How Helmet Heat® Reduces Ice Damming on a Home

It’s wintertime and homeowners in areas where the snow has already begun to fall might be experiencing ice damming.

By Chelsea Welsh, Gutter Helmet.

This phenomenon on the roof and gutters is a concern because it can lead to significant damage from standing water. The best thing to do is to install gutter covers from Gutter Helmet® combined with Helmet Heat® to reduce ice damming.

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 the roof and over the edge of the gutter. The larger the ice dam, the more damage can occur. 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 the roof, its possible to experience a roof leak in the middle of the winter.

How Helmet Heat® Helps Increasing the temperature of the 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, Gutter Helmet includes a built-in heating element that acts as an ice defense system. Helmet Heat® is part of the gutter covers and gutter system! Snowmelt that runs down the 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 the 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 attic insulation should also be checked. Proper insulation will reduce heat loss from the home and aid in cutting down on ice damming as well.

Inquire about becoming a Gutter Helmet® dealer today.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Gutter Helmet’s blog and can be viewed here.

Chelsea Welsh is the national marketing manager for Gutter Helmet, a Gibraltar Industries company.