Five minutes at the loft hatch with a decent torch is the most productive inspection available to any household, and it requires nobody to set foot in the roof space.
This is the complete list, in the order worth doing it.
Before you open it
Have a proper torch rather than a phone light — the beam matters more than the brightness. Open the hatch and pay attention to the smell in the first few seconds, before it fades. Then let your eyes adjust for a moment rather than sweeping about immediately.
The checklist
- Daylight. Any light showing where there should be none, particularly along the eaves. The single most valuable finding, and the easiest to see
- The insulation surface. Flattened tracks, a hollow or bowl, batts pushed off the joists, loose fibres scattered on top
- Droppings. Where they are, more than what they are — concentrations, trails, clusters near the eaves
- Nesting material. Shredded fibre, torn paper or textile, a worked bowl
- Food debris. Nut shells, acorn caps, fruit stones. Nothing else brings food into a roof
- Gnawing on timber. Pale fresh marks against weathered surfaces
- Cable. Along the tops of joists near the hatch — bright copper, white inner sheathing showing, anything that looks chewed
- Pipework and tanks. Lagging stripped or scattered, a tank lid displaced
- The underside of the roof. Staining, sagging or torn felt, daylight through the covering
- Stored belongings. Boxes opened, textiles pulled out, anything disturbed
Rake the torch low. Sweeping the beam across the insulation at a shallow angle throws shadows into tracks, hollows and droppings. Pointing it straight down flattens everything and shows almost nothing.
What to photograph
Everything on the list that you find, plus a general shot in each direction from the hatch for context. Put something in the frame for scale where it matters — a coin beside droppings or gnaw marks. Photographs are what make a phone conversation productive.
Do not climb in. Most Hadleigh lofts are unboarded, the insulation hides the joists, and a foot between them goes through the ceiling. Everything on this list is visible from the opening.
If the loft is boarded or converted
Then most of the list is not visible, and that is worth saying when you call rather than concluding there is nothing to find. A boarded loft hides the insulation, the cable runs and most of the evidence, and the activity is frequently in the void beyond the boarded area rather than under it.
Where the hatch is
Worth mentioning too. A hatch on a landing is straightforward; one inside an airing cupboard, in a bedroom wardrobe or above a stair well is not, and clearing the route to it beforehand saves time on the day.
Questions
What if I cannot see anything at all?
It is a common outcome and does not mean much. The visible part of a loft is a small fraction of it, particularly where the insulation is deep.
Is it safe to put my head up there?
From the hatch, with the ladder secure, yes. Climbing in and walking about on an unboarded ceiling is not.
Should I take a photograph of everything?
Yes — it costs nothing and it is what makes the phone call productive.
Squirrel Control Hadleigh
Squirrel control in Hadleigh 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 Hadleigh, call 01502 630 122, or read the Hadleigh squirrel control page.