Self-regulating cable in the gutters, downspouts and roof edge that keeps melt water moving before it becomes an ice dam.
Every January the same thing happens on thousands of Wasatch Front homes: heat escaping through the attic melts snow on the upper roof, the water runs down to the cold eave, and it refreezes in the gutter. A few sunny days later there is a ridge of ice at the roof edge, water backing up under the shingles, icicles the size of fence posts, and a wet ceiling in the corner of the living room. North-facing eaves, bench homes in Cottonwood Heights and Draper, and anything in Park City, Alpine or Heber see it worst.
SwiftHand Gutters installs self-regulating heat cable in a zigzag along the roof edge, through the gutters and down each downspout so there is always an open channel for melt water. The cable draws more power where it is cold and less where it is warm, and it runs on a thermostat or a simple switch. We install it with new gutters, with gutter guards, or as a stand-alone retrofit on the eaves that give you trouble.
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Cable runs the length of the gutter and down every downspout. Keeps the gutter draining and the downspouts from freezing solid. The right choice where the roof itself does not build ice but the gutter does.
Adds a zigzag along the bottom two to three feet of the roof so ice dams cannot form at the eave. The standard system for north-facing eaves and homes that have had water intrusion.
Cable in roof valleys, around dormers and skylights, and in the channels of a metal roof where sliding snow piles up. Often paired with snow guards.
A roof-and-gutter sensor that switches the system on only when there is moisture and the temperature is near freezing. Cuts power use by more than half compared with a manual switch left on all winter.
We install self-regulating cable only. It changes its output along its length according to temperature, can be cut to length on site, and can overlap itself without overheating. Constant-wattage cable, the kind sold in hardware-store kits, runs at full power regardless of conditions, cannot be cut, and is the type that fails or scorches after a few winters.
Heat tape manages the symptom. The cause of most ice dams is heat loss through the attic: thin insulation, unsealed can lights, bathroom fans venting into the attic, and poor ridge and soffit ventilation. If you have a serious, recurring dam we will point you to the attic first. Heat tape then becomes the safety net on the eaves that still ice because of shade, roof geometry or a room over the garage.
01
We look for the eaves that build ice, the downspouts that freeze and the valleys that hold snow, and size the system to those areas rather than the whole roof.
02
Cable length and wattage are calculated, and we confirm you have a GFCI-protected outdoor circuit or arrange one with a licensed electrician.
03
Cable is clipped to the shingles in a zigzag, laid in the gutter, dropped down each downspout and connected to the controller. No adhesive, no roof penetrations.
04
We power the system, confirm it warms evenly, and show you how the thermostat or sensor works before the first storm.
Heat tape is only as good as the installation. Cable that is stretched, kinked, laid on top of a guard or run without a thermostat is the reason people say it does not work.
Commercial-grade cable that adjusts its own output, cut to length on site and rated for years of Utah winters.
Cable is routed under micro-mesh guards or through heated-guard channels so the two systems work together.
Shingle clips instead of adhesive or nails, so nothing penetrates the roof.
Sensor-driven controllers switch the system on only when it is wet and cold.
Self-regulating cable draws roughly 6 to 8 watts per foot when cold. A 100-foot system on a sensor controller that runs 300 hours a winter costs about $25 to $40 in electricity at Utah rates. Left on a manual switch all winter it can cost several times that.
Not when it is installed with roof clips and self-regulating cable. Constant-wattage cable and adhesive installations are what cause scorching.
Yes. We route cable under micro-mesh or use guards with a built-in cable channel. Cable should never be laid on top of a guard.
It keeps the gutter and roof edge above freezing so melt water drains instead of dripping and refreezing, which eliminates most icicles along the treated eave.
The system plugs into or is hardwired to a GFCI-protected outdoor circuit. If you do not have one near the eave we coordinate with a licensed electrician.
Quality self-regulating cable lasts 10 to 20 years. We recommend a quick inspection each fall to check clips and connections.
Yes. Metal roofs shed snow in sheets, so we typically pair heat cable with snow guards to protect the gutters.
For a recurring ice dam, attic insulation and ventilation are the permanent fix and we will say so. Heat tape is the right choice for eaves that ice because of shade or geometry, and as insurance while attic work is scheduled.
