Roof and Gutter De-Icing

Protect Your Home From Ice Dams

When the snow and cold arrive in the Pittsburgh area, damage caused by ice dams can be a concern. Ice dams occur when snow collects on a roof that is warmer than the surrounding air. The snow melts, and runoff collects at the colder roofline or gutter area, where it refreezes and creates a damming effect for any subsequent snowmelt. The water has nowhere to go, and backs up under the roofing material and, eventually, inside your home's ceilings and walls. Interior damages from peeling paint, cracked plaster or moldy drywall can be more expensive than outside roof repairs.

Electric heat trace systems provide a high-resistance, insulated wire that is installed in a zig-zag pattern along the roofline or placed inside the gutters. Heat tracing is not meant to melt all of the snow and ice on the roof and inside of the gutters, but to keep a path open for melting snow to move away from the house.

We can help you to determine what type of heat trace system would work best to prevent ice dams, icicle formation, and other snow-related damages to your home. You have the option of a heat trace system that can be connected to power on an as-needed basis or systems that use temperature readings to kick on automatically.

If you have a steeply-pitched roof or a roof that holds a lot of heat because of your home's insulation, a heat trace system is a good solution to deal with the freeze-thaw cycle that winter brings. For metal roofs, which are gaining more popularity in the Pittsburgh area, heat tracing can help to keep the metal surface temperature above freezing and prevent large amounts of snow from quickly sliding off of the roof onto walkways below the roofline and potentially causing injury.

Contact us to learn more about how heat tracing can protect your home in the winter and for a free estimate.

Our Service Areas

We provide commercial & residential electrical services in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas including:

Bellvue
Bethel Park
Carnegie
Coraopolis
Franklin Park
Greentree

Imperial
Ingram
Kennedy Township
McCandless
McKees Rocks
Moon Township

Mt. Lebanon
Neville Township
Oakdale
Robinson Township
Rosslyn Farms
Ross Township

Sewickley
Stowe Township
Thornburg
West View
Wexford

hufnagel-van

PA License #PA030128 Pittsburgh, PA

Copyright © 2024 Hufnagel Electric. Website By Holt Web Design LLC