Salt Lake City gutters are easy victims of winter weather, particularly along the roof where the snow melts and then begins to build up ice dams. This can cause leaks in the roof–not something you want to deal with in the dead of January. The best way to prevent an ice dam is to melt the ice in your rain gutters.

First, clear your gutters of leaves and debris if you haven’t already done so (hopefully you did this in the fall before the snow came.) Now, find the length of the gutters and downspouts and buy six times that amount in heating coils (e.g. if the length is 100 feet, purchase 600 feet of coil). Make sure the coils come with installation clips; if they’re not included, buy them separately.

Begin at the outlet that will power the coils. As there is no on/off switch on the coil itself, you will need to plug and unplug the coil manually–unless, of course, the outlet is connected to a switch in the house. Zig zag the coils along the edge of the roof where it meets the gutter, taking the coils at least one foot up the roof. Space your pattern evenly. This creates channels for the melting water to get to the gutters. Lay four runs of heating coils along the gutter base and down the downspout. Now plug in your coils whenever you have snow collecting on your roof, and you’re good to go.

In cold places like Salt Lake City, gutter protection through devices like heating coils can keep your home from being damaged.