How is Invizimelt installed on a new roof?

On new construction, Invizimelt panels are attached to the roof deck along eaves, valleys, crickets, dormers, and other ice dam-prone areas. Tuff Cable is snapped into the panel channels and covered with aluminum tape, which directs 100% of the heat upward through the panel. Ice/Water shield is applied over the Invizimelt system, the Tuff Cable is marked, to ensure it is not punctured. Finally, the roofing material — metal, membrane, or other covering — is then installed directly over the panels. At ¼ inch finished height, the panels create no visible ridges or bumps in the finished roof surface, and provide ample nailing and fastening surface for the roofing contractor.

Does Invizimelt work on decks as well as roofs?

Yes. Invizimelt panels can be installed under deck surfaces as well as roofing materials — particularly where a solid subfloor is being used and the deck surface is stone, or some other continuous material needing a snow/ice melting system.
For snow melting systems for decks that installs on joists, please see our Deck Pan Heating System.

What roofing materials is Invizimelt compatible with?

Invizimelt is compatible with all roofing materials — including standing seam metal roofing, corrugated metal, membrane roofing, slate, asphalt shingles, and composite shingles. It is the only listed system approved for installation under metal roofing surfaces. For non-metal shingle applications such as asphalt or wood shake where no panel system is needed, ZMesh is the recommended alternative — it lays directly under shingles without any panel or heatsink.

Why use aluminum panels rather than a cementitious heatsink?

Aluminum transfers heat significantly faster than cementitious materials such as concrete or mortar. When Tuff Cable is covered with aluminum tape inside the Invizimelt panel, 100% of the cable’s heat output is directed upward into the panel surface — none is lost downward into the substrate below. A cementitious heatsink absorbs and stores heat more slowly and loses some of it downward into the sub-roof. Invizimelt’s aluminum construction means the system reaches operating temperature faster, responds more quickly to changing weather conditions, and uses energy more efficiently.

What is Invizimelt and what does it do?

Invizimelt is Heatizon’s patented aluminum panel system for under-roof and under-deck deicing. Tuff Cable low-voltage heating cable snaps directly into the aluminum panels, which are then installed beneath the roofing or decking material — completely concealed from view. The aluminum panels act as a heatsink, rapidly distributing heat from the cable across the full panel surface and up through the roofing material above, melting snow and ice from the eaves, valleys, and roof edge before ice dams can form. Invizimelt is for exclusive use with Heatizon’s Tuff Cable.

What roofing materials is Tuff Cable compatible with?

Tuff Cable installed in Invizimelt Panels is compatible with all roofing materials — including metal roofing, non-metal shingles (asphalt, composite, wood shake, tile), membranes, valley metal, flashing, and metal drip edges. This makes Tuff Cable the more versatile of Heatizon’s two under-roof heating elements: where ZMesh is limited to non-conductive materials, Tuff Cable embedded in a heatsink works under any roof covering.

What is the Invizimelt Panel and how does Tuff Cable work with it?

Invizimelt is Heatizon’s patented aluminum panel system designed for under-roof deicing. Tuff Cable snaps into the Invizimelt Panel channels, which then act as a heatsink — distributing heat evenly across the panel surface and up through the roofing material above. The aluminum construction provides rapid, efficient heat transfer compared to cementitious heatsink materials. Invizimelt Panels are modular, available in different sizes to fit varying roof pitches and valleys, and can be installed on new construction or retrofitted over the roof edge on existing roofs.

Is Tuff Cable listed for installation under metal roofing?

Yes. Tuff Cable, installed in Heatizon’s Invizimelt Panel, is the only listed system for snow and ice melting under metal roofing, valley metal, flashing, and metal drip edges. This under-metal-roof listing is covered under UL Standard 1588 and ETL certified — the same standard that makes Heatizon’s products the only under-roof systems compliant with NEC Article 426. Tuff Cable must always be fully embedded in the Invizimelt Panel for metal roof applications — it cannot be laid directly against metal roofing surfaces without a heatsink material.

Can Tuff Cable be installed in hot-pour asphalt?

Yes. Tuff Cable is the only low-voltage heating cable designed to withstand hot-pour asphalt installation. Its 10-gauge coated copper construction and chemical resistance allow it to survive the temperatures and chemical composition of freshly poured asphalt — making it the only practical low-voltage option for new asphalt driveway and roadway snow melting applications. In a two-pour asphalt installation, Tuff Cable is laid on the binder or base coat layer, and the final asphalt surface layer is poured directly over it.

Is Tuff Cable UL listed and what standards does it meet?

Yes. Tuff Cable is listed by Intertek (ETL) — an OSHA-recognized Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory — to UL and CSA standards for snow and ice melting on surfaces and roofs, and for interior floor heating applications. Together with ZMesh, Tuff Cable is one of only two products in the world authorized under UL Standard 1588 for snow and ice melting installed under roofing materials. All Heatizon systems are designed to ASHRAE standards for heating load calculation and energy efficiency.