Stratford, Ontario – 2024
This article will analyze and recount a case of a squirrel entering the attic of a roof that was in severe disrepair. While the squirrel was removed successfully only a few months later, another one got back in. This activity will continue until the necessary work is done to protect the roof from wildlife who are constantly trying to enter attics and roofs.
This visit is located in Stratford, Ontario.
The technicians, before the work is done, must first inspect and confer with the customer or customers on the issue and then must inspect for the source, which in this case was the many accessible entry ways into the roof that were present. While the technician did their best to exclude animal entry, the necessary exclusion of the rotten and broken-down drip edge was never performed. A one-hundred-foot area filled with holes, easy to break through, and easy to enter drip edge was never sealed over, leaving the house in danger of animal ingress. While exclusion can be expensive, it is a necessity. Unless your plan is to redo the roof, you will have to get everything the technician says must be done, or this situation will never end.
Stratford, Ontario: A Picturesque Shakespearean Village
Stratford is a charming city nestled on the Avon River in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It’s famous for its Stratford Festival, where you can catch modern and Shakespearean plays in different theatres. The city is also a treasure trove of Victorian architecture, with landmarks like Stratford City Hall and the Perth County Courthouse, and if you’re a nature lover, you’ll be delighted by the city’s many parks and gardens, especially the Shakespearean Gardens, which feature plants that inspired the famous playwright. Oh, and don’t miss the Gallery Stratford, which showcases a collection of Canadian art that’s sure to captivate your imagination.
Exterior Inspection
When the technician arrived on site, they performed an exterior inspection of the property and found activity: a massive number of entry ways from broken roof vents to one hundred feet of rotting and damaged drip edge. The squirrels’ initial entry way was through a roof vent, which is a common entry point for both squirrels, raccoons, and even rodents. The reason for this is simply what roof vents are made of: plastic. A raccoon can rip them clean off a roof; squirrels and rodents can chew holes through them. If there is anything you can do to protect your roof from wildlife and rodents, it’s to exclude your roof vents.
Initial Measures
The first step was to attach a one-way door to the main entry way the animal used to get in. The roof vent it entered through was sealed with a galvanized steel cage, and a one-way door was attached. The inspection revealed a great deal of openings that animals could use to enter; however, the full exclusion needed could not be done as money was an issue.
Proposed exclusion
The technician sealed off a massive number of existing holes in the drip edge as well as a roof vent, a siding gap, and a section of soffit. The work was extensive, but with the drip edge being so old, rotted, and water damaged, there was little that could be done without sealing off the entire one hundred feet other than wait for more animals to enter.
Conclusion
The technician excluded as much as he was allowed to based on the customer’s request. It was less than three months before our technician had to come back to remove another squirrel from the drip edge. When dealing with wildlife, there are no corners that can be cut; what the technician says goes. Or you will be seeing us again sooner than you think.
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Case Study: Squirrels Climb Through Roof Edge in Scarborough