I'll just jump in here for a minute.
While you are out of work, spend some time doing research.
Use the key words 'diy heat mat with rope lights' and you will see several folks who have made this.
Be careful not to buy the 'cool' type lights; you want the ones that get warm/hot.
There is a good discussion in the comment section on this page:
https://www.google.com/imghp?h...
