It’s wintertime and if you live in an area where the snow has already begun to fall, you may be experiencing ice dams. This phenomenon on your roof and gutters is a concern because it can lead to significant damage from standing water. The best thing you can do is to have gutter covers from Gutter Helmet® combined with Helmet Heat® installed to reduce ice damming on your home.
Why Ice Dams Form
As snow falls and accumulates on a roof that is not properly insulated and/or ventilated, it is warmed by the heat escaping from inside the home. The snow then melts and runs down to the edge of the roof. Once the water hits the eaves and gutters, which are closer to air temperature, the water freezes and the ice dam begins to form. Full gutters encourage ice dams to form even faster.
Once the dam is in place, it continues to grow until the air temperature is above freezing. As it grows, the ice and water back up onto your roof and over the edge of the gutter. The larger the ice dam, the more damage can occur to your home. Ice dams have been known to cause gutters to detach from homes and collapse. Large icicles are equally dangerous when they fall and break windows or hit people below. Because water is trapped on your roof, you may also find yourself with a roof leak in the middle of the winter.
How Helmet Heat® Helps
Increasing the temperature of your gutter is one way to decrease the likelihood of an ice dam. Helmet Heat is Gutter Helmet’s complementary system that warms gutters and downspouts. Instead of just gutter covers, your Gutter Helmet includes a built-in heating element that acts as an ice defense system. Helmet Heat® is part of your gutter covers and gutter system! Snowmelt that runs down your roof now hits a heated surface rather than a frozen one. The heat keeps the water from turning into ice and allows it to run through your gutters and out downspouts instead of freezing.
One of our dealers, Moonworks, created a video to allow you to see just how a roof looks with a Gutter Helmet system and how the Helmet Heat® system works.
Don’t Forget Attic Insulation
Helmet Heat is a great way to reduce ice dams on homes in snowy areas, but you should also check your attic insulation. Proper insulation will reduce heat loss from your home and aid in cutting down on ice damming as well. If you don’t want to see those dangerous ice dams on your home again this year, call (800) 824-3772 to schedule your free consultation with your local Gutter Helmet and Helmet Heat dealer.
