Snow Guard Roof Spacing

How Snow Guards Work

• Snow guards are evenly spaced across your roof to support the weight of the snow, rather than letting the snow slide off your roof. As snow accumulates, the weight combined with gravity will force the snow off the roof, damaging anything in its path. Snow guards attach to the roof with adhesives and screws to hold them in place. The guards distribute the weight of the snow evenly across the roof to avoid roof avalanches.

Determining Your Roof Slope

• The slope of your roof is determined by how many inches your roof slopes down from the top of the roof every 12 inches. For example a 2/12 slope is 2 inches lower than the ridge, or top of the roof, when measured 12 inches down from the ridge. Each additional 12 inch measurement would be 2 inches lower than the previous measurement. Place one end of a 12 inch box beam level against the ridge line and hold it level. Measure the distance from the opposite end of the level down to your roof surface to obtain the slope measurement for your roof.

Universal Guard Spacing

• Space the universal guards on a zero to 2/12 sloped roof every 12 inches on center. You must install a row of guards for every 50 feet of space between the eve of the roof and the ridge. Stagger the guards on the roof so each row of guards are not directly above the previous row, but rather to the left or right of the previous guard. A roof with a 3/12 to 6/12 slope requires a row of guards, 12 inches on center, every 25 feet and staggered as done on the 2/12 slope. For slopes greater than 6/12, install a row of guards every 12 feet, 12 inches on center. Do not stagger the guards on this slope, but rather place the guards in a straight line from eve to ridge.

Standing Seam Spacing

• The standing seam guard runs the entire length of your roof and attaches to the seams along your metal roof. Your first guard attaches about 2 feet above the even line on every roof slope. Attach the second row 50 feet above the first row on roof slopes from zero to 2/12. Attach a row every 25 feet for roof slopes of 3/12 to 6/12, and every 12 feet for slopes greater that 6/12.

Spacing Guards on Slate and Wood Shingle Roofs

• Install a guard on your wood shingle roof every 24 inches on center. Start your first row between 12 and 18 inches from the eve line. Install an addition row every 24 inches above the previous row, staggering the guards so one guard is not sitting directly above the one on the previous row. Slate roofs with slopes between zero to 2/12 require a row every 50 feet above the previous row. Slopes of 3/12 to 6/12 require a horizontal row every 25 feet and slate roof slopes greater than 6/12 require a row every 12 feet above the previous row.