but only a little bit – back to your original question, “Are snow guards necessary?”  Again, if snow and ice sliding are causing damage to your property, yes, yes, YES snow guards are necessary.  Some common things to look for to determine if snow is causing damage include:

• Gutter Damage
• Destroyed Decks
• Detached or Bent Awnings
• Broken Windows
• Damage Trees and Shrubs
• Smashed Car Windows
• Torn Roof Flashing
• Screws Worked Loose in the Roof
• Harmed Pets (PETA’s coming after you!)
• Large Amounts of Snow Hitting You in the Head (This can kill you)

Honestly though, Sno Shield takes the protection of your business, property, and life very seriously.  We want to help protect your investment by having you install our quality snow guards or rail snow guard / snow fence.  We are available to assist you and do not mind answering your questions.  Please contact us for your roof evaluation so you no longer have to wonder, “Are snow guards necessary?”

I thought it might be fun to show some random people one of our Panel Guard snow guards and ask them the following questions just to see what people would come up with:

1.       What do you think this thing is used for?

2.       What do you think it is called?

3.       Who uses this product the most?

4.       How does it work?

Of the 25 people asked, the majority of them answered that it was some kind of bracket to hold a shelf on the wall.  Now I have heard people refer to snow guards as snow brackets, but typically you aren’t holding snow on the wall, unless it is some kind of Christmas decoration made from fake snow.  Some of the names they came up with included the EZ Shelf, Super Brace, Plastic Pyramid Support and The Wall Shoe.

About 50% of people thought it was a shelf of some sort, but more than one person thought it was a bookend, and a few more thought it was a corner straightener.  A corner straightener?  Hmm, it doesn’t even have 90% angles.  One person thought it looked like a tool for applying grout on tile floors and was the only one who guessed the industry correctly by saying it is used in construction.   

One awesome hippie said it was a device used for reflecting light and is called a Pyramid Mirror.  He acted as though he knew exactly what it was even though he had NO clue.  I personally think it’s funny when people try to act like they know what they are talking about, but don’t. 

My favorite response though was from a Canadian guy who called it the Pyramid Pick, claiming that this is a one of a kind guitar pick.  Only true guitar players who can deviate from the norm are able to utilize this guitar pick.  He said, “The pick has both a smooth and textured side, allowing for different types of sounds when using as a slide, a technique common in jazz music. It also gives the player the option to pick the string from multiple points, as it has 3 corners and 1 traditional picking edge.” 

After hearing his explanation I set out to find a guitar to play utilizing the Pyramid Pick.  It appears as though the Aussie indy-rocker  Josh Pyke has one:

In this video, Matt Riley demonstrates how to install the Sno Shield Rib Guard snow guard.

I’m Matt with Sno Shield. Today we’re going to show you how to install a Rib Guard on a standing seam metal roof. Now this particular system has Color Armor which is made from the same material as your roof so it weathers exactly the same.

For this project we are placing the Rib Guards sixteen inches up the rib from the eve. So go ahead and make a tick mark sixteen inches up. Like so. Go ahead and place the Rib Guard over your mark. Make sure you are in position so you that can get a good firm hold on your Rib Guard, and make sure your torque setting on your drill is preset. Each roof is a little different so you are going to have to do a little bit of checking to see which torque setting is right for your drill. Go ahead and put the screws tight. It’s important to note that the back screw is merely a positioning screw and most of the weight is derived from the top set screw.

So go ahead and place your color armor in position, I’m a little bit out of position here, but I think I can still get it, make sure it’s lined up then apply pressure to one side, then the other. And even still out of position it’s still a fairly simple system. It‘s a great system that can be used in the middle of winter. You don’t have to have summer months to make sure that you have proper adhesive curing time. It’s a great product. We hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions, give us a call and we’ll be glad to help you with your installations.

In this video, Matt Riley demonstrates how to install the Sno Shield Panel Guard.

Hi, I’m Matt with Sno Shield Snow Guards.

Today we’re going to show you how to install the Panel Guard Snow Guard.

We’re going to be using Surebond 190. And so first of all, we’re going to prepare our area by taking an alcohol wipe. And we’ve already premarked our area. Just clean the area free from any dirt. Then you take your Surebond – I’ve already pre-cleaned the base of this part. It’s important to make sure there is no dust on the either roof or the part and then you put a bead of adhesive all the way around the edge. Fill in the middle a little bit. Then go ahead and put it on your marking, and press firmly. It’s important to get as much of the adhesive and air bubbles out as you can. Press firmly and you’re done.

If you are anything like me, you just passed Christmas and said, “Whoa! Where did the time go?”

Judging by my last blog post (July…) you can see that time has flown past me. The other day I saw one of my friends lugging around some “A-Frame” plant protectors. I couldn’t help but ask him, “What are you doing?” He told me that he was protecting his plants from snow sliding off of his roof. Long story short, he is installing some Sno Shield snow guards to protect his plants and won’t be hauling those things in and out every winter and spring.

This got me to thinking that I need to share with the web some ideas about gardening. Gardening is something I really enjoy, but this time of year, not many people who live in cold climates are thinking about gardening considering the amount of white stuff covering the ground. If you are a true gardening enthusiast though, you are always thinking about what you can do to make your trees and shrubs look the best. Snow itself will typically not cause much damage to your plants and shrubs. In fact, snow can act as an insulator the same way mulch does and is one of the best protectors of plants during the winter. There are a few things you may want to consider when snow comes your way and you want to protect your plants and shrubs.

When heavy snow falls happen, branches that normally have some bend can and will break in the winter if they are frozen and get too much of a snow load. Sometimes it is best not to remove this snow as you may cause further damage by breaking more branches than the snow itself. If you are expecting a large snow storm, proclaim yourself a snow guard and periodically shake the snow off of the branches during the storm before snow loads build up and become too heavy.

Another way snow may damage your plants and shrubs is when snow slides off of your roof and lands on your plants below. This “avalanche” can crush your plants; you as well if you are not careful. The snow and ice that comes off of a roof is so heavy that it can actually kill someone if it falls on them. When plants are covered by deep, natural snow, (snow blown onto plants does not count as it can actually damage your plants as well) sometimes the plants will be cushioned from the falling snow and ice. However, when they aren’t, this is where Sno Shield comes in to the seen.

You really have two options to protect your plants from snow and ice falling from your roof. The first is to build an A-Frame over the plants. These “teepees” are basically a wooden shelter that keeps the snow from hitting the plant. The problem with teepees is that they are burdensome to put out every year, hard to store during the summer, and not very attractive as my friend puts it. The alternative to these teepees is to use snow guards. Snow guards are devices that attach to your roof and keep the snow from sliding off your home on to the plants.

One more thing to keep in mind when protecting your plants during the winter is to make sure that you do not use chemicals that can damage your soil and hurt the roots of your plants to remove snow and ice on your walkways. Avoid putting piles of snow with salt near your plants and your lawn. If you cannot avoid doing so, make sure to use a salt that does not hurt your plants.

Even though there isn’t much green to see outside when snow is around, remember that under all of that white stuff there is a lot of green just waiting to appear and the more you do now to protect it now, the better it will look this coming spring.

After a long hard winter Sno Shield is happy to announce the first of three new products to be released immediately this month.  After listening to our customers and wholesalers we have developed a smaller version of the Panel Guard.  We call it the SS Mini, and it has all the engineering strength of The Panel Guard, except it was designed for smaller projects with lighter snow loads or odd panel/tile shapes.  We also added the peel and stick installation capability to this product.

As with all of our Polycarbonate products we can color inject any standard color into the material making it near invisible to the observer.  The SS Mini was made to ease the burden of those who experience snow and ice once or twice a year, but really don’t need a fully designed snow retention system for their roof.  We understand just how frustrating it can be to keep climbing a ladder to replace or repair expensive rain gutters.  The SS Mini can even be placed on rain gutter leaf systems that allow ice build up to protrude past the drip zone, and onto you.  We hope you like the light weight design and find multiple applications for the SS Mini.