Commercial Roof Heating, UK factory
PROJECT: Manufacturing Roof Heating System in UK
Heat Mat worked with an architect and construction firm to install a roof heating system at a factory in the UK, to prevent risk of ice and snow buildup on a new extension. A roof heating system was a more cost effective solution than reinforcing the roof and installation caused minimal disruption to the businesses' productivity.
The site:
Heat Mat was contacted by the manufacturing plant's chosen designer, prior to scoping out an extension adjacent to an existing factory unit. The new proposed building was likely to lead to an increased risk of snowdrifts forming on the existing roof, due to it being significantly higher than the existing roofline. The existing roof was abutting the new wall and was not structurally strong enough to withstand the increased load presented by a snowdrift. The cost of reinforcing the existing roof to cope with the weight of a snowdrift was prohibitive, and any reinforcement work would have also led to significant downtime, affecting the productivity of the business.
The system:
Heat Mat was able to specify and supply a bespoke snowdrift melting system which could be easily installed onto the roof, meaning that there was no disruption to the running of the manufacturing unit. The retrospective installation was carried out directly onto the existing roof, using a custom method to attach the cables without penetrating the roof structure. In addition to the snowdrift melting system an appropriate gutter heating solution was installed to ensure that all melt water flowed away without incident.
The system is controlled by a fully automated device, monitoring air temperature and the moisture level on the roof, in order to ensure that the system automatically turns on when required, but also minimises energy usage by switching the system back off when the risk of a snowdrift has passed.
