How to Heat an Attic to Get Rid of Snow

Heating your attic can melt the snow from your roof.

Allowing snow to build up on your roof can result in serious roof damage from the weight of the snow, which is why it's important to remove the snow from your roof. If you have a taller home, this can be a bigger challenge because you won't be able to reach all of the snow with a roof rake. Heating your attic can help melt the snow and keep your roof clear of snow in the winter.

Things You'll Need

• Metal ducts
• Duct cap
• Baseboard heaters
• Insulation

Instructions

1. Expand the metal ducts from your basement up to your attic. You can do this by installing a T-joint piece in the basement ductwork and feeding a new duct up to the attic through an interior wall. Cover the end of the duct with a duct cap. This allows you to keep the duct closed when you don't need to melt snow and open when you do. Closing it when you don't need it saves energy and money.

2. Install an electric baseboard heater in your attic. This heater operates with electricity and doesn't tap into your home heating system. You can use it independently when it's needed for melting roof snow. Keep all insulation away from the baseboard to avoid starting a fire.

3. Change the insulation configuration in the attic to allow some of the heat to seep through the roof to melt the snow. Thin out thick insulation underneath the roof. To compensate, add an extra layer or two of insulation to the floor of the attic to retain heat in the living space below.

Tips & Warnings

• Take additional steps to avoid ice dams, such as installing heating wires along the edges of your roof, if you use attic heat to melt the snow.

References

• Houselogic: Heating and Cooling Your Attic Remodel