WHMA-120-0205 reviewed by IDesign R. of Brampton, ON

I'm very pleased with the performance of this system.

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I'm very pleased with the performance of this system. It keeps the walkways of the patio clear of snow and ice without requiring any intervention on my part. There are a couple of "tricky" aspects to installing it under interlocking bricks. Keeping it flat while adding 1" of screening on top requires something to hold the mesh down due to the wire being fairly thick and having been rolled up in shipping. Changing heights (step downs, stairs) requires planning and access through retaining walls, etc. such that installing the wire may need to be done concurrently to the stone work being done. Last point to consider is that because the heating wires keep the area around them warmer than the rest of the patio there is a differential of frost heaving between the unheated and heated part of the patio. In my case what happened is the ground froze long before any snow or freezing rain fell, so the first time the system came on, the moisture in the lime screening under the pavers melted and this caused a localized drop in the screenings causing the pavers to be left suspended in the air. Two things to mention about what this meant. The pavers were not in direct contact with the heating wires so it appeared that the system wasn't working. to fix this issue, I walked on the heated area and the pavers dropped down to make contact with the screenings and the system then started to work as expected. The dropped pavers (1/8"~3/16") do create a visible line on the patio over the winter but in spring, it evens out again. I say all this not as criticism but rather to inform potential buyers what to expect so there are fewer unwanted surprises. I am extremely happy with the system and resulting clear paths that allow easy access to the BBQ, spa and bird feeders in the winter. Highly recommend the "practical indulgence" of installing a system like this.

Item Reviewed:

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