How thick are the Invizimelt panels once installed?

Invizimelt panels have a finished installed height of ¼ inch. This low profile means metal roofing panels, membrane, and other roof coverings lay completely flat over the Invizimelt system with no visible ridges or bumps in the finished roof. The ¼ inch height also provides ample surface for nailing and screwing metal roof panels — installers do not need to work around fastener locations when installing the roofing material over the panels.

Can Invizimelt handle complex roof geometries — valleys, crickets, dormers?

Yes. The Invizimelt panel system is modular — panels come in different sizes and configurations that can be assembled to cover eaves, valleys, crickets, dormers, and other non-standard roof features. The modular format allows the system to be customized to any roof pitch or layout without cutting or fabricating custom components on site.

What is included in an Invizimelt system?

A complete Invizimelt system includes the aluminum panels in the sizes required for the project, Tuff Cable low-voltage heating element cut to length, aluminum tape for panel coverage, a control unit with monitoring functions, automatic snow and ice detection activator, and project specifications. Custom installation layout drawings from Heatizon’s design team are also available for some projects. The step-down transformer is sized and specified as part of the system design. Heatizon provides full project design assistance and technical support as part of every system.

How far up the roof does Invizimelt need to extend?

The Invizimelt system is designed to heat from the drip edge up to the point where interior building heat is already warming the roof from below — the zone where snow naturally melts on its own. This design eliminates cold spots between the heated eave zone and the warm upper roof, preventing meltwater from refreezing mid-roof before it can drain. Unlike cable-on-roof systems that only heat a narrow strip at the eave, Invizimelt provides continuous coverage across the full ice dam risk zone. Heatizon’s design team specifies the exact panel coverage area based on roof geometry, insulation values, and local snowfall data.

Can Invizimelt be retrofitted to an existing roof?

Yes. Invizimelt can be retrofitted to existing roofs in two ways: panels can be installed over the roof edge shingle, sitting on top of the existing roofing at the eave line, or they can be installed under the roof edge shingle by lifting and relaying the lower courses of roofing material. The over-shingle retrofit method requires no shingle removal and is the faster installation — the panels are visible at the eave but concealed once any fascia or trim is in place. Both methods result in a fully functional, listed deicing system without a full re-roof.

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.