Encouraging snow safety

By Emma Peterson.

How TRA Snow and Sun supports contractors through every step of implementing snow retention systems.

Snow retention systems are critical for keeping roofs in areas that receive heavy snowfall safe and secure. Not only does it protect the people and property beneath the roof from dangerous snow avalanches, but it also helps ensure that the roof itself lasts as long as possible. However, a snow retention system is only as effective as the engineering and installation behind it. In this episode of MetalTalk™, Karen Edwards sat down with Mindy Dahlquist to talk about how TRA Snow and Sun helps contractors design and install snow retention systems with confidence.

Engineering

The biggest challenge contractors in the U.S. face when it comes to safety is the general lack of snow retention codes or requirements to use as a guideline for designing a roof. Mindy explained, “There are code requirements in Europe for snow retention. And there's starting to be talks of it in the United States in some locations, but that doesn't always mean that the municipalities are able to have that code or standard to reference.”  

The good news is that TRA is stepping up to fill in that need while codes and standards get established. Mindy shared, “We are here for the contractors to be able to bounce their questions off of and get engineering help. Because you have to make sure that you're utilizing enough snow retention to make sure that the weight is evenly distributed, otherwise you can run into new issues with that. Ultimately, it’s as important to make sure that you're having that proper installation and the correct amount of product up on the roof as having snow retention in the first place.”

If you are looking for help engineering a snow retention system for a project, make sure to check out TRA’s online resources!

Installing

Beyond providing engineered snow retention layouts for contractors that request help, TRA also provides a variety of training opportunities for professionals to learn how to install these systems properly. Mindy explained, “We are really trying to focus on education, because we can sell something all day long but if it's not being installed properly or utilized properly it will never matter. We have some media books, they're like video brochures; we have three or four live training events this year; and more.”

This is an area that Mindy in particular is very passionate about as TRA’s business development manager. She shared, “This is my bread and butter, it is something that I am very passionate about. I train architects and contractors both hands-on training and through web-based training. I do trainings for large companies and small companies. If you have specific training needs, like wanting it to be geared specifically towards a product, then I can do that. Basically, all you do is contact us and we will help you get the training you and your team are looking for.”

Read the transcript, Listen to the conversation or Watch the video for more about the importance of snow retention systems.