Snow Arc Guard™
Installation Guide
Need a Roof Layout, Quote, or Order?
Need a Roof Layout, Quote, or Order?
This guide explains the basic installation workflow for Snow Arc Guard™ brackets from Sands Works. Snow Arc Guard™ brackets are designed specifically for Stile Spanish Tile metal roofing systems.
Snow Arc Guard™ is currently documented and warrantied only for Stile Spanish Tile metal roofing systems. Do not order or install for another roof profile unless Sands Works provides written project-specific guidance, including whether any warranty coverage applies.
Read the full guide before starting. Snow Arc Guard™ Calculator App generates layout drawings for each roof section that defines where each bracket should be installed. Per installation requirement and warranty requirement, the installer must use the provided layouts or a custom Sands Works layout.
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of Snow Arc Guard™ products. This guide explains how to properly install your brackets using the approved layout provided with your order.
Before beginning, verify that you have:
· The correct bracket model and quantity.
· The approved Snow Arc Guard™ Layout Drawing(s).
· Surebond SB-190 Everseal adhesive.
· Safe roof access and suitable installation conditions.
Do not modify the approved layout or guess bracket locations during installation. If the layout does not match your roof, stop and contact Sands Works before proceeding.
Before installing Snow Arc Guard™ brackets, verify that you have all required materials shown in Figure 2 and that weather conditions are suitable for installation.
Approved Snow Arc Guard™ Layout Drawing(s)
Snow Arc Guard™ Brackets
Surebond SB-190 Everseal Adhesive
Standard Caulk Gun
Tape Measure
Painter's Tape (recommended for marking bracket locations)
Glass Cleaner or Warm Soapy Water & Rinse
70–91% Isopropyl Alcohol
Paper Towels
Clean Microfiber Towel
Nitrile Gloves
Safety Glasses
Trash Bag
Use proper ladder safety and appropriate fall protection.
Follow all applicable roof access and workplace safety requirements.
Do not install during unsafe weather or high winds.
Do not install on wet, icy, frosted, dirty, or contaminated roof surfaces.
Do not install when the roof surface or ambient temperature is below 50°F (10°C).
Allow the adhesive to fully cure before putting brackets to use.
If you are uncomfortable working on a roof or cannot safely access the installation area, hire a qualified installer.
Use only painter's tape to temporarily mark the layout’s centerline & bracket locations on the roof as illustrated in Figure 1. Painter's tape provides a visible reference without leaving permanent marks or risking damage to the roof's factory-applied finish.
Do not use pencils, markers, paint pens, oil pens, crayons, or other permanent marking methods directly on the roof panels. These materials may stain, discolor, scratch, or otherwise damage the roof finish and can be difficult or impossible to remove.
When using a tape measure, consider placing a small piece of painter's tape, electrical tape, or other non-abrasive protective material over the end hook to help reduce the chance of scratching painted roof panels.
Figure 1 - Marking Centerline & Bracket Locations with Painter's Tape
Figure 2 - Safety & Materials List
Snow Arc Guard™ brackets are installed with Everseal Surebond SB-190 adhesive.
SB-190 is a one-part sealant used for snow guard adhesion. According to manufacturer information, it is compatible with plastic, metal, fiberglass, vinyl, wood, painted metals, and specialty finishes such as Kynar®.
Manufacturer information also lists elongation up to 500% and tensile strength up to 2,000 psi after cure.
Important: The minimum adhesive application temperature is 50°F. Colder temperatures slow or may stall curing. Cure time is 7–28 days depending on conditions.
Important: Adhesive cure time is critical to system performance. Do not intentionally load, pull, twist, or test brackets before the adhesive has cured.
Review the generated roof layout PDF from the Snow Arc Guard™ Calculator App or the custom layout provided by Sands Works if applicable.
Print or view on a device, the Snow Arc Guard™ approved layout drawings and bring them to the roof. Confirm:
• Roof section name.
• Roof shape.
• Bracket model.
• Bracket quantity.
• Row locations.
• Center-to-center spacing.
• Any notes about the layout and layout conditions.
Technical layout review means Sands Works reviews submitted roof inputs and layout conditions for Snow Arc Guard™ bracket placement and produces a custom layout drawing for installation use. It is not a structural roof evaluation, roof inspection, code review, or professional engineering certification unless Sands Works expressly states otherwise in writing.
Before installing, verify the roof measurements used to create the layout.
Check:
• Roof width.
• Panel length.
• Roof pitch.
• Roof shape.
• Snow depth entered in the calculator.
• Whether the roof section matches the layout drawing.
If the actual roof measurements do not match the layout, stop and generate a corrected layout.
Most Snow Arc Guard™ models install in the trough of the Stile profile:
• SAG 004 Snow Break Guard
• SAG 010 SeaShell
• SAG 011 Heart
• SAG 012 Block
SAG 015 Oval installs on the crest profile.
If a bracket is installed within 5” of a panel seam, clean and add a ¼” bead of SB-190 adhesive between the mating panels as illustrated in Figures 3 & 4. Be sure to leave a 1” minimum length at the bottom as illustrated for water drainage. The goal is to reinforce the panel seam, not seal it water-tight.
Start from one end and run adhesive 9-11 inches upslope. Place the bead at least ¾ inch inset from the overlapping panel edge. Failure to reinforce seams correctly may result in roofing panel deformation during high snow loads as brackets loaded with large amounts of snow in turn create a large torque on the panels (imagine placing a prybar beneath the panel and stepping on it).
Important: Failure to perform required seam reinforcement near panel seams is an installation defect and may void warranty coverage, including any resulting panel deformation, roof damage, adhesive failure, or system performance issue.
Figure 3 - Seam Reinforcement, Crest vs Trough install position
Figure 4 - Panel seam reinforcement for brackets installed within 5 inches of a panel seam. Reinforcing the seam helps distribute loads across adjacent roof panels
Complete the bracket layout before applying adhesive or installing any Snow Arc Guard™ brackets.
Important: Snow Arc Guard™ brackets must always be centered on a roof panel crest or trough, depending on the bracket model being installed. Do not install a bracket on the sloped transition or flat portion of the panel simply to match a layout dimension.
Stile Spanish Tile roofing panels are manufactured with a nominal 5-inch panel repeat, but small manufacturing tolerances or installation techniques may cause the spacing between formed features to vary slightly over long roof sections. As a result, layout dimensions may not always land exactly on a crest or trough.
If a layout dimension falls between formed panel features, install the bracket on the nearest appropriate crest or trough. If the required adjustment exceeds ¼ inch, stop and contact Sands Works before proceeding so the layout can be reviewed.
1. Measure and identify the approximate center of the roof section width.
2. Place a 6–12-inch piece of painter's tape at the roof section centerline. Position the tape where it will remain visible but will not interfere with bracket installation as indicated in Figure 1.
a. For 015 Oval brackets, the centerline begins on a roof crest. For all other Snow Arc Guard™ models, the centerline begins in a roof trough (see Figure 3).
b. If the exact roof center does not align with the required crest or trough, use the nearest appropriate crest or trough as the installation centerline.
1. If your approved layout contains multiple rows, follow these additional rules.
a. For staggered layouts, Row 1.A is installed nearest the eave. Row 1.B is installed 12 inches upslope and offset 5 inches horizontally, as shown in the top half of Figure 3. The same pattern applies to Rows 2.A and 2.B, if present.
b. If your layout specifies the 2nd row is located at 50% the panel length, but the measurement doesn’t land on a formed edge, then install the row at the nearest formed edge (upslope or downslope, whichever is closer). Never install brackets on the flat panel sections, as this may permanently deform the roof panel under heavy snow loads.
Mark all bracket centers shown on the generated roof layout PDF using painter’s tape.
Bracket locations are center locations, not bracket edges. Measure and mark the center of each bracket location.
Do not guess, stretch, or change spacing. Do not move brackets to make the layout look more convenient. If something does not fit the roof, stop and correct the layout.
The following steps are how to properly prep Stile Spanish Tile metal roofing panels for SB-190 Surebond Everseal adhesive. Figure 5 provides a visual aid.
Wear nitrile gloves.
Use either glass cleaner and paper towels or warm water and soap to wash all spots where the brackets will be installed per your approved layout drawing.
3. Use 70–91% isopropyl alcohol and a clean microfiber cloth to clean the roof bonding surfaces once more and the bracket bonding surface if needed.
4. Confirm all dirt, oil, grime, dust, and contaminants are removed from the bonding site.
5. Allow the surface to dry.
Do not touch cleaned bonding areas with bare hands before bonding. Skin oils can contaminate the surface and reduce adhesive performance.
Figure 5 - Add the Isopropyl Alcohol to the Microfiber Cloth, not the roof's surface
For trough mounted models, apply Everseal Surebond SB-190 adhesive in an M-shape pattern with the bracket’s front face pointing downwards as shown in Figure 6.
Apply Everseal Surebond SB-190 in the M-shaped pattern shown in Figure 5 with the bracket's front face pointing downward.
As the adhesive first contacts the roof, slightly raise the front edge of the bracket before lowering it into position.
Purpose: This encourages the adhesive to spread from the rear toward the front of the bracket and helps eliminate trapped air pockets.
Press firmly with approximately 15–30 lb of force.
Do not attempt to squeeze all of the adhesive from beneath the bracket.
The goal is to achieve:
· Even adhesive coverage
· Continuous squeeze-out
· An adhesive layer thickness up to approximately 1/8 in. thick on average
A slightly thicker adhesive layer is acceptable and may better accommodate thermal expansion and contraction between the roof panel and bracket.
Inspect the entire perimeter of the bracket before the adhesive begins to cure.
✓ Continuous adhesive around all edges
✓ Adhesive visible in the vent holes (only applies to test-model brackets, not consumer models)
✓ No visible gaps beneath the bracket
See Figure 7 for acceptable examples.
Remove excessive squeeze-out with a folded paper towel.
Leave a smooth fillet of adhesive that slopes from the bracket to the roof surface.
Do not remove so much adhesive that an undercut forms beneath the bracket edge.
Important: The adhesive should seal the entire perimeter of the bracket.
Any gaps may allow moisture to migrate beneath the bracket. During repeated freeze-thaw cycles, expanding ice can place significant stress on the adhesive bond between the bracket and the roof surface.
Figure 6 - Trough mounted brackets receive an M shaped adhesive application. Crest mounted units receive two U's and an I. Do not create closed loops; this leads to inadequate adhesion contact due to air pockets forming.
Figure 7 - Proper Adhesive Squeeze-Out and Edge Sealing
For Crest mounted models, apply Everseal Surebond SB-190 adhesive in either a UU-shape or a UIU-shape pattern. Note the location of the front of the bracket relative to the adhesive pattern as shown in Figure 6.
Apply Everseal Surebond SB-190 in the UIU or UU-shaped pattern shown in Figure 6.
As the adhesive first contacts the roof, slightly raise the front edge of the bracket before lowering it into position.
Purpose: This encourages the adhesive to spread from the rear toward the front of the bracket and helps eliminate trapped air pockets.
Press firmly with approximately 20–35 lb of force.
Do not attempt to squeeze all of the adhesive from beneath the bracket.
The goal is to achieve:
· Even adhesive coverage
· Continuous squeeze-out
· An adhesive layer thickness up to approximately 1/8 in. thick on average
A slightly thicker adhesive layer is acceptable and may better accommodate thermal expansion and contraction between the roof panel and bracket.
Inspect the entire perimeter of the bracket before the adhesive begins to cure.
✓ Continuous adhesive around all edges
✓ Adhesive visible in the vent holes (only applies to test-model brackets, not consumer models)
✓ No visible gaps beneath the bracket
See Figure 7 for acceptable examples.
Remove excessive squeeze-out with a folded paper towel.
Leave a smooth fillet of adhesive that slopes from the bracket to the roof surface.
Do not remove so much adhesive that an undercut forms beneath the bracket edge.
· Verify all bracket quantities match the layout.
· Verify all bracket locations match the layout.
· Verify adhesive squeeze-out and sealed edges.
· Verify seam reinforcement was added where required.
· Photograph the completed installation for records.
Keep the layout drawing, order information, and installation photos. They may be needed for future support or warranty review.
· Installing from memory instead of from the printed layout.
· Measuring to bracket edges instead of bracket centers.
· Entering incorrect roof measurements in the calculator.
· Installing the wrong bracket model.
· Changing spacing or row locations in the field.
· Installing on wet, icy, frosted, dirty, oily, or dusty surfaces.
· Touching cleaned bonding surfaces with bare hands.
· Installing below 50°F.
· Disturbing brackets before the adhesive has cured.
· Omitting seam reinforcement where it is required.
If a bracket peels off the roof instead of breaking, that generally indicates installation, surface preparation, temperature, contamination, or cure-time issues rather than bracket strength failure.
Important: Review the installation conditions, surface preparation, adhesive cure time, and roof surface condition before reinstalling or filing a warranty question.