Snow guards

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Author Message   Ron Harbin Posted on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 06:29 pm:        Our Church has metal brackets attached to the slate roof over each of the entrances. These brackets are flat metal that is attached beneath the tiles and bend 90 degrees. Viewing them from the edge of the roof, they appear as an ornate, diamond shape that is about 4 inches high and about 3 inches wide. They are oxidized but the discoloration to the slate beneath them has been minimal. A few of the entrances have horizontal wood boards attached to the metal guards. The boards are about 8 or 10 feet in length. Most of the boards have weathered/rotted to the point where there is almost no wood remaining. My question is, are these brackets designed to hold boards? Are the boards essential for roofs of a certain pitch? Should we have the boards replaced? Or should we simply depend on the brackets to hold the snow that does accumulate on the roof?   Joe Posted on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 10:01 am:        Good questions. It's hard for me to say without seeing them. Most snow guards do not hold boards. Some are made with pipes or rods. If yours are designed to hold boards and you feel the need to replace them in order to keep the snow up on the roof, then by all means replace them. If the snow is being help up there adequately as it is, then maybe leave well enough alone.   Rob Posted on Saturday, August 31, 2002 - 06:40 pm:        In this area (Northampton County, PA), many of the houses with slate roofs have boards up on the roof. They place them up on metal brackets as you say your church has. I notice them especially on the steeper roofs. I realize my post is really not answering your question, but I wanted to let you know that the boards are common at least around here.   Walter Musson Posted on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 08:16 am:        Ron, If the boards are noticeably rotted then try replacing them with pressure treated ones.The liklihood of failure is greatly increased when the weight of snow and ice is present.You have noted these are above doorways so liability is an issue.Joe points out many of the newer ones use rods or pipes which you could change to if and when you re-do the roof.   Anonymous Posted on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 09:27 am:        During the winter, snow tends to slide into the valleys on a slate roof. If snow is in the valleys, wouldn't this mean that melting snow will get backed up behind the snow? Therefore, it seems prudent to keep the snow out of the valleys, and to do this I would use snowguards. Please shoot down, riddle, my thinking. Or is this a moot issue.