We have this 35' long ramp to enter our house. In the winter time it's like a ski slope. It's impossible to remove snow because there's a little edge all around it, plus, the texture of the aluminum is a nightmare! So I thought I would try something. I ordered a 60' heat tape-the kind that keeps your water line from freezing in the winter if you have above ground water service.
Here's the beginning. This is what the underside looks like. I left enough slack in the heat tape so it would reach the electrical outlet-see I planned!I didn't plan on the edges though. And there's a brace in the center-I'm not sure if I should go the full width of the top deck or half at a time.....
I poke the heat tape into the grooves-it stays in place pretty well while I rip off the tape and stick it on.It takes a lot more heat tape than I thought!!! I did each half instead of going the full width. See this is the top side. I didn't know that each plank of aluminum had a big edge on the bottom side.
So here we go, once I get going it goes fairly quick.
I'm not going to have enough heat tape to go down the ramp though. I had enough to fully cover the top platform area right outside the door though.
I used the entire roll of tape-cut into sections-to do this part. I'll need to buy another heat tape to do the rest, but I think this will make a good test! It snowed a few inches the other day-really early snow-and so I went out and plugged it in. And YAY! The snow was melted and the deck was dry! SO the heat tape is plugged in now and I'm waiting for a good snow!
I'm not going to have enough heat tape to go down the ramp though. I had enough to fully cover the top platform area right outside the door though.
I used the entire roll of tape-cut into sections-to do this part. I'll need to buy another heat tape to do the rest, but I think this will make a good test! It snowed a few inches the other day-really early snow-and so I went out and plugged it in. And YAY! The snow was melted and the deck was dry! SO the heat tape is plugged in now and I'm waiting for a good snow!
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