Warmup Electric Snow Melting Mat systems are also a big improvement over loose-cable snowmelt systems, which require the installer to secure the cable to something to hold it in place. For me, this usually meant installing a 6” x 6” wire grid and securing the cable to the grid with plastic wire ties. This is time-consuming work! And the result could be uneven melting if your work was not meticulous. Snow-melting mat systems solve this problem.

After trying a few different mat snow-melting systems, we recently began working with a company called Warmup. Warmup has a reputation for quality and innovation with heating and snow-melting solutions. They offer a wide range of easy to install snow-melting systems involving electrical mats and cables connected to special sensors that monitor and control the system according to outside environmental conditions.

The Warmup Snow Melting System is a lot easier and faster to install than the cables and grid method. The mats lay out faster, and a lot easier, plus they provide consistent melting coverage.

Electrical systems, like the one featured in this article, are often best installed when renovating an old walkway, patio, or driveway, or installing new ones. The system heats up the paving material, maintaining a temperature just above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

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The Warmup Snow-Melt Mat: Overview and Features

As mentioned above, Warmup electric snow-melting mats are simple and less expensive to install than cable systems or hydronic snow-melting systems.

They are designed for, and effective at, melting snow in the following areas:

Driveways
Walkways
Stairs
Patios

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A Warmup mat system is rated both for residential and commercial-grade applications and is easy to install thanks to its a single point of connection and simple controls. All you need is a mat, a control, and a power source. (Compare that to a boiler-fired glycol-based hydronic system.) To make things go more easily and quickly, Warmup’s twin conductor heating cable is factory-connected with a sturdy mesh polypropylene mat. The heating cables are installed in a meandering fashion so that they are equally spaced (3” apart) and evenly distributed on the mat. The 3” cable spacing provides 50 watts of heat per square foot resulting in consistent, even melting. This makes it easy to roll out the mat and install the product correctly.

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Additional Features

In addition to the speed and ease of installation, Warmup offers some additional features:

Versatile installation under asphalt, concrete, or pavers
Energy efficient twin-conductor heating cable of 1/4” (6mm)
10-Year Warranty
Approval: CSA-us

Heating Cable Specifications:

Warmup’s heating cable consists of a resistance-heating element insulated with Fluoropolymer and Polyolefin-based compound, having high dielectric strength and good temperature resistance, which makes the heating cable totally safe.

A metallic sheath is provided to give additional mechanical strength and provide ground path. A final outer jacket of Zero Halogen Polyolefin based compound is given to make the cable sturdier and provide corrosion protection.

Voltage: Mats: 120V / 240V - Cable: 240V only
Output: 120W/ linear foot
Max Temperature: 464°F (240°C)
Cold Tail Length: 16’-4”
Cable Thickness: 3/8”

Warmup Snow-Melting Mat Applications

Warmup snow-melting mats are uniquely designed for parking lots, driveways, patios, pavement, and stairs. They are suitable for embedding under concrete, asphalt, or pavers, but there are a few specifics to be aware of in each case:

Under PAVERS - The Mats should be covered with 2” of sand and not be buried more than 4” underground, including the thickness of the pavers.

Under ASPHALT - The Warmup mat cable is the only cable that can withstand direct contact with hot asphalt until the asphalt cools. Do not use rollers that weigh more than two tons, however; in fact, hand rolling is preferred.

Under CONCRETE - Ensure the pour is not more than 4” thick. To ensure that the mats stay with-n the 4-inch depth I use zip ties and fasten the mat to a 6x6 metal grid, re-mesh or wire mesh. This allows me to shim up or lower the mat as needed to maintain the proper depth in poured concrete.

Tip: To maintain proper mat depth, the grid height can be maintained with bricks or pulled lower during pour.