A Tuff Snow Job

By: Steve Smith

(Description of Heatizon Systems’ RPA Showcase Award Winning Project at the
Rothman Residence and Park City, UT)

You can count on two things when your home is located 8,500 feet or more above sea level in the Wasatch Mountains: snow and more snow.
To handle the snow loads on the roof of one 5,000-sq. ft., three-level home, electric radiant manufacturer Heatizon used a bronze mesh product called ZMesh, as well as its Tuff Cable embedded in a heat sink. The ZMesh is protected by a sandwich of ice and water shield, with composition asphalt shingle on the surface. The panel system allows for worry-free nailing. The ZMesh is energized by a step-down transformer, which produces a low voltage current that does not seek ground. The roof deicing system compromises approximately 520 sq. ft.
Meanwhile, a snow melting system using a low voltage resistance cable called Tuff Cable was embedded in the concrete in the window wells to prevent damage to the windows and interior finishes. There is approximately 400 sq. ft. of snowmelt in the window wells.