Ice damming and De-icing cables

 Hi again! And it is already November,

Debris in gutter

so temperatures are dropping and all kinds of leafs are still falling in to your eavestroughs, making it clogged with (at least organic) stuff and ready for a new “Eco-system”
to build-up for different types of species and creatures (mosquitoes, wood-louses , centipedes and other “aliens” next spring,

leaf guard system

 unless you got your gutters protected with proper maintenance which include regular cleaning and proper slope adjustments, ..etc) or modern gutter guard system installed by our professionals.

 But this topic is not about clogged eavestrough, its about ice dam.

Ice dam

   So lets begin:

  An ice dam, on a smaller scale, is a problem of house and building maintenance in cold climates. An ice dam can occur when snow accumulates on the slanted roof of a house with inadequate insulation and warm air leaks into the attic at penetrations for plumbing stacks, wiring, chimneys, attic hatches, recessed lights, etc.These warm air leaks are known as attic bypasses. Heat conducted through the insufficient insulation and warm air from the attic bypasses warms the roof and melts the snow. Melt water flows down the roof, under the blanket of snow, onto the eavestrough and into the gutter, where colder conditions on the overhang cause it to freeze. Eventually, ice accumulates along the eave and in the gutter. Snow that melts later cannot drain properly through the ice on the eave and in the gutter. This can result in:

• Leaking roof (height of leak depends on extent of ice dam).
• Wet, ineffective insulation.
• Stained or cracked plaster or drywall.
• Rotting timber.
• Stained, blistered or peeling paint.

Under extreme conditions, with heavy snow and severe cold, almost any house can have an ice dam, whereas a house that is poorly insulated with attic bypasses will have ice dams during a normal winter weather. Giant icicles hanging from the eave are one indication of a poorly insulated attic with many attic bypasses.
Although high snow levels along with extreme cold weather is generally considered the highest potential risk conditions for ice dams to accumulate, standing snow is not even a required prerequisite for ice dams to form. It takes very little actual moisture to form ice dams.
Some commercial remedies available are:

• Adding insulation in the attic by a qualified insulation firm
• Locate and seal air leaks (attic bypasses) energy auditor and/or insulation firm.
• Ice melt socks or snow melt socks can be placed on the roof ice dam to open a channel and drain the water in minutes.
• Roofline heating systems.

De-icing cable

So lets take a closer look at Roofline heating systems:
EASYHEAT® ADKS roof de-icing cable prevents water and ice damage by providing a clear path for melting water. It keeps roof edges, gutters and downspouts ice-free.  Versatile design adapts to most roof and gutter configurations.

 It’s not those big icicles that do the real damage, it’s the water you don’t see that backs up in gutters and under shingles. When the ice melts it can really do a number on repair costs. Easy Heat ADKS roof de-icing cable prevents this water and ice damage by providing a clear path for melting water to flow off the roof. The versatile design adapts to most roof and gutter configurations.

At any time our team will be glad to answer any topic related questions and provide you with ideas how to choose the right solution for any gutter/eavestrough concerns.
(416)-677-8191 or (416)-875-6366
info@maxima-aluminum.com

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