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That chat with my roofer about ice dam heat cables changed my mind
Was up on the roof last October with Dave from Apex Roofing fixing a loose shingle, and he pointed out where ice dams had formed the winter before. He said he's seen $2,000 in gutter damage from people running heat cables wrong and told me to just insulate the attic better instead. Now I'm wondering if anyone in Edmonton has tried that foam board trick along the eaves with good results?
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baker.holly1mo ago
Used to think heat cables were the easy fix, figured just plug them in and you're good. But Dave really drilled it into me that you're just melting a path while the rest of the ice piles up heavier. My neighbor went the cable route two winters ago and ended up with a chunk of ice sliding off and taking a gutter with it. That foam board trick only works if the attic is actually sealed up tight, which I'm learning the hard way. Now I'm checking for air leaks before I even think about insulation.
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ward.jamie1mo ago
Haven't you found that heat cables just give you a false sense of security? I had a neighbor who went with the foam board route and still ended up with ice problems because the rest of the attic wasn't sealed right. It's a band-aid if you don't fix the air leaks first.
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