For eliminating ice or snow in places where insulation may not be an option, heat cables act as a quick and easy fix to prevent ice dams from building up, icicles, and/or overall structural damage.
Despite the fact they may not keep your entire roof ice-free, they’ll still melt a few inches for water to drain through your gutters. Making them a solid convenient choice for areas of your roof where insulation might become impractical.
These cables are installed in a zigzag pattern on the ends of your roof, where ice builds up.
Pre-Fabricated vs. Self-Regulating Cables
Pre-Fabricated heat cables come in a specified length, whereas Self-Regulating heat cables come in a spool that you can roll out to whatever set length and be attached to a plug or direct wire.
Benefits and tradeoffs with Pre-Fabricated:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Pre-Assembled, convenient to install | Higher energy usage, as opposed to Self Regulating |
| Targeted Damage Protection, strategically covering risk of damage areas | Less durable, if damaged, the entire line would need replaced |
| Inexpensive upfront, for small targeted areas | Constant Wattage; can be at risk of fire hazard |
Benefits and tradeoffs with Self-Regulating:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Safe and Flexible; can overlap each other without a fire hazard risk. | Expensive Upfront, yet worthwhile |
| Size Versatility for any length of roof or gutters | Energy Consumption, might be costly depending on weather |
| The more energy efficient choice; automatically increasing or decreasing wattage based on outdoor temperature. |
The Temporary Option
Overall, when Bauer Specialty installs heat cables, it primarily only serves to be a bandage and a temporary alternative for melting ice. Heat cables can be more practical for areas of a house compared to other heat-trapping methods.
For something that covers entire walls of the house which prevent cold air leakage and prevents heat from escaping, such as Spray Foam Insulation, that would be permanent and substantially long lasting. However, Heat cables are perfect for easy fixes and cover areas cellulose/spray foam insulation can be hard to reach.