There is a category of case where everything is done correctly on one property and the noise carries on regardless, and the reason is structural: the roof space is not yours alone.
What a shared roof space is
In a great many terraces, semis and converted flats, the void above the ceilings is continuous across more than one dwelling. Sometimes there is no separation at all. More often there is a party wall that was built up to ceiling level and stopped short of the roof covering, leaving a gap above it.
Either way an animal entering at one end can move freely along the terrace, and the entry point may be several doors from the household hearing the noise.
The kinds of property affected
- Older terraces, where roof spaces were frequently never divided
- Semi-detached pairs, where a party wall often stops at ceiling level
- Converted flats, particularly conversions of a single house, where the roof was left as one volume
- Purpose-built blocks with a continuous void over several dwellings
- Linked garages and outbuildings, which can connect roof lines between properties
The clearest sign is direction. Noise that seems to come from beyond an internal wall, or that is loudest against the party wall rather than an outside one, points at a shared space — as does a careful survey of your own roof that finds nothing at all.
Why it matters practically
Because the sensible unit of work becomes the building rather than the house. Closing the openings on one property in a continuous run achieves very little if the way in is four doors along, and it can make matters worse by concentrating the traffic elsewhere.
It also changes who needs to be involved. In a terrace that means a conversation with neighbours. In a converted or purpose-built block it usually means the freeholder or the managing agent, because the roof and the structure are commonly their responsibility rather than the leaseholder's.
How to approach it
- Establish whether the space is shared. A look from your own hatch will often show whether the party wall goes all the way up
- Ask the neighbours whether they are hearing anything. It is a short conversation and it frequently resolves the whole question
- Survey the whole run, not just your own frontage
- Involve the freeholder or agent where the building is in flats
- Coordinate the work rather than each household acting alone, which is both cheaper and considerably more likely to succeed
Felixstowe's housing
The town has a substantial amount of terraced property and a large number of conversions, particularly in the older residential streets. Both make this a more common finding here than on a modern estate, and both are worth raising at the outset rather than after the first round of work.
Questions
How do I tell if my roof space is shared?
Look from the hatch towards the party wall. If the brickwork stops short of the roof covering, the space is connected.
Who pays in a block of flats?
The roof and structure are commonly the freeholder's responsibility, so the managing agent is usually the right first call.
Should I still close my own openings?
Generally yes, and it will not on its own resolve a shared-space problem. That needs the run treating as one building.
Squirrel Control Felixstowe
Squirrel control in Felixstowe is £280 fixed cost. Proofing work, where it is needed afterwards, is £180. Call 01502 630 122 and tell us what you have heard or seen.
For squirrel control in Felixstowe, call 01502 630 122, or read the Felixstowe squirrel control page.