The short answer
Both, and you get to choose. A smooth metal roof will let go of its snow all at once if nothing is holding it. Add properly planned snow guards for metal shingles and the snow stays where it fell, then melts away quietly.
That choice matters more than most people expect. A roof that dumps is a hazard for everything under the eaves: landscaping, cars, pets, people. If you are planning a metal shingle roof anywhere that sees real winter, snow retention belongs in the design from the first sketch.
What the Alps figured out
Drive through the Alps and you will see old farmhouses with large rocks, and sometimes logs, set along the roof. It looks like charm. It is engineering. Those builders had mountains of snow, few resources and no wish to be buried at their own front door, so they found a way to keep the snow where it landed.
Why keep it at all? Fresh snow is mostly air, and trapped air insulates. A blanket of snow on the roof helps the house hold its heat. Snow that stays put also melts gradually, and it does not scrape the roof or tear at the gutters on its way down.
Good luck getting rocks and logs past your building inspector. The principle still holds, though, and a well placed rock does a better job than some of the snow guards sold today.
Where snow guards for metal shingles go wrong
Most failures come down to two things: the hardware and the layout.
- Hardware that hurts the roof. Many snow guards pinch, poke, bend or penetrate the metal they sit on. Now the part meant to protect the roof is the part damaging it.
- Layout by guesswork. Too few guards for the slope and the snow load, and they are overwhelmed in the first hard winter. Too many, and you have paid for metal you did not need.
Every roof is different. Pitch, the length of the slope, the local snow load and what sits under the eave all change the answer. That is why off-the-shelf advice causes so much frustration.
Snow guards for metal shingles, made for our diamonds
Our diamond metal shingles have their own snow hooks, built to work with the shingle system instead of being clamped on afterward. They are German engineered and TÜV certified, the same hardware used in the high Alps, where the winters are harsh and the testing is harsher.
What that means for your roof:
- No damage to the roof. The hooks are part of the system, so nothing pinches or pierces the finished surface.
- A layout planned for your building. We work out how many hooks you need and where they go, so the system holds and you do not overspend.
- A color match. In most cases we can match the hooks to the roof, so they disappear into the pattern.
- Answers for hard shapes. Steep pitches, turrets and curved roofs all have solutions.
You can see hooks on finished roofs in our metal shingle gallery.
The honest part about ice dams
A metal roof helps with ice dams. It does not cure them. Ice dams start when heat leaks up through the roof, melts the snow from underneath, and the water refreezes at the cold eave.
The fix for that lives below the roof: insulation, air sealing and ventilation. Holding snow on the roof is a good idea over a well insulated building. Over a leaky one, it is the insulation that needs attention first.
The Metal Roofing Alliance gives the same advice: without enough insulation, any roof can form ice dams, metal included.
So if you grow icicles the size of fence posts every winter, tell us. We would sooner say so up front than sell you a roof and let you find out in January.
Frequently asked questions
Do metal shingles need snow guards?
In any area with regular snowfall, yes. Without them, snow can slide off a metal roof all at once and land on whatever is below.
How many snow guards does a metal shingle roof need?
It depends on the roof pitch, the length of the slope and the local snow load. We work out the number and the layout for each building.
Do snow guards cause ice dams?
No. Ice dams come from heat escaping through the roof. Good insulation, air sealing and ventilation prevent them.
Can snow guards match the color of the roof?
In most cases, yes. We can color match the snow hooks to your metal shingles.
Planning a roof for snow country?
Send us four things and we can tell you what your roof needs:
- Where the building is
- The roof pitch, or a set of plans
- Photos, if the building already exists
- What sits under the eaves: doors, walkways, driveways, decks
Contact Spengler Industries and we will plan the snow guards for metal shingles that your building needs, so the roof keeps its snow and everyone below it stays safe.