One of the prerequisites for the construction of any roof, including soft, is its safety. Therefore, during installation, it is necessary to provide for the installation of elements such as snow retainers for a soft roof.
A snow blower is an important element for ensuring safety, the main function of which is to prevent the general, avalanche-like descent of snow and ice during the period of thaws and spring snowmelt.
The lack of snow retention on the roof threatens with serious consequences, among them:
- Threat to the life of people passing near the house;
- The risk of damage to property left at home, for example, a fallen layer of ice can damage a car;
- Damage to plants planted near the house;
- Damage roof frame, roofing;
- Breakage or deformation of the structures of the drain.
Features of snow retention on a soft roof
The structure of the roof and the organization of snow retention on a soft roof has its own characteristics compared to the same activities carried out on a metal roof.
According to the norms adopted in construction, the maximum slope angle allowed when installing a soft roof should not exceed 15 degrees.
That is, the roof turns out to be quite gentle, and the risk of an avalanche of snow is not so great. Therefore, it is possible to use less powerful installations for snow retention.
The second feature is that the soft roof coating has a rough surface, because the top layer of the roofing material consists of stone chips. This condition also reduces the risk of snow mass sliding off the roof.
The third feature is that when installing snow retainers, it is not necessary to make major changes to the design of the lathing, as is necessary in the case of a metal roof.
The fact is that a solid base is mounted under the installation of a soft roof, to which snow retainers are attached.
Types of snow retainers
There are several types of snow retainers that are mounted on the roof. When choosing the type of device, the planned snow load, as well as the type of roofing, are taken into account.
- Tubular snow retainers. They are an almost universal model, however, they are more often used on roofs made of metal or seam roofs. With a large snow load, it is advisable to install such devices in several rows.
- Lattice snow guards. These devices are intended primarily for high-rise buildings, but they can also be used in the construction of cottages, especially for roof tiles.
- Spot snow guards. Devices used where the snow load is low. Can be used on soft roofs, installing them in a checkerboard pattern.
- Lamellar snow retainers. These are metal structures installed on roofs with a slope angle of less than 30 degrees.
- Corner snow guards. Inexpensive devices that can be used with light snow loads.
Installation of snow retainers on a soft roof
As a rule, the installation of snow retainers is carried out simultaneously with roofing work. If this was not done in a timely manner, then it is possible to install snow retention devices already on the finished coating.
Snow guards are installed, placing them parallel to the eaves, stepping back from the edge of the roof by about 350-500 mm. The method of fixing devices depends on their type. So, tubular snow retainers are mounted in one line, and corner or point ones are installed in a checkerboard pattern.
If a large amount of snow falls in the region where construction is being carried out, and the roof slopes are long enough, then snow retainers should be installed in two rows with an interval of 5-5.5 meters between them.
With a slight snow load, it is possible not to install devices around the entire perimeter of the building, but to strengthen them in the most dangerous places - above the entrance, near the paths, above the windows, at the parking lot, etc.
If you plan to install tubular models, then, as a rule, they are sold complete with mounts. The installation of such a snow retainer is carried out by fastening with screws to the crate through the roofing.
Advice! Tubular snow retainers are installed along the line of the bearing wall to balance the load on the roof.
The distance between two adjacent fasteners should be 0.6 - 1.1 meters. Holes made in the roofing for screws must be sealed with rubber strips (seals are included in the fastening kit).
For soft roofs, snow stoppers or point snow retainers are more often used. This device is a narrow strip of steel, which is bent at the end in the form of a triangle. For the manufacture of snow stoppers, either galvanized steel or powder-coated metal is used.
Installation is best done during the laying of the roofing material, screwing the snow stoppers to the base and covering the place of its attachment with the next sheet of roofing material.
If a snow retainer for a soft roof is attached to an already finished roof, rubber seals must be used.This will avoid leaks in the mounting area.
Additional measures to protect the roof from the destructive effects of snow and ice
To protect the roofing and other roofing elements, it is necessary to additionally resort to manual cleaning of the roof surface from adhering ice and snow. To do this, use shovels and picks.
To clear the snow, it is better to use wooden tools, but if you need to break off the ice, you have to resort to the help of ice axes or similar devices. However, when working with these tools, you need to be very careful not to damage the roofing with your actions.
It is necessary to clean from snow and adhering ice not only the roofing itself, but also snow retainers, since frost accumulates on these devices, which prevents normal snow from falling.
thus, if our recommendations are followed.
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