During the harsh winter months snow and ice hit every part of your home hard, but your roof feels the effects of winter the hardest. Snow, sleet, and changing temperatures can lead to ice damming which is a serious issue for many Bend, OR homeowners.

What is an Ice Dam?

An ice dam is the ridge of ice that forms along the edge of a roof. When an ice dam forms melting snow can not drain properly. This can lead to:

• Ice dam leaks from backed up water leaking into your home damaging walls, floors, ceilings, insulation, and more
• Gutters and downspouts becoming damaged or pulling away from your home under the prolonged weight of ice and snow

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This winter many people in our own office have experienced ice dams and property damage as a result of complications due to icy buildup. For some the damage caused will take months to fully resolve!

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At Webfoot we believe that fortune favors the prepared. So we set out to find a solution that would prevent ice dams from forming in the first place. Our research led us to heat cables (aka heat tape) that can be easily installed along the edges of roofs as well as in gutters and downspouts. There are heat cables sold in big box stores, but many of those options are poorly made and are not energy efficient. The company we found and are recommending to our customers is only available online, but it offers some impressive benefits, including:

• A high quality design with a 16-gauge tinned-copper wire core and a second layer of braided tinned-copper mesh to effectively distribute heat throughout the wires
• An outer jacket made of UV-resistant, rugged polyolefin for maximum durability
• A 5-year manufacturer’s warranty
• Easy to installation
• Conveniently plugs into a standard outlet
• An energy efficient design that self-regulates its temperature

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That last feature is a big deal! Most heat cables are either ‘on’ or ‘off’, which can result in needlessly high electrical bills if the temperatures rise and the system is still running.

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Let’s do what we can to protect our homes and avoid the stress and expense of damage caused by ice dams in the future! Ready to protect your home with custom-fitted heat cables this winter? Call 541-390-0590 to get an estimate.  Ice dam prevention the Webfoot Way!

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* Your roof must be clear of ice to install.  Webfoot now offers ice dam removal using steam powered equipment.