Roofer profile: Rick Vining – Weathersafe™ Restoration, Inc.

By DaVinci Roofscapes.

Learn how Rocky Mountain Snow Guards' products help this roofer keep his clients safe through the winter.

Living in Minnesota, and having worked in Colorado, Rick Vining knows a thing or two about snow slides. “There was a business remodeled in Minneapolis around 2022 with synthetic roofing material,” says Rick, director of sales for Weathersafe™ Restoration, Inc. “They didn’t have a snow retention system installed. They had a snow slide that was so heavy and fast that it caused massive damage, including to a parked car. If a person were in the slide zone during the avalanche, they would have been seriously injured or killed.”

The memory of that event stays with Rick and his team. It’s one of the reasons they recommend snow retention plans for every metal and synthetic roofing bid they present.

Where is Weathersafe Restoration, Inc. getting its snow retention plans?

We always go to Rocky Mountain Snow Guards and use their free layout and plan services. Often we are the only contractor who communicates to the client why snow retention should be a consideration during the initial consultation. Receiving the layout and documentation is fantastic backup for our client meeting. Plus we know the service team at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards is just a phone call or email away if we have a question or additional needs.

What type of projects are you recommending snow retention on?

We complete all types of roofing projects: Repairs and full replacement installations, plus we install new roofing. Because we service Minnesota and western Wisconsin, we’re dealing with significant snow areas. If it’s a roofing product with a “slick” surface to it, we recommend snow retention.

Are you noticing any trends in your area related to snow retention?

Recently we’re seeing many Minnesota municipalities requiring a snow retention plan during the permitting process before replacing a homeowner’s roof with metal or synthetic materials. This makes a lot of sense. For us, we lean on Rocky Mountain Snow Guards to come up with the layout plan and supporting documentation that’s required. Then we can focus on the client service and installation.

Do you have any favorite roofing projects you’ve done using Rocky Mountain Snow Guards?

We had a challenging project where we installed Brava Cedar Shake in a Canyon Gray color. This also included CertainTeed Solstice® Shingles, a solar roofing shingle. There were numerous considerations involved and I liked the many moving parts and timelines. We used the Yeti 11 in a Dark Bronze color to make the snow retention system safe and easy, plus it accented the roof beautifully.    

What keeps your company coming back to Rocky Mountain Snow Guards?

The customer service and quality. Their team makes the process easy for us. From the layout to the plans to the product list to the instructions. They’re a good business partner.

Now for a fun question. Imagine getting $100,000 with a simple stipulation: you have to take your employees on a one-week trip. Where would you go?

Anywhere warm! We are from Minnesota! Actually, we’d bring the team to Anna Maria, Florida and go fishing all week. It would be a great team-building experience being on the clear turquoise waters, catching and releasing fish and sharks. What a dream week!