When you live somewhere that can experience some pretty harsh weather events, you know how susceptible your roof is to damage. It gets hit with direct sun in the summer, and rain, hail and snow during the cooler seasons. As a result, it’s important that you keep your gutter clear all year round to prevent buildup and unintended damage.

But that alone won’t protect your roof from weather damage, particularly during the winter. Winter presents the possibility of snow buildup and unseen ice dams obstructing your gutters, impeding proper drainage and exposing your roof to potential damages. So, how can you prevent these ice dams from occurring?

It may be a big early to begin thinking about snow, but there’s a lot to be said for being well-prepared! When winter does hit, snow will quickly collect on top of your house. Typically this isn’t a huge problem as long as your roof is properly sealed. But when temperatures begin to rise a bit, this snow begins to slowly melt, releasing water into gutters and downspouts. In the ideal situation, this process won’t be interrupted. But Mother Nature doesn’t quite work that way—temperatures fluctuate throughout the day and night.

As a result, ice melt can refreeze within your metal gutters, your eaves, roof edges, and in your downspouts. The more this happens, the more obstructed these passageways become, creating icy blockages that cause snow and ice melt to seep back under your roof shingles, causing decay and leaks. The bad news is that this could result in you needing a new roof once winter is over. The good news, however, is that it’s preventable!

A roof heat cable, which looks similar to an extension cord, is wrapped in heavily insulated rubber to make it moisture-proof and grounded. It’s placed around your roof edge and within your gutters, and when activated it radiates heat to help melt the ice before it even has the chance to collect. This means proper water drainage is possible all winter long. This prevents roof damage and even prevents icicles, which although pretty can actually be pretty dangerous.

Skip all the site hopping and countless hours in department stores; finding the perfect gift doesn’t have to be a hassle. We’ve put together a list of the best LED Christmas gifts for mom, dad, brother, sister, and any friend or family member. From custom-printed LED panel lights to rechargeable LED flashlights—we’ve got a great mix of LED lighting products that are sure to be a hit.

This LED strip light kit is great for cabinet lighting, under-cabinet lighting, cove lighting, bookshelf lighting, and any other hard-to-light space. The weatherproof kit comes with everything needed for installation: a 16 1/2″ plug-and-play LED light strip, push-button dimmer, remote, UL-Listed 12V power supply, and connection accessories. Designed to last 30,000 hours, the LED light strip is available in cool white, natural white, or warm white colors.

Perfect for students or late-night workaholics, this long-lasting LED desk lamp offers a lot in the way of customization. Four dimming levels (up to 170 lumens) are available at the tap of its touch-activated button, and the sleek LED lamp is fully adjustable for the perfect amount of light right where it’s needed.

This REDLINE® RC™ Rechargeable LED Flashlight is a gift that keeps on giving. Powered by a lithium-ion battery, the compact flashlight emits up to nine hours of powerful illumination, and its MagDock magnetic docking station provides a full charge in just two hours. Four different light intensities are available along with a strobe mode and 4x adjustable zoom. This durable little light is water and impact resistant with a non-slip grip, magnetic base, and an attached lanyard.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.

It’s cold throughout MD, VA, and DC now, but the weather will soon start to change. Before you know it, it’ll become warmer, which means you should begin thinking about attic fan installation. An attic fan is a ventilation fan that regulates the heat level of a building’s attic by exhausting hot air. It is similar to a kitchen fan but located in the attic of a home. An attic fan is usually connected to a switch or string that you can access from the top floor of your home. You may be surprised to learn about all the benefits of installing an attic fan in your home.

Attic fans are key to maintaining an energy-efficient home. Your air conditioning unit will have to work overtime if you allow rising heat to stay in your home instead of routing it up and out. This ultimately reduces the unit’s efficiency. An attic fan is an excellent home cooling option that also keeps your energy bill down in hot summer months.

An attic fan helps reduce the humidity, or overall moisture level, in a house. Daily household activities—showering and cooking, for example—create moisture that rises and can build up in the attic if the space isn’t properly ventilated. If you don’t take any action and allow this moisture to sit in the attic for an extended period, it will eventually create mold in the insulation and possibly even in the wood structure of the attic. This moisture can be especially damaging during the wintertime (now!) when cold turns it to ice or frost. The expansion of ice and frost can seriously damage your roof.

An attic fan helps combat moisture and transfers it out of the attic before it can cause serious damage to insulation, wood structure, and roofing materials. Now is the perfect time for attic fan installation—it will help prevent ice or frost from forming and damaging your roof, and you’ll need an attic fan for the warmer months anyways. Contact Kolb Electric for attic fan installation.

Here’s a question: are you currently leaving the windows of your home closed? Doing so could trap gas from your furnace or oil heater in your house. These combustion gases can be removed with the help of an attic fan.

This really is the perfect time to schedule attic fan installation. We’ve been serving Baltimore and Bethesda, MD as well as Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC since 1925. You can count on our experienced electricians to get the job done right the first time. Call us or contact us online for installation.