Standing seam and other metal coverings, with snow guards planned for the places where sliding snow would do harm.
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Metal roofing sheds snow quickly on a steep slope, which is useful where snow should come off and a hazard above doors and walks. Snow guards hold the snow back at the eave. A technician plans the guards, the metal for the flashing and gutters, and the structure beneath before the new roof goes on.
Metal is a different kind of covering from asphalt or slate, and it behaves differently in snow. A smooth metal panel, especially a standing seam, has little grip, so snow that has settled on it can slide in one piece once it softens or the sun reaches it.
Metal also brings its own rules about the other metals on the building. Gutters, flashing and fasteners have to be chosen to match, because the wrong pairing corrodes at the joint.
A technician planning a metal roof works through the snow, the metal and the structure in that order. Snow is considered first, because the guards are part of the design rather than an afterthought.
Do not stand below a steep metal roof in snow season, and keep walks, doors and parked vehicles clear of the drop zone. Do not climb onto a metal roof to clear snow, since panels are slippery and edges can be sharp. Do not use metal shovels or tools on the panels, because they can scratch the coating and damage the seams. A technician working on the roof uses fall protection and the correct access.
The technician looks at where snow would fall from each slope and what lies beneath. Doors, walks, driveways, parked cars and neighbouring property are marked as drop zones. The steepest slopes are identified, because the guards are placed according to that risk, and the drop zones shape the design more than the roof does.
The metal is chosen for the building, the pitch and the flashing and gutters it will meet. A standing seam profile is a common choice on a steep slope, and panel thickness and seam height are set to suit the snow load the roof must carry. The technician explains the metal family, so the flashing and gutters can be matched.
Snow guards are placed in rows across the slope, spaced to hold snow back in a layer rather than letting it slide in a sheet. Their positions are set by the drop zones, and each guard is fixed through the metal to the structure beneath, not only to the panel. The layout is checked against the pitch and the snow the drop zone can take.
The deck and framing are checked for the load the metal and guards will add, and for signs of movement or softness. The state's guidance says the code sets a town-by-town ground snow load and that the building department confirms the figure for an address, so the technician asks the department before the design is finalised.
Panels are installed with fasteners and clips suited to the metal, and seams are formed to the manufacturer's method. Flashing and gutters are matched to the same metal family where possible. The finished design, including the guard layout and drop zones, is recorded so the owner can maintain the guards after the first winter.
Yes, on a steep slope. A smooth metal surface has little grip, so snow slides once it softens or the sun reaches it. That is useful where snow should come off, and a hazard where it would land on people, walks or vehicles.
The effect depends on pitch, surface and the amount of snow. A shallow slope holds snow on the metal, while a steep one can release it in a sheet, sometimes with a sudden sound.
The benefit is real, but it is safe only where the snow has a clear and empty space to land. That is why guards and drop zones are part of the planning from the start.
Snow guards are fixed devices that hold snow back in a layer on a metal slope, so it melts or drops gradually rather than sliding off in a sheet. They are placed across the slope where a drop zone lies below.
Guards are usually set in rows, with each row spaced to hold the snow above the one below. A guard must be fixed to the structure beneath, not only to the metal, otherwise the load can pull the panel.
Guards extend across the part of the roof above a door or walk. Where no drop zone exists, fewer guards may be needed, and the technician explains the reasons for the layout in the findings.
No. A metal covering does not stop the heat that melts snow from beneath, which causes most ice dams. Ice dams are a question of attic air sealing, insulation and ventilation, and the covering does not change them.
Ice dams form when heat from the living space warms the roof deck, melting snow that runs down and refreezes at the cold eave. A metal roof may shed the snow faster, but if the deck beneath is warm the snow still melts and water still backs up.
That does not make metal unsuitable. The ice-dam work is done in the attic and at the eave whatever the covering, and the technician says so plainly, so the owner does not expect the metal to solve a problem it does not touch.
Different metals in contact corrode at the joint, a process called galvanic corrosion. The Park Service advises using one metal family across flashing and gutters, which keeps the joints from failing early.
When two dissimilar metals touch in the presence of water, one corrodes faster than it would alone. The white or powdery corrosion at a joint is often the first sign.
On older houses, slate and older metal details are common, and a new covering has to be chosen with them in mind. A copper flashing beside a steel covering, or a galvanized gutter against copper, will corrode at the contact point.
The metal type and profile, roof area and pitch, the number and layout of snow guards, any structural work and access all move the price. The price is confirmed on site and explained and approved before work starts, and no figure is given.
Snow retention adds its own work. The guards, their anchors and their layout take time to design and install correctly, and a steep roof over a busy walk needs more of them than one over a quiet side yard.
The structure can change the scope. If the deck or framing needs work to carry the covering and guards, that work is described before the covering is chosen, so the owner is not surprised by a repair found beneath the old roof.
Used on steep slopes where the owner wants a long, clean line and a covering that sheds snow and water readily. The panels are fixed through clips so they can move with temperature changes. Standing seam suits a steep roof well, and it calls for snow guards wherever a drop zone lies below. The seam and clip details are checked at the flashing to keep the joints sound.
Used where the owner wants the look of a traditional covering in a smaller format. The pieces are fixed like shingles and the joints are lapped rather than seamed. They can shed snow differently from a continuous panel, so the guard layout is planned for the actual surface. The flashing detail has to match the house, and the junctions are checked before the first course is laid.
Used where a new metal covering goes over an existing one, which saves stripping the old layer. The deck beneath must be sound, and the existing layers must be assessed, since the added weight and any trapped moisture both matter. The technician checks what the building official requires. The decision is made with the layers counted and the deck inspected, not on the assumption that a new layer is acceptable.
Wherever a metal roof is steep, the snow it sheds needs somewhere safe to land. In the city, narrow side yards and close neighbours mean a steep roof can drop snow onto someone else's property, and sliding snow above entrances and porches is the particular concern on multi-family buildings.
The valley's hill towns and their steep roofs carry the same question on a larger scale. A metal covering can shed snow well, which is useful, but guards are needed wherever the snow would land on a walk or a driveway.
The valley's older buildings, including the Victorian houses of McKnight, can carry slate and older metal details. A new metal covering on one of them is planned with the historic district review in mind, because exterior changes in a local district need the Historical Commission's approval before they begin.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Repair of the metal at valleys, dormers, ells and wall joints, where most leaks on additions and older houses begin.
Gutter and downspout installation and repair on Springfield homes, set up to drain meltwater before winter ice builds at the eaves.
Slate repair on Victorian roofs, where corroded nails and failed flashing cause most losses and repair usually beats replacement.
Which Springfield roofs carry the most snow risk, how to clear a roof safely, and the signs that mean leave.
Flat and low-pitched roofs are the most at risk from snow and ice.
It can, if the roof is steep and the door sits below the slope. The technician identifies the drop zones and places snow guards so the snow is held back in a layer rather than sliding in a sheet. Where a door or walk is directly below, the guards are extended across that part of the roof.
They take care rather than difficulty. The guards must be fixed through the metal into the structure beneath, and the anchors must be checked against the deck. A guard screwed only into the panel can pull out in heavy snow, so the technician confirms the anchors before the guards are set.
This page does not give a lifespan in years for any covering, because the figures available come from commercial sources. Durability depends on the metal, the coating, the fasteners and the flashing, and the technician describes the specific choice and its maintenance needs.
It can in some cases, but the existing layers and the deck beneath must be assessed first. The added weight and any trapped moisture both matter. The technician counts the layers, inspects the deck and confirms with the building official whether the existing covering can carry the new one.
It can be, because the panel carries sound, especially over an unlined deck. Underlayment, the deck and the attic space all reduce it. The technician can describe the expected sound for the chosen profile and the building's construction.
Dissimilar metals in contact corrode at the joint, especially where water is present. The Park Service advises using one metal family across the flashing and gutters for that reason. The technician matches the metals at each junction so that the joints last as long as the covering.