We’ve discovered there are many contractors around the country who call themselves heat tape ‘experts’ despite the fact that they know very little about the topic. If you are hiring someone to install heat cable on your home, here are some tips to ensure the best outcome possible.
One of the most common questions we get asked is about how hot heat cable gets. People are naturally concerned about whether or not heat cable will pose a potential threat to a wide variety of things, including roofing material, plastics, dry leaves and more
In terms of ice dam prevention there are no truly “cheap” solutions. Homeowners must choose from the lesser of three evils: 1) Spend a lot on architectural enhancements, 2) Spend a lot on professional roof shoveling or risk a lot doing it themselves or, 3) Spend a fair amount on heat cables.
Use this visual index to choose the right heat cable roof clip for your application. There’s more than one way to skin a cat and there is likewise usually more than one way to install heat tape on any particular roof system. Call us if you need help and don’t find the answer below
There are two basic families of heat tape used for roof and gutter de-icing and pipe freeze protection in North America: Constant Wattage and Self-Regulating. We have laid out the primary differences below to help you understand the pros and cons of each system
Here are the most common locations where ice dams do and do not happen on residential properties. This will help in terms of understanding where the most common heat tape installations occur so you can create a targeted approach to ice dam management
Ice dam basics. Let’s look at a cross-section to discuss the physics. This diagram illustrates the movement of water as it leaks through the roof system and into the home. We also introduce the concept of the “origin zone” (the leading edge of ice dams where leaks originate)
There are many ways to terminate heat cable at the mouth of a downspout. In this case study, we explore three such methods. And all situations is important to remember that heat cables at downspout openings are frequently damaged. Cable Guard is a simple answer to that problem
We receive calls from architects, contractors and commercial property owners from around the country about the best approach to keeping ice from accumulating in open downspouts. Here we explore the best practices in terms of managing ice in open downspouts
How high up the roof do you need to install heat cable to prevent ice dams on a standard sloped roof system? In this case study we explore the “6 inch rule” in addition to the basics behind standard Ice Dam formation. Heat cable, tracing height is all about soffit depth
Find heat tape products & accessories for ice dam prevention and pipe freeze protection.
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