Snow Clips for Metal Roofs in New Hampshire

Snow Clips for Metal Roofs in New Hampshire | Do I Need Snow Guards?

By Daniel Foote, co-owner and lead installer at New England Gutter Systems

Quick answer: Snow clips help hold snow on a metal roof so it can melt gradually. If heavy snow keeps sliding onto your steps, driveway, gutters, or a lower roof, it’s worth looking at snow guards. The right system depends on your roof panels, how the guards can attach, and how much snow they need to hold.

Snow keeps sliding off your metal roof and landing in front of the garage. You clear it, and the next thaw puts more snow in the same spot. Now the gutter above the door is bent or pulling away from the house.

When I look at a job like that, I start with where the snow lands and which roof it came from. Sometimes it comes straight off the roof over the garage. On other homes, it comes off the main roof and hits the garage roof first. That changes where the guards may need to go. It also helps us decide what to do about the damaged gutter.

What are snow clips for metal roofs used for?

Snow clips are used to reduce the chance of snow sliding off a metal roof in one heavy sheet. They’re individual pieces of roof hardware, also called snow guards or snow stops. A properly laid out system helps hold the snow in place as it melts. The guards, their attachments, and the roof assembly all have to carry the force of the snow pushing down the slope.

For a general definition, see Wikipedia’s snow guard entry. For how these systems carry snow loads, see the Metal Construction Association’s snow retention guidance.

What happens when snow slides off a metal roof all at once?

A sheet of snow coming off a metal roof can bend a gutter, hit a parked car, land on a lower roof, or injure someone below. The pile it leaves can block a door or cover the steps. On a New Hampshire Cape, the trouble spot might be a small metal porch roof over the front steps. On a detached garage, it might be the full side of the building where you park.

How can I tell if my metal roof needs snow guards?

Snow guards are worth looking into if snow repeatedly lands where you walk, park, or need to get in and out. Look from the ground after a thaw. A pile against the garage door or a gutter that keeps pulling loose in the same place is worth pointing out to your installer. If you have a photo from the last time it happened, send it with a wide shot of the roof.

Two sides of the same house can have different needs. One roof edge may shed into an open yard. Another may shed directly over the door you use every day. I look at each roof edge and what’s under it.

Should I use snow clips or snow rails on my metal roof?

Snow clips are individual guards installed in a pattern. Snow rails use one or more continuous bars across the roof. The choice depends on the roof pitch, the length of the slope, the metal panels, and how much snow the system needs to hold. A roof over a busy entrance may need a different setup than a roof that sheds into an open yard. See Rocky Mountain Snow Guards’ roof snow fence guide.

Can I get snow guards in a color that matches my metal roof?

Snow guards come in colors that can match or blend in with your metal roof. Once we know which guards fit your panels, we can show you the colors available for that model. If you have the roof manufacturer’s color name, include it when you ask for an estimate.

Are snow clips and gutter guards the same thing?

Snow clips sit on the roof and help hold snow. Gutter guards cover the gutter opening to help keep out leaves and pine needles. If your gutters clog in the fall and pull loose after a snow slide in winter, those are two problems to look at. See our gutter guard installation page for debris protection options.

How do snow guards attach to a metal roof?

Snow guards attach either to a compatible roof seam or through the metal panel into suitable framing or backing, depending on the system. When you compare estimates, ask what the guards will attach to and how the installer knows the hardware fits your roof.

Can snow guards clamp onto my standing seam roof?

Snow guards can clamp onto a standing seam roof when the clamp fits that particular seam and the system is suitable for the roof assembly. A compatible clamp grips the raised joint where the panels meet without drilling through the panel. The shape of the seam matters. We identify the panel before choosing the hardware.

Where do snow clips attach on a screw-down metal roof?

On a screw-down metal roof, some clips fasten through the panel into framing or backing underneath. The roof assembly and the manufacturer’s instructions determine what the screws need to reach and how the fastener holes are sealed. Snow Defender publishes separate instructions for its standing seam model and its exposed fastener model.

Where should snow guards go on a metal roof?

Snow guard placement depends on the roof area that feeds snow toward the edge you want to protect. I look at the full slope above that edge, where the system can attach, and whether a higher roof sheds onto it.

Can I put snow guards just above my front door?

A short row of snow guards above a front door can end up holding snow from a wider part of the roof than the doorway. Snow above and to the sides can put extra force on the clips or brackets at each end of the row. If the front steps are the problem, the layout still has to account for the roof area that sends snow toward them. See Rocky Mountain Snow Guards’ guidance on short rows above doors and garages.

Do I need snow guards on both my upper and lower roofs?

If your upper roof drops snow onto a porch or garage roof, both levels need a look. You may see a bent garage gutter even though the snow started a story higher. Before deciding which roof needs guards, I check where the snow starts moving, what it hits first, and where it ends up.

Will bigger gutters hold up better when snow slides off my roof?

Bigger gutters give rain and meltwater more room to flow when the outlets and downspouts are sized to match. A sheet of snow hitting the gutter puts force on the gutter, the hangers, and the board behind them. If your gutters overflow in summer and pull loose in winter, we look at the water flow and the snow coming off the roof. See our guide to the best gutters for heavy rain in New England.

What helps support gutters through a New Hampshire winter?

Sound fascia and properly spaced hangers give the gutter support along the run. On our seamless gutter installations, we use heavy-duty Raytec hidden hangers and space them close together for support. We check the fascia, the board behind the gutter, because the fasteners need something sound to hold onto.

Where we use Alu-Rex T-Rex, its continuous hanger supports the gutter along the run and the perforated top helps keep debris out. If sheets of snow are hitting the gutter, we also look at the roof above it to see whether snow guards make sense.

What did we install in Milton and Lebanon, NH?

How did we handle heavy rain and sliding snow in Milton?

The owner in Milton had two problems along the same roof edge. Heavy rain came off the long metal overhang fast enough to cause drainage problems around the building. In winter, that roof also shed heavy snow along the edge where the new gutters needed to go.

We cut back the metal roof edge to fit 7-inch high-flow box gutters and connected the downspouts to the building’s existing underground drainage system. The owner wanted high-gloss black, so we custom painted the gutters. See our commercial gutter installation page for more on systems for large roofs.

How we fastened Snow Defender guards into the roof beams

We installed Snow Defender snow guards to help hold snow on the roof above the new gutters. On this building, the guards had to fasten through the metal panels into the structural beams below. We laid out the guards around where the fasteners needed to land.

What do the Lebanon snow clip photos show?

On a separate job in Lebanon, NH, we installed individual snow clips on a metal roof. The photos show what those clips look like on the panels. If you’re comparing them to your own roof, a close photo helps us see the panel shape. A wide shot shows the slope, what’s below the edge, and whether another roof sheds onto it.

What should I know before buying snow guards?

Can I add snow clips to a metal roof I already have?

You can add snow clips to many existing metal roofs. We first check the condition of the roof, identify the panels, and find out what the guards can attach to. If you have the original roofing invoice, the manufacturer and panel name can help us identify compatible hardware.

How many snow clips do I need on my roof?

The number of snow clips depends on the pitch, the distance from the ridge to the lower edge, the design snow load, and what the system and its attachments can hold. Two garages can have gutters of the same length and still need different layouts because one has a longer roof slope above it. If two quotes call for different numbers of clips, ask how each installer sized the layout.

Will snow guards stop ice dams on my metal roof?

Snow guards help control sliding snow. Ice dams form when snow melts higher on the roof and the water refreezes at a colder edge. If water gets inside during a thaw, have the roof and attic checked for heat loss, including air leaks and gaps in insulation. See the University of Minnesota Extension’s guide to ice dams.

Do I need heat cables if my gutters and downspouts freeze?

Heat cables can help when meltwater keeps freezing in the gutters or downspouts. They help keep a path open for meltwater to drain while snow guards help hold snow on the roof. We used heat cables in the gutters and downspouts on this gambrel home in Derry, NH.

Can you repair gutters that snow pulled loose?

We can often repair gutters that snow pulled loose if the gutter and the fascia are still sound. I check whether the hangers pulled out, whether the gutter bent, and whether the fascia can still hold fasteners. That tells us if we can rehang it or need to replace part of the run. See our guide to gutter repair in Manchester, NH for more on what can be repaired.

What should I send for a snow guard estimate?

Send your town, a wide photo of the roof from the ground, and a short description of where the snow lands. If you have a photo of a damaged gutter or a pile blocking the door, send that too. Include the roof panel name if you have it.

What should I check before installing snow guards in New Hampshire?

• Where does the snow land? Start with the steps, driveway, gutters, or lower roof you’re having trouble with.
• Which roof does it come from? Check whether a higher roof sheds onto the area that keeps getting hit.
• What will the guards attach to? Ask your installer what supports the guards and how the layout was sized.
• What happens during a thaw? Tell us if your gutters or downspouts freeze or if meltwater refreezes across a walkway.
• Can the gutter be repaired? We can check the hangers, fascia, and gutter before recommending a repair or replacement.

New England Gutter Systems is a family-owned New Hampshire gutter company. Our gutter installations come with a lifetime labor warranty. For a free estimate, call 603-410-9719 and tell us where the snow comes off and what it’s hitting.