Usually in Canada the ice shield is installed along the gutter edge and up 2-3ft under the shingles to prevent water leaking back in. Will this not just cause the ice to form higher, pushing the water further up past the ice shield and into your attic?
Brilliant idea steve, you should do the entire roof with heated aluminum. I noticed you don't have gutters, why? Isn't your house two story? Looks very cold in paradise today! Clicking the video now to see how you installed this.
Since adding insulation to the attic of my home, all ice has been eliminated. If it is possible to do, it is a low-cost solution that one can do for oneself.
An interesting concept that I hadn't known about until watching your video. They do appear to work well. Yet, it did raise some observations/questions: How expensive is the added cost of electricity for these heat cables? Do these heat cables come with integrated roof gutters? I noticed your facia boards. I've never seen fascia boards of this type before. Is it typical to have aluminum fascia boards along the eaves in Canada? Is there a tendency for these metal fascia boards, being near the top of your house to draw lightning, as lightning rods do? If so, do you have to ground these fascia boards? Do the aluminum fascia board have any tendency to hide any wood rot that might occur beneath it, as wooden facia boards, which are subject to weather, would show this as occurring? Bottom line I think these heat cables are a great idea and would avoid my having to use a heavy, awkward 15" roof rake to remove snow build-up along the roof edges. Could you let us know of the manufacturer/
You only need to have these heat cables turned on when there is ice on top of the heated roof (on top of those aluminum inserts 5" up). Once it is melted off like it appeared to be in this video, then you can turn it off. ...until it snows again! There was still ice above the melted roof in this video, and that to me seems like it's still a problem - like the heated section didn't extend far enough up to get all the ice melted. The water intrusion problem is always at the top of these ice dams where melted snow from heat inside the house, runs under the snow and then freezes at the top of the ice dam. If enough builds up before freezing it forms a lake and backs up under the roofing shingles onto the nails securing the shingles and even above the 14" tall shingle and then down inside the house through nail holes. Thus code today is Ice shield underlayment to help seal the roof better should any water get on it under the roofing. Remember, The reason there is so much ice build up all the way to the edge of the roof (outside the interior wall) is because there isn't much overhang and melted snow runs down and freezes near the edge before it can drop off the roof. The problem starts at the interior wall line where the roof meets the exterior wall. Poor insulating and poor ventilation to allow cold air inside-under the roofing allows heat in there to melt the roof near the wall line. A well insulated roof will have a uniform layer of snow on it. If there are melted patches, that's where you need to insulate better. If you don't want ice in your gutters, at least run a heat tape along it's length and turn it on when it's freezing and snow is melting on the roof. Run the heat tape down the downspouts and you won't ever have ice overflowing and filling your gutters.
We live almost in Canada here in the UP of MI. How do I find this product for next winter? This year I had over 2 ft thick and 18" up of ice along a 32 ft roof Yesterday When it all did come off shook the whole house like an earth quake. NEED this so please give link or how to.
Good Morning Teo! Yes, the UP might as well be in Canada. Actually, I'm just east of you, a hundred or so miles. Here's the link for Edge Cutter: heatline.com/edge-cutter I hope it helps. Spring is coming! Bye for now, Steve
The #1 cause of ice dams is improper attic/ rafter space ventilation. Period. Prevention is the key, not trying to temporarily repair the problem every time it happens. A roof need to breath to remove the heat build up that causes ice dams. Proper roof ventilation will also decrease air conditioning costs in the warm months.
Usually in Canada the ice shield is installed along the gutter edge and up 2-3ft under the shingles to prevent water leaking back in. Will this not just cause the ice to form higher, pushing the water further up past the ice shield and into your attic?
This winter has been particularly bad for ice damming on roofs in the Sault along with a heavy snow load. That looks like a great product. Good stuff!
That’s impressive, It seems like this system is quite reliable. Did you compare it with any of the others out there like the Raychem RIM system?
Dude, that looks perfect for a metal roof!
After it snows get a wide broom and brush off the first 2 feet of the snow from behind the gutter,that will stop the ice build up
Me too LOL...of course our roof is reachable some people have roofs to high for that... 😬
I've been looking for a simple solution to my ice dam icicles forming. What's the cost of this?
Awesome work sir💯🤩💪
Brilliant idea steve, you should do the entire roof with heated aluminum. I noticed you don't have gutters, why?
Isn't your house two story?
Looks very cold in paradise today! Clicking the video now to see how you installed this.
That's a great option. Do you know who sells the product in the U.S?
So it does NOTHING to stop freezing inside of gutters and downspouts. Correct?
We have eavestrough so how does that work? Must need heated cable inside the troughs
Since adding insulation to the attic of my home, all ice has been eliminated. If it is possible to do, it is a low-cost solution that one can do for oneself.
An interesting concept that I hadn't known about until watching your video. They do appear to work well. Yet, it did raise some observations/questions:
How expensive is the added cost of electricity for these heat cables?
Do these heat cables come with integrated roof gutters?
I noticed your facia boards. I've never seen fascia boards of this type before. Is it typical to have aluminum fascia boards along the eaves in Canada?
Is there a tendency for these metal fascia boards, being near the top of your house to draw lightning, as lightning rods do? If so, do you have to ground these fascia boards?
Do the aluminum fascia board have any tendency to hide any wood rot that might occur beneath it, as wooden facia boards, which are subject to weather, would show this as occurring?
Bottom line I think these heat cables are a great idea and would avoid my having to use a heavy, awkward 15" roof rake to remove snow build-up along the roof edges. Could you let us know of the manufacturer/
You only need to have these heat cables turned on when there is ice on top of the heated roof (on top of those aluminum inserts 5" up). Once it is melted off like it appeared to be in this video, then you can turn it off. ...until it snows again! There was still ice above the melted roof in this video, and that to me seems like it's still a problem - like the heated section didn't extend far enough up to get all the ice melted. The water intrusion problem is always at the top of these ice dams where melted snow from heat inside the house, runs under the snow and then freezes at the top of the ice dam. If enough builds up before freezing it forms a lake and backs up under the roofing shingles onto the nails securing the shingles and even above the 14" tall shingle and then down inside the house through nail holes. Thus code today is Ice shield underlayment to help seal the roof better should any water get on it under the roofing. Remember, The reason there is so much ice build up all the way to the edge of the roof (outside the interior wall) is because there isn't much overhang and melted snow runs down and freezes near the edge before it can drop off the roof. The problem starts at the interior wall line where the roof meets the exterior wall. Poor insulating and poor ventilation to allow cold air inside-under the roofing allows heat in there to melt the roof near the wall line. A well insulated roof will have a uniform layer of snow on it. If there are melted patches, that's where you need to insulate better. If you don't want ice in your gutters, at least run a heat tape along it's length and turn it on when it's freezing and snow is melting on the roof. Run the heat tape down the downspouts and you won't ever have ice overflowing and filling your gutters.
I trust this guy to deal with ice because he’s a Jets fan
We live almost in Canada here in the UP of MI. How do I find this product for next winter? This year I had over 2 ft thick and 18" up of ice along a 32 ft roof Yesterday When it all did come off shook the whole house like an earth quake. NEED this so please give link or how to.
Good Morning Teo!
Yes, the UP might as well be in Canada. Actually, I'm just east of you, a hundred or so miles. Here's the link for Edge Cutter: heatline.com/edge-cutter I hope it helps. Spring is coming!
Bye for now,
Steve
The #1 cause of ice dams is improper attic/ rafter space ventilation. Period. Prevention is the key, not trying to temporarily repair the problem every time it happens. A roof need to breath to remove the heat build up that causes ice dams. Proper roof ventilation will also decrease air conditioning costs in the warm months.