The Northeast has received a record setting amount of snow this Winter. With every passing week, it seems we have a chance of a major winter weather event. Roofs and rain gutters in the Northeast are taking a pounding this season. The golf season for many including myself seems so far away at this point.

For all those snowbirds that left for the Sunshine State, they may be coming back to some unpleasant surprises when they return this Spring. When heavy snow and ice builds up on your roof and rain gutters in frigid temperatures, damage in terms of water in the home, rot behind gutter, and downed gutters are a possibility for homes in Northeast including, North New Jersey, South New Jersey, and Philadelphia which Gutter Helmet Systems serves.

Have no fear,we have a solution for you to consider to protect your roof and rain gutters this year in preparation for next winter. The product I’m referencing has been around for a long time, 25 years or so. I’m talking about a self-regulating heating cable that can be installed on your roof and in gutters to prevent ice dams or to eliminate the buildup of heavy snow loads. Self regulating heating cables are reasonably priced at or under $10 a foot. A small price to pay compared to ice dam damage.

A couple caveats to consider with heating cables in general:

1. They are aesthetically not pleasing on your home (see right)
2. You will need a licensed electrician to come out to hook up.

In regard to first bullet point, companies in the business of gutters and those that offer protection products like guards, covers, panels, etc. are now building in the capability to secure the heating cables underneath the panels, covers, etc then looping the wire back down the bottom of the gutter, down your downspout where a connection can be enabled by a licensed electrician. See heating cable hidden in Gutter Helmet panel pictured below.

A self regulating cable will act only when conditions warrant it do so. As the outside temperature drops in the winter time, the cable will begin to heat up and you will begin to see its influence. Finally, having the proper installation of this cable by a licensed electrician is vital to the effectiveness of cable and from a liability standpoint as a homeowner. I would not recommend this product as DIY but do recommend it as a permanent solution to combat ice dams, gutter damage, and roof damage.

In the meantime, lets hope that the Groundhog doesn’t see his shadow on Feb 2nd and the spring weather is right around the corner. The golf clubs are still left to collect dust for now, waiting for the first break in weather to hit the range or course.

For more information on heating cables, please visit our website where we have a dedicated heating cable web page.