Polycarbonate snow guards are amazingly simple, remarkably effective and incredibly strong, with over three decades of field experience to prove it!

When someone mentions snow retention I think of my dad, the late Jack McMullen. A graduate from Duquesne University and a builder since 1965, he specialized in sales and erection of Clear Span Metal Buildings. During that period he saw a lot of damaged gutters, cars & landscaping caused by sliding snow and ice. Early on he recognized the need for a safe, effective product that would not rust and get brittle in the cold and when he could not find one, he invented one. In 1976, he invented the very first, clear, polycarbonate snow guard, called the Snojax I and in 1979, he was granted a U.S. Patent for the first clear, plastic injection molded “corrosion proof snow guard”.

Our Mission :

Now that you know WHO we are, we would like to take the time to tell you WHY we are the leading supplier of plastic snow guards. With so many new snow guard companies flooding the marketplace, choosing a qualified supplier can be difficult. There are several important factors to consider when selecting the proper snow guard for metal roofing applications. The most important features to consider are the height, width and shape of a snow guard or rail system. This determines its ability to hold back layers of heavy ice and snow. A pad style guard should have a flat, forward mounted face that measures at least 3 inches across and stands no less than 2.5 inches high. It must be mounted in the lowest portion of the roofing panel where the snow and ice actually moves, not on a high seam above the problem area. Snow guards mounted on a high seam will cease to be effective once the snow and ice compacts on the panel and becomes lower than the guard. A bar or rail system should always have a flat face or square tube with a clamp mounted on every seam. This system also requires an ice stopper at least 3 inches wide, mounted perpendicular to the panel flat in order to be effective. Installing the correct type of ice stopping device is the key to keeping the snow and ice from going under and over the bar.

The preferred method of attachment imposing the least risk of panel damage on a standing seam floating panel roof is the adhesive mounted pad style snow guard. This mounting method does not restrict the natural thermal expansion and contraction process of floating metal roof panels and in the event of severe snow drifting conditions, it provides a release feature that eliminates the possibility of panel damage. It is very important to remember that crimp on guards or rails have no release aspect and panel damage could occur if snow loads exceed the design capabilities of the clamp. Therefore, these systems are generally more expensive and pose a risk of panel damage if under designed and should always be installed in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations!

Another noteworthy consideration is the type of material from which the snow guard is made. Clear polycarbonate is virtually invisible and will not create corrosive galvanic reactions caused by dissimilar metals exposed to outdoor elements. Unlike metal snow guards, the polycarbonate used to make all of our snow guards has an ASTM Brittleness temperature rating of 150° below zero. Because all plastics do not maintain the same characteristics when exposed to various weather conditions, the consumer should only consider using a product made from a virgin grade, UV stabilized, prime polycarbonate material. Our company uses 

the same type of polycarbonate, approved by NASA, and is used to make astronaut face masks.

Something else to consider, clear pad style snow guards are far less noticeable on a roof than colored ones. A color matched snow guard will act as a sundial and cast a conspicuous shadow. Think about this scenario, a person is standing in front of a building and is looking up at the roof. What do they see? They observe all the protruding objects that don’t blend with the sky, including nontransparent snow retention systems. Clear snow guards unify with the skyline and in most cases, are almost undetectable.

The most common snow retention problem that we encounter is misapplication. We have found that some newer snow guard companies, many of which are in fields unrelated to the industry and are in this business for a quick sale and are very eager to tell customers that a single row of guards along the eave will suffice. To top it off, some even suggest using untested sealants and tapes that have no UV resistance. Then there are others claiming that there is a new “miracle” cold weather adhesive. We know, for a fact, that the manufacturer of this product discourages selling this sealant for adhesive mounting of snow guards in the winter – we know this because it is made by the same manufacturer that makes our recommended adhesive and if there was such a product that worked, we would know it. The deceptive tactics used by others in relation to testing of snow guards is extremely disturbing to us. Many are using the tensile strength ratings of the plastics and or adhesives for misleading information about the holding strength of their guards. We have had the holding strength of our snow guards and adhesive professionally tested by the internationally renowned ATI Testing Lab, and proudly publish these findings in our literature and our website. We feel that these tests along with over 30 years of field experience enable us to accurately design a layout for a snow retention system that will work in any situation.With so many choices on the market, it is safe to say that there is not one type of snow retention system that is perfect for every application. Some types of metal roofing do not have the proper seam height and are not structurally suitable for use with a clamp down system. While it is always harmless to the panel to use an adhesive mounted system, weather conditions are not always ideal for proper installation. We have designed an on-line estimator program that will hopefully help set the industry standard and will help the end user determine how many guards should be placed on a particular project. Additionally, we are soon releasing an on-line lay out program, free for registered users of our website. This program features a user friendly interface which allows the end-user to input basic variables which allows the program to generate an easy to follow placement guide. When it really comes down to it, choosing an experiencedsupplier and following their instructions and spacing recommendations is the key to a successful snow guard installation.