Snow retention 101

By Emma Peterson. 

With winter storms on the horizon, now is a great time to learn about snow retention systems! 

Snow retention systems installed on the roof prevent snow from building up and then “avalanching” off in one large chunk. When snow comes off a roof in such a way it can damage the property beneath it and threaten the safety of the people around the area. This is why it’s especially important to install snow retention in snowy regions on your roof to protect your family, guests and property. 

Much of the engineering behind snow retention systems comes out of the European alpine regions. In addition to the property and personal damages, they found that large, sliding masses of ice and snow can damage the roof. Alternatively, stationary snow on the roof does not damage the roof. With a snow retention system in place, snow will still accumulate on the roof, melting off safely in place.  

By 2000, building codes both nationally and internationally required that structures support a dead load (the weight of the building materials) and a live load (the added weight of occupants, water, pets, ice, snow, etc.). The buildup of snow can actually even help the energy efficiency of your home by adding more insulation!  

In general, there are three main products that can be used singularly or in tandem to build a snow retention system: 

1. Snow guards/brackets: These lay directly on the roof. 
2. Snow rails/clamp-on fences: These clamp onto the seam of a metal panel to avoid penetrating the roof’s surface. 
3. Deck mount fences: These attach to the rafter or truss. 

TRA Snow and Sun carries all of these different types of snow retention devices. And every one of their products has been tested at “from the sheathing up.” Their team knows exactly how their products perform and what their limitations are so that they can engineer the perfect snow retention plan, layout and product list for each roof brought to them.  

For more information on the basics of snow retention, check out this FAQ from TRA Snow and Sun!