Isn’t it funny how once you learn something new or are exposed to something fresh and different, that you start to notice that particular fact or thing or word in places that you never previously considered? Yesterday one of our friends who just recently learned about what we do at Sno Shield, e-mailed us this picture (below) of sliding ice and snow outside his window, with a caption along the lines of “saw this and thought of you.” We’ve had employees in the past too who had started to notice the same kinds of snow and ice dangers on roofs on just about every street they passed after starting working for us.

The need to be exposed to new ideas, ways, or facts of life is a great one for all of humanity, regardless of our natural or biased tendencies and preferences. Forcing ourselves to work outside of our comfort zone or to learn about something new and foreign expedites the life-learning process for us and leaves us better prepared for whatever the future has in store for us. As Pasteur’s famous tenet states, “chance favors the prepared mind,” and learning or seeking for new experiences very much sets the stage for that prepared state.

As the Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis, wrote, we often see life like we are “looking through a glass darkly”–our perspectives are always skewed somewhat by the experiences we have had rather than the ones we haven’t. Thus, it can be easier for third parties to spot our ignorance even when we think we are being objective or unbiased. As such, breaking out of our socially constructed bubbles requires we try something new, that we associate with a new group of people, or at least hear them out and seek to understand where they are coming from. Be it our workplace, hobbies, communities, religion, or ideologies, all of our cultural paradigms have restrictions that prevent us from truly understanding the truth of the matter, whether it is the answer to the purpose of life, the answer to the best tax rate, or the answer to how many snow guards one should buy.

Life and its proclivities are far too complex to be answered by one mind, so take Plato’s advice and do what you can today to break out of your cave, and you might find that you find something new outside your window.

Here in the rocky mountains we have some of the best snow on earth. Long before the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City, skiers and snowboarders were coming from all around the world to enjoy our mountains and our fresh snow. As we were browsing around on youtube this morning to see if we could find any product videos on snow railing, we instead only found a bunch of gnarly clips of pro snow boarders pulling off sweet rail slides and thought that they would at least be sharing! As for rail gliding on our rail guard product, while we know it can withstand the force and pressure, we wouldn’t recommend surfing too hard on anyone’s roof–for your sake as well as theirs!

SLIDE ON OUR RAILS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

We love snow because it gives us great business, but you can’t beat a bit of warm sunshine to brighten up your day. For some folks in various parts of the country or world who live through a distinct snowy and a distinct sunny season each year, protecting roofed solar panels is something that can easily be omitted when thinking about seasonal roof protection.

The good news is that most conventional solar panel types are completely compatible with out panel guard and/or railing systems. Of course, given the slickness of glass or plastic surfaces against tile or metal roofs, the liability of avalanching snow falling is even greater than normal. In most cases, using a peel back adhesive panel guard and/or SB-190 sealant to secure your Sno Shield panel guard will be the most effective option for avalanche retention on your solar panels.

Given the nature of the glass panel materials, solar panels tend to conduct heat much more efficiently, thus melting the snow quicker than standard roofs, which is great because it clears the panels so they can start taking in more sunlight; however on that same token, snow retention is less stable and dangerous avalanches more likely.

In addition to protecting your property however, adding panel guards to your solar panel system may have added benefits beyond standard snow protection… the greater surface area and reflective material of the clear guard can magnify the sun’s rays and energy potential! Although originally designed to provide an efficient but sturdy surface area to dissipate the snow load, our panel guard’s unique (and aesthetic!) triangular design also provides an enhanced area for light absorption. While more of our own scientific tests would be needed to certify this characteristic, this British study on solar panel efficiency affirms the positive effect of reflective materials being used to increase solar panel output!

Here at Sno Shield we love the outdoors, but when we’re indoors we like to be sure our shelter is warm and well protected. It is little wonder then that we are big fans of British ex-SAS survival guru Bear Grylls. Like us, when he is out and about in snow country he likes to be sure that his shelter will protect him from the brutal elements and snow avalanches that are common in any cold winter season. But who’d have thought that you could use snow to build a reliable temporary shelter against snow itself!

While our snow-shelter building experience is limited, our knowledge of roof types and snow guards is second to none… when it comes to shielding your shelter from the snow, we know how our snow guards can help you preserve that ever so valuable roof over your head!

For those of us living in snow country, these last few days have reminded us all of the need to protect ourselves from this great white element. Driving to work yesterday reminded us of this amusing (below), but sobering video taken in Bountiful, Utah, about the same time last year; within the space of just a few minutes there are several crashes, 360s, cars in yards, and other white-nuckle rides that occur on one short strip of residential road.

But for roofers and folks like us in the snow guard industry, the words “sliding snow” mean something quite different altogether… rather than cars sliding on roads, the term to us conveys snow gradually sliding over time on roof surfaces to form some pretty cool-looking, but dangerous and damaging sculptures like in the images below. When large build-ups occur without being managed by controlled snow guard or melting systems, massive avalanches can end up crashing down to destroy not just roof structures, but people, plants, vehicles, and other valuable property. If you are seeing any thing like the picture below, or the beginning of such with snow and ice forming over the edge of the eave, then installing snow guards could end up saving your life!

If you woke up in SE Idaho today, the image below probably isn’t too dissimilar to what you witnessed as you prepared to go out to work this morning! This image was posted by iJump, Southeast Idaho’s Indoor Trampoline Park. Go to their facebook page to comment on the picture, and know that the best caption will win a free VIP Jump pass!

As much as snow for us means good business, do be sure to drive safely in these snow blizzard conditions… make sure your headlights are turned on, and be sure to indicate when you intend to change lanes! We saw a few accidents on the roads this morning due to folks not letting other drivers know where they were, and where they were trying to navigate to!

Whether producing and selling snow guards, ice sculpting, or snow shovelling, there really is no business like snow business!

There are few things as “manly” or as testosterone-filled as working in the roofing trade, and certainly fewer satisfying experiences than seeing your constructed roof hold up and perform over the years of weathering nature’s storms. Mankind has always sought a “roof over the head” for shelter, privacy, and protection from the elements.Given this precedent to the industry, cheaping out on roofing solutions is certainly not a good idea, whether it’s the construction, maintenance, or liability protection aspects of your roof, you need to make sure you are *covered!*

Unless you are Bear Grylls or hanging out as a wilderness survivor, snow guards and a well formed roof should be a *top* priority!

As a final word of wisdom from Highlander when considering your roof protection needs… DON’T LOSE YOUR HEAD!

Several years ago in college I was in an international politics class where we were discussing the topic of “soft security” (i.e. not military or economic “hard” security matters); the subset of health security fell under this discussion, and we proceeded to list a range of health issues in the various countries we were assigned to study. Malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, cholera, and other diseases were commonly suggested, at which point the professor stopped and exclaimed “what about accidental death?… wouldn’t you agree that dying is a pretty severe health issue?!”

He went on to explain that many developing countries have much higher rates of accidental/premature death because (useful) bureaucratic structures, safety standards, and best practices are not made, held, or enforced (e.g. perhaps due to weak rule of law). This certainly made us all think about “health” in a very different and broader light–potholes along Main Street, overgrown trees, and even high fructose corn syrup started to then enter the discussion, and we realized that here in the West we have a fair amount of health hazards and safety issues that have very little to do with traditional disease and medication!

So, what does this have to do with snow guards? Well, as you watch the two clips below of snow avalanches in Scotland on both a residential and commercial property (no snow guards), you can see how being caught underneath one would be very bad for your health! Of course, over-regulation is not the answer to securitzing health for the masses, but an attitude of foresight and due diligence among the masses is. Make sure you are the one to use common sense in assessing your roof safety needs, and don’t get “caught under the weather” this winter season!