Where Are Squirrels Getting Into the Roof of My Huntingdon Home?

A modern roof is tighter than a period one: closed eaves, felt or breathable membrane under the tiles, dry fixings rather than mortar. It has its own weak points, and they are specific.

Dry Verge and Dry Ridge Systems

Modern roofs increasingly use plastic dry verge units at the gable and dry ridge systems along the top, instead of mortar. They are better in most respects and they have one failure mode: units come loose, crack, or blow off.

• A missing verge unit, most often the bottom one at the eaves end, which is the most exposed
• A cracked or lifted unit anywhere along the run
• A dry ridge closure that has come away at the end
• The junction between the verge and the fascia at the bottom of the run

uPVC Soffits and Fascias

Universal on modern property and generally sound, with two weaknesses: corners, where two lengths meet and leave a small gap, and the junction where the soffit meets the wall, particularly on a replacement fitted over older timber.

uPVC is also gnawable. A squirrel will enlarge a small gap in it, and the result is obvious — rough chewed plastic with a ragged edge.

Dormers, Rooflights and Junctions

• Dormer cheeks, and where the dormer roof meets the main roof
• Around a rooflight, at the flashing and the tile courses
• Where a lower roof meets a wall — over a porch, a bay, a garage or a single-storey element. Very common on modern housing
• Valleys, particularly on complex modern roof shapes with several planes
• Around a soil vent pipe or a boiler flue terminal

And Something Worth Checking

If the property is new enough to be within a warranty period, photograph what you find before you pay anybody to fix it. A missing dry verge unit or a soffit that does not close to the wall is a construction matter, and it is worth raising with the developer first.

Proofing a Modern Roof

• Usually fewer points than an older roof, and often a shorter job
• Metal, not filler. Foam and sealant are gnawed through, and uPVC patching is not a barrier
• Replace missing verge units rather than meshing over the gap, where that is what is wrong
• Keep the ventilation. Modern roofs are designed to breathe and blocking eaves ventilation causes condensation
• After the roof space is confirmed clear, never before