The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Hudson Valley
Snow Guards for Metal Roofs in the Hudson Valley
Roof snow guards that keep heavy, wet snow on a metal, slate or steep roof until it melts off in small pieces, instead of letting it slide off in one load onto your gutters, your front steps and anyone standing below.
- Metal, Slate & Steep Roofs
- Planned With Your Gutters
- Written Estimates, Free
The Brothers That Just Do Gutters
Hudson Valley Snow Guards
- Guard matched to the roofing material
- Placed over doors, walks and driveways
- Paired with heated gutters where ice builds
- Honest advice if your roof can skip them
Quick answer
Snow Guards in the Hudson Valley, NY: Snow guards are fixtures mounted in rows across the lower part of a roof. They grip the snowpack and stop it from sliding off all at once, so it leaves the roof gradually as it melts. The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Hudson Valley installs them on metal, slate and steep roofs from Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck to Newburgh and Carmel, placed above the entries, walkways and gutters a sliding load would hit. Call (845) 223-6111 or request a visit online.
Hudson Valley snow rarely comes down light and dry. Nor’easters tend to bring wet, heavy snow that packs onto the roof, freezes overnight and softens again in the sun. On asphalt shingles that pack usually stays where it fell until it melts. On a smooth metal roof, an old slate roof or a very steep pitch, it can break loose as a single slab.
When that slab lets go, the gutter is the first thing in its path. It can bend a run, snap hangers out of the fascia or rip a section off the house, and then keep going onto the front steps, the path to the driveway or the car parked under the eave. Snow guards hold the snow in place so it comes off the roof slowly, as water your seamless gutters can carry away.
Roof snow guards in the Hudson Valley
Do you need snow guards? Roof type, pitch and what sits below the eave
Plenty of Hudson Valley homes never need them. The ones that do usually have a slick roof, a steep pitch or a doorway right under the edge.
Snow leaves a roof in one of two ways. It melts in place and drains through the gutters, or it slides. Sliding starts when the bottom of the snowpack turns to a thin film of water, warmed by the attic below or by sun on the roof above, and the whole layer loses its grip. Metal and slate give it very little to hold on to, so the slide comes fast and all at once.
That combination is common across the region: standing seam metal on farmhouses and newer homes around Woodstock and West Hurley, slate on older houses in Kingston and Beacon, and tall, steep gables on older Victorians in Rhinebeck and Cold Spring. Put any of those over a porch, a side door or a driveway and you have an eave worth protecting.
Which Hudson Valley roofs are good candidates
| Roof | How snow behaves on it | Our usual advice |
|---|---|---|
| Standing seam or other metal roof | Smooth panels let a frozen layer release in one piece | Rows of guards across the lower roof above anything people use, in a material that will not react with the panels |
| Slate | A hard, slick surface, and the slates themselves can crack when a heavy load slides over them | Guards set with care around the slates and flashing, over entries and lower roofs |
| Wood shake or stone tile | More texture, but steep sections can still shed big loads | Guards where a slide would land on a walkway, a deck or a lower roof |
| Asphalt shingle at a normal pitch | The granules usually hold snow until it melts | Usually no guards at all, and we will tell you so and focus on your gutters and hangers |
| Any very steep roof | Gravity wins sooner the steeper the pitch | Guards over doors, paths and parking spots |
Where a sliding load does the most harm
- Over the front door and porch steps, where people stop to stamp off their boots.
- Above a side door or garage door you use every day in January.
- Over a driveway or parking pad where the car sits right under the eave.
- Where an upper roof sheds onto a lower roof, a porch roof or a bump-out with its own gutter.
- Along a long, smooth eave, where a slide could peel the gutter and every hanger off the board.
How snow guards and gutters work together
Snow guards and gutter guards do different jobs, and people often search for one when they mean the other. Snow guards sit on the roof and hold the snowpack. A gutter guard covers the trough and keeps leaves, seeds and needles out of it. In snow country you want both doing their part: the snow held back long enough to melt, and an open gutter waiting for the water.
If you are looking for the best gutter guards for snow, choose one that is fastened down along the whole gutter rather than one that rests loosely on top. We install BroGuard stainless micro-mesh, which is secured along the length of the run and backed by a limited lifetime warranty. With snow guards above it, the mesh is never asked to stop a sliding slab. You can compare the options on our gutter guards page.
Where ice is the bigger worry, especially on a shaded north eave, snow guards pair well with heated gutters. The guards keep the snow up on the roof, and heat cable inside the gutter and downspout keeps that slow melt moving instead of freezing at the edge.
Before the guards go on
- Fix the gutter they protect. A run already bent or pulled loose by last winter is straightened or rehung through our gutter repair service.
- Check the board behind it. Soft wood cannot hold hangers under a snow load, so rotted sections are replaced through our fascia board work.
- Plan for days of meltwater. A guarded roof drains slowly, so every outlet has to stay open. Our gutter sizes page explains when a larger profile helps.
Snow guards sit alongside fascia, drainage and deck ceilings in our exterior solutions, and we plan each one around the gutter it protects.
Metal or slate roof over your front steps? Ask us whether snow guards make sense. Call (845) 223-6111
Plan My Snow GuardsServices
Winter Work That Pairs With Snow Guards
The rest of the roof edge, ready for a Hudson Valley winter.
Self-regulating cable in the gutter and downspout so the slow melt from a guarded roof keeps draining.
Learn more BroGuard Mesh GuardsStainless micro-mesh fastened along the run, keeping maple seeds and oak leaves out before the snow arrives.
Learn more Gutter RepairRuns bent, sagging or torn down by sliding snow, straightened, rehung or replaced.
Learn more Fascia BoardSolid wood behind the gutter so hangers stay put under a heavy winter load.
Learn more Underground DrainageA buried line that carries days of meltwater past the walk, where it would otherwise refreeze.
Learn more Free estimateAsk for a Roof CheckA Solutionist checks the pitch, the roofing and what sits under each eave, then writes down what we would do and the price. If guards are not needed, you will hear that too.
Schedule my visit Prefer the phone? (845) 223-6111How it works
How We Add Snow Guards to a Hudson Valley Roof
- 1Tell us where it slid
Call or book online and point out where snow has come off the roof before.
- 2Look at the roof
We note the roofing material, the pitch and everything below each eave.
- 3Lay out the rows
Guard type and placement are spelled out in your free written estimate.
- 4Install and check the gutter
Guards go on, and the gutter below is checked so the melt has an open path.
Why the Brothers
Why Homeowners From Beacon to Woodstock Call the Brothers
If your asphalt roof will hold its own snow, we will say so and spend the visit on your gutters instead.
We protect the gutter from the slide and make sure it can handle the slow melt that follows.
Guard material is chosen for your roofing, so a fix for sliding snow never turns into a corrosion problem or a cracked slate.
Our local crews work from Page Park Drive in Poughkeepsie, and every estimate is free and in writing.
Year-round
A snow guard year in the Hudson Valley
When to plan, install and check snow guards as the seasons turn.
- Fall · Sep to NovReady before the storms
A gutter cleaning or a maintenance program visit, and guards on the roof before nor’easter season.
- Winter · Dec to FebWatch where it slides
Note where snow comes off and what it lands on. Those spots belong on the guard layout.
- Spring · Mar to MayThaw damage repairs
Runs bent by a late season slide are straightened and rehung once the ice is gone.
- Summer · Jun to AugEasy install months
Dry roofs make summer a good time to add guards, or new gutters under them.
The Work
Hudson Valley Crews at the Roof Edge
Reviews
What Hudson Valley Homeowners Say
“From Bret, who planned the job, to Nick and Ryan, who did the installation, we could not be more pleased. Bret explained our options very clearly. Nick and Ryan showed up on time, worked efficiently, were professional and personable. We highly recommend the Brother Gutters.”
Posted on Google“The lads came when they said they’d come, did what they said they’d do (including thorough cleanup), and charged what they said they’d charge (an eminently reasonable amount). More firms should try this. A very satisfactory experience; give them a try.”
Posted on Google“Their advice about what to do with the gutters on the front of our long house was much appreciated. The gutters have lasted through those intense rainfalls, eliminating the floods into our garages. I wish that I had had them do the back gutters before. Now we won’t be worrying about the gushing water down the back of our roof!”
Posted on GoogleSnow Guard Questions From Hudson Valley Homeowners
If the metal roof sits over a door, a walkway, a driveway or a lower roof, usually yes. Smooth panels let a frozen layer of snow release all at once, and our wet Hudson Valley snow makes those slabs heavy. Over open lawn with nothing below, guards matter less. We look at each eave and tell you which ones need them.
Snow guards are mounted on the roof and hold the snowpack in place so it melts gradually. Gutter guards cover the gutter and keep leaves, seeds and needles out of the trough. They solve different problems, and on a metal or slate roof in snow country it often makes sense to have both working together.
Look for a guard fastened down along the full length of the gutter, so heavy snow and ice cannot knock it loose. We install BroGuard stainless micro-mesh, secured along the run and backed by a limited lifetime warranty. On a slick roof, add snow guards above it so a sliding slab never lands on the gutter or the mesh.
It can. A slab coming off a metal or slate roof hits the gutter first, and the force can bend the run, pull hangers out of the fascia or take a whole section down. Soft fascia makes it worse. Snow guards stop the slide, and solid wood behind the gutter keeps it anchored through the winter.
Most do not. Shingle granules give snow enough grip to stay put until it melts, so the bigger winter risks on a shingle roof are clogged gutters, loose hangers and ice at the eave. A very steep shingle roof over a doorway can be an exception, and we will point it out if yours is one.
On roofs where ice builds at the edge, often yes. Snow guards hold the snow up on the roof, which means meltwater trickles into the gutter for days. On a shaded or north facing eave that water can refreeze in the trough. Heat cable inside the gutter and downspout keeps it draining until the roof is clear.
Service area
Hudson Valley communities we serve
Every community on this list is inside our service area and gets the same local crew, seamless gutters formed on site and free written estimates. Call (845) 223-6111 or request a free quote and a Solutionist will come out.
- Accord
- Amawalk
- Amenia
- Ancram
- Ancramdale
- Annandale On Hudson
- Armonk
- Athens
- Baldwin Place
- Barrytown
- Beacon
- Bear Mountain
- Bedford
- Bedford Hills
- Blooming Grove
- Bloomingburg
- Bloomington
- Brewster
- Briarcliff Manor
- Buchanan
- Campbell Hall
- Carmel
- Castle Point
- Catskill
- Central Valley
- Chappaqua
- Chelsea
- Chester
- Circleville
- Claverack
- Clinton Corners
- Clintondale
- Cold Spring
- Connelly
- Copake
- Copake Falls
- Cornwall
- Cornwall On Hudson
- Cortlandt Manor
- Cottekill
- Craryville
- Crompond
- Cross River
- Croton Falls
- Croton On Hudson
- Dover Plains
- Elizaville
- Elmsford
- Esopus
- Fishkill
- Fort Montgomery
- Gardiner
- Garrison
- Germantown
- Goldens Bridge
- Goshen
- Granite Springs
- Harriman
- Hawthorne
- High Falls
- Highland
- Highland Falls
- Highland Mills
- Hillsdale
- Hollowville
- Holmes
- Hopewell Junction
- Howells
- Hudson
- Hurley
- Hyde Park
- Jefferson Valley
- Katonah
- Kerhonkson
- Kingston
- Lagrangeville
- Lake Katrine
- Lake Peekskill
- Mahopac
- Marlboro
- Maybrook
- Middletown
- Millbrook
- Millerton
- Millwood
- Milton
- Modena
- Mohegan Lake
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Montrose
- Mount Kisco
- Mount Marion
- Mountainville
- New Hampton
- New Paltz
- New Windsor
- Newburgh
- North Salem
- Ossining
- Patterson
- Pawling
- Peekskill
- Pine Bush
- Pine Plains
- Pleasant Valley
- Pleasantville
- Port Ewen
- Poughkeepsie
- Poughquag
- Pound Ridge
- Purchase
- Purdys
- Putnam Valley
- Red Hook
- Rhinebeck
- Rifton
- Rock Tavern
- Rosendale
- Salisbury Mills
- Salt Point
- Saugerties
- Shrub Oak
- Slate Hill
- Somers
- South Salem
- Staatsburg
- Stanfordville
- Stone Ridge
- Stormville
- Stottville
- Tarrytown
- Thompson Ridge
- Thornwood
- Tillson
- Tivoli
- Tomkins Cove
- Ulster Park
- Valhalla
- Verbank
- Verplanck
- Waccabuc
- Walden
- Wallkill
- Wappingers Falls
- Washingtonville
- Wassaic
- West Harrison
- West Hurley
- West Park
- West Point
- White Plains
- Wingdale
- Woodstock
- Yorktown Heights
Free estimates
Worried about the next slide off your roof?
Set up a free visit. A Solutionist will look at the roofing, the pitch and what sits under each eave, then put the guard layout and the price in writing. Prefer to read up first? Our nor’easter prep guide and fall gutter checklist cover the rest of the roof edge.
Locally based in Poughkeepsie · The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · (845) 223-6111 · Snow guards across Dutchess, Ulster, Orange & Putnam counties
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