This invention relates to a device for melting ice and snow along the edge of roofs. Ice dams and icicles forming on building roofs near the outer edges, (eaves) or where two pitched surfaces of a roof meet, (valleys) and extending into the roof gutters are a significant source of damage to a building. These ice dams and icicles also create safety hazards. Ice dams form when snow on an inner or middle section of a roof melts and the melt water flows down to the outer section of the roof, where it then refreezes into ice. The heat formed within the building conducts through the roof to melt the snow on the middle portion of the roof. However, the outer edge of the roof extends outwardly beyond the outside wall of the building, and therefore is not heated by the heat formed within the building. Thus, the melted snow from the middle portion of the roof refreezes and accumulates on the outer edge portion of the roof and in the gutters, thereby forming ice dams.
These ice dams are known to cause leaks in roofs by allowing water to enter underneath the shingles of the roof and expand upon refreezing. This process forces the shingle away from the other shingles on the roof. The weight of ice dams and icicles can also tear a gutter, facia and soffit away from the building, causing costly repairs and/or a dangerous hazard.