I just removed gutter from one side of my cabin to install a new metal roof.
The gutter was hanging on that 35' side, and ice dams that stayed all winter
were soaking the fascia board.

I now am going to make hangers that extend up to the rafter truss ends to
support the weight of the gutter and ensuing ice buildup.

My question: I want to put heating strips on the two 35' runs of gutters I
am going to install. I don't see any other way except letting the ice dams
sit there, and that can be substantial weight hanging there. I am a welder,
and can make quality 1" x 1" hanging supports that will drill into the
rafters on one side, and the roof beams on the other. They WILL support the
weight, but I anticipate that when the gutters get full, it will start
melting into the fascia which is what I want to avoid. Not a big problem
about leaves, as the gutters are high up where few leaves blow in.

Does anyone here use heat strips in their gutters? Any tips or advice
appreciated.

Steve

"Steve B" wrote in message
news:Vl1Fg.7276$Mz3.1474@fed1read07...
I just removed gutter from one side of my cabin to install a new metal
roof.
The gutter was hanging on that 35' side, and ice dams that stayed all
winter
were soaking the fascia board.

I now am going to make hangers that extend up to the rafter truss ends to
support the weight of the gutter and ensuing ice buildup.

My question: I want to put heating strips on the two 35' runs of gutters
I
am going to install. I don't see any other way except letting the ice
dams
sit there, and that can be substantial weight hanging there. I am a
welder,
and can make quality 1" x 1" hanging supports that will drill into the
rafters on one side, and the roof beams on the other. They WILL support
the
weight, but I anticipate that when the gutters get full, it will start
melting into the fascia which is what I want to avoid. Not a big problem
about leaves, as the gutters are high up where few leaves blow in.

Does anyone here use heat strips in their gutters? Any tips or advice
appreciated.

Steve


Saturday last week on an "Ask This Old House" that was running on A&E at
09:00 - 10:00 am I saw the folks playing the "What is this?" game.

They had a black looking fabric tube about 6 inches in diameter and about 4
feet which wast was filled with something . Best guess was a floor / door
air blocker.

But whaat it was was a tube of crystal de - icer of some type to throw up on
the roof where ice dams form. Idea was that the de icer leached from the
tube and melted the ice dams.

I have never used the item so I have no idea if its effective.

Some thing to think about, though in terms of getting the ice melted.


--
Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.

On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:05:58 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:

I just removed gutter from one side of my cabin to install a new metal roof.
The gutter was hanging on that 35' side, and ice dams that stayed all winter
were soaking the fascia board.

I now am going to make hangers that extend up to the rafter truss ends to
support the weight of the gutter and ensuing ice buildup.

My question: I want to put heating strips on the two 35' runs of gutters I
am going to install. I don't see any other way except letting the ice dams
sit there, and that can be substantial weight hanging there. I am a welder,
and can make quality 1" x 1" hanging supports that will drill into the
rafters on one side, and the roof beams on the other. They WILL support the
weight, but I anticipate that when the gutters get full, it will start
melting into the fascia which is what I want to avoid. Not a big problem
about leaves, as the gutters are high up where few leaves blow in.

Does anyone here use heat strips in their gutters? Any tips or advice
appreciated.

Steve


I used them long ago. They worked fine, but can be expensive to run,
especially if you're not there to turn them on and off. Generally you
have to zig-zag them up onto the roof too, to make channels in the ice
for water to flow, and down the downspouts as well.

Any chance of adding insulation and ventilation to prevent the ice
dams? Generally they are caused by heat from inside melting snow on
the roof, which then refreezes at night and the cycle repeats until
everything is clogged with ice. If you can keep the roof cold by
blocking heat loss from below or improving ventilation under the roof,
you can usually minimize the problem.

HTH,

Paul

"Paul Franklin" wrote

I used them long ago. They worked fine, but can be expensive to run,
especially if you're not there to turn them on and off.

I would have them set to timers, as we are not there through the winter.
When we visit, I can kick them on and let them melt what they can.

Generally you
have to zig-zag them up onto the roof too, to make channels in the ice
for water to flow, and down the downspouts as well.


Sounds good.

Any chance of adding insulation and ventilation to prevent the ice
dams? Generally they are caused by heat from inside melting snow on
the roof, which then refreezes at night and the cycle repeats until
everything is clogged with ice. If you can keep the roof cold by
blocking heat loss from below or improving ventilation under the roof,
you can usually minimize the problem.


Nah. The roof is a sandwich of a layer of wood, a layer of styrofoam with
foil insulation, then the metal roofing material. I will have to see how
the snow behaves on the new metal roof. The other was shingles. I probably
need to position the gutter precisely under the overhang so that falling
sheets of snow and ice fall completely off the roof, and not merely land in
the gutter. That would lessen the amount in the gutter. Yet, it would have
to be positioned so that it would catch the good summer thunderstorms we
have. Just have to fool with it during installation.

Steve

HTH,

Paul