Roofer profile: Nick Pointek - On Point Contracting

By Rocky Mountain Snow Guards.

Experienced roofer, Nick Pointek, answers questions about snow retention systems for his roofing projects.

Nick Pointek, president of On Point Contracting, based in Littleton, Colorado, is a family owned and operated business. As experienced insurance adjusters and storm damage specialists, the company excels at understanding the complex relationship between the insurance company, independent adjuster, public adjuster, homeowner and contractor. Their quality workmanship is on time, on budget and on point. 

Q: Tell us about the geography you install roofing in and what kind of snow retention systems are needed for your customers.

A: We install roofs and snow retention across the state of Colorado from the Rocky Mountains to the Front Range. 

You would be surprised how little snow you need to create a large avalanche. Some of the slicker surfaces are metal roofs, DaVinci® roofs and solar panels. The latter is interesting because you never think about the importance of a snow retention system when you’re calculating the expected wattage. However, this surface is by far the slickest. Because the panels are a dark color they absorb heat and melt the bottom layer of snow. Then overnight that bottom layer freezes, creating a slab. 

Colorado is already a state known by backcountry users as the most dangerous for large slab avalanches. That same slab is forming on your roof too, and when it avalanches that hard slab will take out everything in its path. To prevent that from happening we use the Solar Snow Drift Fence from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. This is a four-bar system with the boots directly fastened to the rafters/trusses, allowing the snow to melt gradually. 

We have had great success with this system and none of the solar panels installed above have been affected adversely. The Blizzard 2 bar and S-5!® ColorGard system are best for standing seam roofs. We recently completed two large commercial hotels with the S-5! ColorGard system. The clients were so happy that they came back for additional systems.  

When it comes to DaVinci roofs we love the Yeti and Rocky Guard RG snow guards. RMSG includes Woodbinder® screws for each of these boots. The Woodbinder screw has an EPDM washer which seals the screw. I’ve seen a test they performed at their office where they had half screwed in the Woodbinder screws at different levels with tanks of water above. No matter how it was screwed in, it didn’t leak. I was shocked. It definitely confirmed my confidence in their products. 

Q: What type of roofing material do you tend to install most, and what’s your favorite “go to” snow retention product that you use repeatedly with that material? 

A: Honestly, the roofing material we install the most tends to be asphalt shingles. However, the product we prefer to install the most is the DaVinci Roofscapes Multi- and Single-Width Shake or Slate composite tiles.

They’re beautiful, durable and hit all the check boxes you would want on a roof in the mountains and front range. The snow retention systems we install on these composite roofs are either the Yeti’s or the RG’s depending on the clients’ preference in style. These snow stops look sleek and modern on these attractive roofs.

Q: What’s the most successful roofing project you’ve ever done where a snow retention system was involved? 

A: Our most successful project has to be Christy’s roof. We put a DaVinci roof on with the RG system in Denver. She has a heated pool and was worried about the snow avalanching off the back slope over a sliding door area where the kids run on the deck to the pool. Previously the snow hung dangerously off the eave. Now the snow retention system keeps it on the roof. 

Q: How often do you use the free architectural snow retention plan from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards when you’re working on a roofing project? 

A: Every time I put a snow retention plan together for a client I run it by Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. They tell me the right product for the roof, slope, and snow loads of the area. It makes my job super easy. On top of that they respond quickly, and I get the right stuff the first time so I can seal the deal and maintain my reputation. 

Q: What keeps your company coming back to Rocky Mountain Snow Guards for your snow retention needs? 

A: The free architectural reviews on my plans for my clients is a huge benefit to buying products from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. In addition, their team is responsive, their products are solid steel, and I don’t have to sweat about what I’m recommending to my clients. 

RMSG have the best products in the market. I’ve seen other products and they just don’t stand up to the quality or service that Rocky Mountain Snow Guards provides. RMSG hasn’t given me a reason to go anywhere else.