While your Loveland electrical contractor might not quite have the power to completely protect your home from ice dams and clogged gutters, Peterson Electric can help you install an efficient way to deice your roof without having to pull out a ladder every time.

The trouble with ice dams is that they can form quickly without you realizing. When gutters get clogged with debris (usually leaves, twigs, parts of branches, and dirt), the water flowing from your roof into your gutters and down the downspouts can be impeded. When this happens in cold weather, some water may freeze into a massive blockage that forces any additional water coming from your roof to find other ways to return to the ground. When water freezes and then melts in the gutters from the heat coming from your house, it can cause excess water to be diverted where it isn’t meant to go. This means it can leak through your roof, form pools or puddles on your roof, and cause serious long-term damage if not mitigated.

We’ll talk briefly about where you can find roof deicing equipment, but first, there are some pretty easy things you can do yourself to prevent ice dams from forming in the first place. Most of these tips you can do even after you notice your gutters are clogged as well as to help prevent further damage.

Tips for Roof and Gutter Deicing

Roof and gutter deicing becomes more difficult and dangerous when it’s already cold and icy outside. Before the worst of the winter weather hits your house, take these precautions.

• Clean your gutters.

First, make sure your gutters are clean. While gutter debris isn’t the main cause of ice dams, excess leaves and dirt will make it more difficult for your gutters and downspouts to work properly.

• Make sure your roof is sound.

Sometimes divots or soft spots in your roof can cause ice and water to collect in small areas, which can cause damage and further problems. It’s a good idea to get your roof checked out before the serious cold weather comes.

• Ventilate and insulate.

At the end of the day, ice dams form because your eaves and your roof are at wildly different temperatures. One way to fix this is to make sure your eaves and roof ridge are properly ventilated. Using a ridge vent and continuous soffit vents, you can circulate cold air under your whole roof. Here is a helpful article for more information.

Roof and Gutter Deicing Made Easier by a Professional Electrical Contractor

The need for roof and gutter deicing becomes more obvious when ice dams have already begun causing damage. Using deicing cables, (explained a bit in this article) can work to prevent ice dams from forming and keep the water headed in the right direction.

Deicing cables are relatively inexpensive and fairly easy to install, provided you have easy access to an electrical outlet. You can find deicing equipment at your local hardware store and they typically come with installation instructions to help you out. In order to save money on electricity, You can choose not to have them on constantly. You can disconnect them when the weather is calm, and plug them into a ground fault circuit interrupter receptacle during or after heavy snowfalls, winter rain, etc. You can also purchase systems that turn on automatically.

You’ll want to install the cable along the edge of the roof where the ice builds up. The cables should come with attachment instructions and parts to make this process easier. The idea behind deicing cables is to create pathways for melting ice to flow into your clear gutters. You’ll need to ensure that your gutters and downspouts are clear and make it easy for water to flow away from your roof before you install cables.

A Loveland electrical contractor can help you with this project and find ways to lower the electrical cost of using these cables. Typically, however, the intermittent use of a heating cable won’t run up a huge power cost.

Conclusion

Ice dams can cause serious damage to your home. Water freezing and thawing has huge effects in nature, and it can have huge effects on the exterior of your home, weakening shingles and ultimately getting into your roof and walls.

Are you ready to install deicing cables on your roof but are overwhelmed with taking on a long DIY task? Contact Peterson Electric today. We have the experience to install your deicing system correctly and efficiently, and you won’t have to take a step up a ladder.