Plan ahead during the year before winter brings too much of the white stuff – snow and ice.
Oh the seasons.
Roof de-icing installation work is mostly limited to spring, summer and fall.
Our winter services include high capacity steam de-icing, downspout and pipe thawing and ice column removal. During the warmer months our services include moss removal, gutter and downspout cleaning, de-icing system testing and troubleshooting.
I look forward to providing a comprehensive solution to your deicing and needs.
Roof De-icing Systems
We specialize in the design and installation of extruded aluminum roof de-icing systems, high-angle rope work, roof and gutter cleaning and steam de-icing during the winter.
De-icing systems are a gray area of electrical work. Any contractor is allowed to install heat tape and de-icing. These are mostly low temperature, intrinsically safe products despite being 120 or 240-volt. A licensed electrician is required to install the powering circuits and make the connection between the electrical system and the de-icing system. What typically happens, is when things don’t work properly, the electrician says “the powering is good” and the heat tape installer throws up their hands and says “the breaker is tripping, that is an electrical issue”. In reality, installing a system that works properly and can be energized at any temperature takes meticulous planning, design and attention to detail.
Every structure is different and every situation is different and ice dams form for many reasons.
The first step is to gather information about the environment, location, elevation and roofing system design.
I am a strong believer in thermal imaging. It does a good job of identifying defects in insulation, thermal bridging and hot spots due to recessed lighting, ductwork and air infiltration. It also is useful for locating areas where ice damming has caused moisture to penetrate the structure. We can even arrange for an aerial survey by drone-mounted thermal imaging camera for large properties if desired. We also suggest data logging surveys of attic spaces to get real-world information about temperature, humidity and ventilation efficiency.
If a roofing material has already sustained substantial damage, it will be necessary to have those areas repaired or replaced by a reputable roofer. De-icing systems are very effective at protecting a good roof but cannot fix a damaged roof.
All of this information takes the guesswork out of a de-icing system and lets us focus our efforts in areas that will build ice. This philosophy of doing only what is necessary minimizes both installed cost and the long-term cost of operation.
Roofs and Deicing: We primarily focus on installing extruded aluminum deicing systems.
- We test and service all types of existing installations.
- We offer both snow sensor triggered automation and time-based automation of deicing systems.
- We remove moss, clean gutters and downspouts, and inspect for ice damage.
- We offer environmental monitoring of attic spaces, moisture testing, thermal Imaging, and heat loss surveys.
- We own specialized equipment that is associated with deicing work.
- Two single axle job trailers.
- Many fiberglass extension ladders with levelers.
- Sioux high capacity enclosed deicing trailer. Ice damn removal—680,000 BTU
- North Star open trailer/steam pressure washer. This is used to safely remove hanging ice columns.
- Doosan rotary screw diesel air compressor. This is a 100-psi unit used for gutter and downspout cleaning.
- Air tools, lines, hose reels, and blowers and roof-mounted regulators.
- Many feet of static line, steel carabiners, ice screws, descenders, ascenders, tower rated harnesses, straps, webbing, etc.
- Two thermal imaging cameras.
- Two Insulation testers.
- Leakage current meter.
