If you are anything like me, you just passed Christmas and said, "Whoa! Where did the time go?"

Judging by my last blog post (July...) you can see that time has flown past me. The other day I saw one of my friends lugging around some "A-Frame" plant protectors. I couldn't help but ask him, "What are you doing?" He told me that he was protecting his plants from snow sliding off of his roof. Long story short, he is installing some Sno Shield snow guards to protect his plants and won't be hauling those things in and out every winter and spring.

This got me to thinking that I need to share with the web some ideas about gardening. Gardening is something I really enjoy, but this time of year, not many people who live in cold climates are thinking about gardening considering the amount of white stuff covering the ground. If you are a true gardening enthusiast though, you are always thinking about what you can do to make your trees and shrubs look the best. Snow itself will typically not cause much damage to your plants and shrubs. In fact, snow can act as an insulator the same way mulch does and is one of the best protectors of plants during the winter. There are a few things you may want to consider when snow comes your way and you want to protect your plants and shrubs.

When heavy snow falls happen, branches that normally have some bend can and will break in the winter if they are frozen and get too much of a snow load. Sometimes it is best not to remove this snow as you may cause further damage by breaking more branches than the snow itself. If you are expecting a large snow storm, proclaim yourself a snow guard and periodically shake the snow off of the branches during the storm before snow loads build up and become too heavy.

Another way snow may damage your plants and shrubs is when snow slides off of your roof and lands on your plants below. This "avalanche" can crush your plants; you as well if you are not careful. The snow and ice that comes off of a roof is so heavy that it can actually kill someone if it falls on them. When plants are covered by deep, natural snow, (snow blown onto plants does not count as it can actually damage your plants as well) sometimes the plants will be cushioned from the falling snow and ice. However, when they aren't, this is where Sno Shield comes in to the seen.

You really have two options to protect your plants from snow and ice falling from your roof. The first is to build an A-Frame over the plants. These "teepees" are basically a wooden shelter that keeps the snow from hitting the plant. The problem with teepees is that they are burdensome to put out every year, hard to store during the summer, and not very attractive as my friend puts it. The alternative to these teepees is to use snow guards. Snow guards are devices that attach to your roof and keep the snow from sliding off your home on to the plants.

One more thing to keep in mind when protecting your plants during the winter is to make sure that you do not use chemicals that can damage your soil and hurt the roots of your plants to remove snow and ice on your walkways. Avoid putting piles of snow with salt near your plants and your lawn. If you cannot avoid doing so, make sure to use a salt that does not hurt your plants.

Even though there isn’t much green to see outside when snow is around, remember that under all of that white stuff there is a lot of green just waiting to appear and the more you do now to protect it now, the better it will look this coming spring.

I can’t believe that the 4th has already come and gone.  I hope everyone had an enjoyable celebration of our nation’s independence.

Sno Shield is currently updating our web site to include the four new snow retention products we have been developing this past year, please check back frequently to catch a glimpse of our new snow guards and snow rail / fence.

It’s hard to imagine snow guards and snow retention in these hot summer months, but the mad rush is almost upon us. 

Enjoy your summer and stay safe! 

After a long hard winter Sno Shield is happy to announce the first of three new products to be released immediately this month.  After listening to our customers and wholesalers we have developed a smaller version of the Panel Guard.  We call it the SS Mini, and it has all the engineering strength of The Panel Guard, except it was designed for smaller projects with lighter snow loads or odd panel/tile shapes.  We also added the peel and stick installation capability to this product.

As with all of our Polycarbonate products we can color inject any standard color into the material making it near invisible to the observer.  The SS Mini was made to ease the burden of those who experience snow and ice once or twice a year, but really don’t need a fully designed snow retention system for their roof.  We understand just how frustrating it can be to keep climbing a ladder to replace or repair expensive rain gutters.  The SS Mini can even be placed on rain gutter leaf systems that allow ice build up to protrude past the drip zone, and onto you.  We hope you like the light weight design and find multiple applications for the SS Mini. 

Clear SS Mini

Peel and Stick SS Mini

S.S. Mini – Is a mini Panel Guard for smaller jobs and in-between ribs.  Add 1.50 for peel and stick application.

Spring is coming!  Spring is a good time to buy snow guards.  Doing so will allow you to take time to plan and install your Sno Shield snow guards.  Planning early for the installation of your snow guards can save you money.  When you purchase early, our distributors often offer specials.  If you wait till Fall, everyone is in a rush to get their snow guards installed.  Installers will charge a higher fee because of the rush that happens every Fall.  If you purchase them now, you might even be brave enough to just install them yourself saving you lots of money.  Think of how cool it will be at the next block party when you can call yourself a Do It Yourself Snow Guard Guru. 

If you don’t already have snow where you live, chances are it’s on its way! Each year, business and property owners lose money to damage caused by large sheets of snow sliding off their roof and onto vehicles, landscaping, gutters, or—worst of all—pedestrians. Roof snow guards will allow all that snow and ice to melt gradually and prevent uncontrolled slides, and Sno Shield offers the most superior snow guards in the industry.

Sno Shield might be based out of the small town of Ammon, Idaho but their product can be found on roofs from California to Maine. Founded by roofers with 20 years’ experience, Sno Shield is the only manufacturer to offer polycarbonate-metal hybrid roof snow guards. In contrast to other guards that will rust, stain, fade, or become brittle in cold weather, Sno Shield guards can be combined with Color Armor™, allowing them to blend in inconspicuously and match the life of any metal roof. No rust. No staining. No fading. And all for about a third of the cost of traditional, unsightly metal snow fences.

And now Sno Shield is proud to offer their new, all metal snow guards, the Metal Mini. These will allow customers with shingle, slate, and shake roofs to enjoy all the benefits of a roof snow guard system.

Sno Shield is available through roofers and gutter installers, metal manufacturers, supply warehouses, and smaller lumber stores. You can find a local dealer here. It’s not too late to get your Sno Shield guards up and enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing your roof and property are cared for this winter, and many, many more to come.

We are getting numerous calls about whether or not the SB-190 will still cure before the snow starts flying.

If you live in a region where you think temperatures will reach 50º F (10º C) for atleast 12 to 14 more days, then go for it.  The days do not need to be continuous days either, they can be spread over a month or two.  These conditions will allow a 90% cure rate which is the most critical factor. 
 
If that is too risky for those of you who want a guarantee, avoid the adhesive with our Rib Guard Snow Guards that attach to the standing seam rib.  They are easy to install any time of year.

Which ever products you choose, please be careful installing them.  We want you to enjoy the upcoming holidays, not be recovering during them.  Sometimes a hired professional isn’t as expensive as one might think.  Enjoy the beautiful fall colors.

Snoshield's Snow Guards were used on a house built by Morris Sato studio in New York.  You can read more about this house at http://www.morrissato.com/YN_13.htm, but here's a couple of photos showing our snow guards in use on the metal roof of a uniquely designed home. 

For a while snow fence and snow rail systems where considered the better option to Snow Guards. Some “experts” even said their products were so much more the superior because they only needed one row to keep snow and ice from sliding off a roof. Lately when I pass by large metal roofs I see rows and rows of these superior products (snow fence systems) and always wonder if the cost of the snow retention system surpassed the roof. I guess those other guys realized something the snow guard industry has known for years. The best way to keep snow and ice from sliding off a roof is to hold it where it falls.

Clamp on snow guards like the Rib Guard by Sno Shield are so much more efficient than a rail / fence system. A row of Rib Guards is one third the cost of expensive snow rail / fence systems. The Rib Guard itself is the snow stopping device, so you don’t need a clamp, snow rail, additional bolts, and extra pieces that attach to the bar or pipe to keep snow from coming through the middle. All you need is a clamp on style Rib Guard by Sno Shield and you will have every bit as good of a snow barrier as any rail or fence system.

Rib Guard Snow Guards are installed using stainless steel set screws which trap the metal seam between the wall of the snow guard and the screw. They are easy to install and add curb appeal to your roof. If you want to add a little more color to the device or match your roof, you can order the parts with color injected polycarbonate or use our patented Color Armor System. If you have a standing seam metal roof, then you want to purchase Rib Guards to protect your investment.

One of the most common questions I get asked is this; Do you sell the peel and stick snow guards?  My response to this question is always as follows; I can sell you peel and stick snow guards and then have you call me in one year and tell me that most of your snow guards came off or I can sell you the right way to adhere snow guards to a metal roof.

If I was installing snow guards I would want to peel them and stick them to the surface as well, who wouldn’t.   However, just because I want a quick solution doesn’t change the fact that peel and stick snow guards just don’t hold as well as properly adhered mount snow guards, or clamp on snow guards.

Yes, they CAN work “theoretically speaking” under the most perfect of circumstances, BUT, if it were my roof, or my warranty, I would want to make sure I had the strongest option possible.

The strongest adhesive I know of is SB-190.  It is the industry standard for adhesive mounted snow guards.   Like any adhesive you must make sure to have both surfaces clean before applying.  There are simple steps to follow for installing adhesive mount snow guards at the following link.

http://www.snoshield.com/infoGuides/Sno_Shield_Installation_Instructions.pdf

I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but if we’re being honest then lets just say it, peel and stick snow guards come off as easily as they go on.  If you want to install a snow guard that will last then install a Sno Shield Snow Guard. 

Well, Spring Time is on its way.  I know those of you in the East aren’t feeling the love yet, but it’s on its way none the less.  Spring Time means that it’s time to put those “to do lists” in the fore front. 

I know some of you now realize you need snow guards to keep snow and ice from sliding off unexpectedly.  Hopefully that realization wasn’t too costly or even worse, painful.  For those of you who need a little help with the layout or design of your snow retention system please give us a call. We would be more than happy to help.  We understand the process of finding the right snow guards can be confusing.

All Clear Sno Shield Snow Guards are in stock, but we tend to get hit hard as soon as the snow melts.  Call us today and we can guarantee your shipment when you want them.

Enjoy the coming warmth and good luck with that golf swing.