Ice dams are one of the most frustrating winter problems a homeowner can face, and if you live in New England and remember last winter, frustrating they were indeed!
Ice dams can cause water to back up under shingles, damage ceilings and walls, and create expensive repairs.
Most homeowners know that heat wires can help with ice dams.
Far fewer know about an interesting combination: heat wires and Gutterbrush.
Heat wires are designed to create a heated path along the edge of the roof and inside the gutter.
That path can help melt snow and ice and give water a way to move off the roof and through the gutter instead of allowing it to freeze in place.
There are several ways heat wires can be operated.
The simplest method is to plug them in when needed and unplug them when they are no longer needed.
Another option is a temperature-activated system that turns the heat wires on when temperatures reach a certain level.
Heat wires can also be hard-wired into a thermostat, allowing the system to operate automatically based on the temperature.
But here is where things get interesting.
Gutterbrush is a black-bristled gutter debris protection system.
It is NOT promoted as an ice-dam prevention product.
Its primary purpose is to help keep leaves and other debris out of the gutter.
However, the way Gutterbrush is installed creates an interesting potential benefit during the winter.
Gutterbrush fills the entire inside of the gutter with its black bristles.
That means there is less open space inside the gutter where snow and ice can collect and build up.
Less room for snow and ice to congregate can potentially help reduce the amount of buildup inside the gutter.
There is another interesting part of the equation: the black bristles.
Black surfaces absorb and retain heat from the sun.
During a sunny winter day, those black bristles can become warmer than the surrounding aluminum or other gutter materials.
That retained heat can help combat the extremely cold temperatures normally found in metal gutters during winter.
Now combine that with heat wires.
The heat wires provide active heat when needed, while the black Gutterbrush bristles can provide a passive benefit by absorbing and retaining solar heat.
Together, these two systems may help create a less favorable environment for snow and ice to build up and remain frozen inside the gutter.
Does this mean Gutterbrush and heat wires guarantee that an ice dam will never occur?
Absolutely not.
Ice dams are caused by several factors, including attic temperature, insulation, ventilation, outdoor temperatures, snow cover and roof design.
But when properly installed and used as part of a larger ice-dam prevention strategy, heat wires and Gutterbrush may be a combination worth considering.
Sometimes the best solutions are not one single product.
They are two systems working together, each doing its own job and, in this case, creating an unexpected benefit when winter arrives.
Follow Us on Social Media!
