Heat cable installation is the practical answer for roofs in Coeur d'Alene that will build ice no matter what you do in the attic. Think of a north-facing eave under a big ponderosa, a dormer valley that never sees sun, or a cabin roof with no room for ventilation.
We install self-regulating cable, the kind that puts out more heat as it gets colder and less as it warms up. It runs in a zigzag along the eave, into the gutter and down the inside of every downspout. The downspout run matters. A cable that stops at the gutter just moves the ice down a few feet and freezes the downspout solid, and then the gutter overflows and builds icicles anyway.
The cable goes on clips made for the roof type, so we never nail through shingles or screw through a metal panel. Electrical code calls for ground-fault protection on roof de-icing circuits, and we bring in an electrician for a dedicated circuit when one is needed.
A good setup runs on a thermostat or a switch you can see from inside, so it is not running all summer. We walk you through when to turn it on, usually before the first real snow, and when to shut it off in spring.
Heat cable does not fix the cause of ice dams. It manages them. If you want to fix the cause, ask about ice dam prevention.
