The term heat tape refers to another product an insulated electrical wire applied to water pipes to keep them from freezing and bursting.
Gutter heat cable installation.
Heat trace cable is safe for metal plastic or wooden downspouts and gutters and it will not overheat even if overlapped.
They might be fine for a while but over time ice dams and gutters clogged with ice cause damage to your home.
Why gutter heat cable installation can save your roof.
In addition to cleaning out your gutters and installing gutter accessories to keep drainage clear roof cables also called heat cables offer added protection from a buildup of rooftop ice dams.
The brothers that just do gutters do not install heat cable on the roof s edge but rather inside of the gutter system with a guard installed on top.
This allows you to fairly compare prices of an 80 foot cable with a 90 foot cable.
To simplify comparisons calculate the cost of each cable per foot.
Heat cables can protect your gutters from filling with ice breaking off and harming your roof.
There is no need to affix the cable to the gutter.
Roof and gutter de icing cables prevent ice from sticking around during sub zero temperatures.
Some tips and tricks.
Gutter heat cables might seem like overkill.
Choose a preassembled cable available in lengths between 6 and 100 feet which plugs into a standard grounded outlet.
The type of heat tape used on roofs and gutters to prevent ice buildup is properly called heat cable.
Heat cable is a similar product but it is designed for installation on the edge of your home s roof near the eaves.
They take electricity to operate.
Heat cables are a much cheaper solution than fixing the source of the problem by sealing air leaks in the attic installing adequate insulation and creating proper ventilation.
Why can t your gutters and roof just make it through the winter on their own.
There are few hard and fast rules in terms of installing self regulating heat cable in gutters.
Heat cables for roofs and gutters have widely varying price points primarily depending on the length of the cable.
Cable is available in both 120 and 240 voltages.
The average cost to install 100 feet of heat cable on the roof only is about 300 400 labor only excludes materials.