Proofing is only as good as the survey in front of it. Close the one obvious opening and the next weakest becomes the weakest; survey the whole elevation and the job is finished.
This is what that survey actually consists of.
What is being looked for
Not one hole. Every point on the roof line where the construction gives way, whether it is currently in use or not. A used opening advertises itself; an unused one looks exactly like the sound roof around it, and it is the second sort that produces a recurrence three weeks later.
The elevations that get covered
Every elevation the approach route reaches, which in practice is usually all of them. Including — particularly including — the side nobody looks at: the gable against a boundary, the return behind the garage, the elevation facing the neighbour. Openings turn up there far more often than chance allows, because that is the quiet side.
The details that get checked
- The eaves run, end to end, on each elevation
- Both corners of each elevation, where the eaves turns onto a gable
- The verge on each gable, top to bottom
- Both ends of the ridge
- Every junction where a lower roof meets a wall
- Valleys, dormers, bay and porch roofs
- Vents, flues, soil pipes and any other penetration
- The covering itself, for slipped, lifted or missing tiles
- The condition of fascia and soffit, for softness as well as gaps
The evidence that gets used
- What the household reports. Times, which room, how long — the most valuable input there is, and free
- Rub marks and staining at a used opening
- Debris, on the ground, on sills, on low roofs and in the gutter
- Fresh gnawing, pale against weathered material
- What the loft shows — daylight at the edges, where the droppings concentrate, where the nest is
- Comparison between matching details at either end of the building, which is the most reliable single method
The household's own notes shorten the survey more than anything else. Which elevation, which end, what time — three facts that turn a whole-roof search into a targeted one, and nobody else can supply them.
Access
Most of the survey is external and at height, which is why it is done with access equipment suited to the property rather than off a household ladder. Some of it is from inside the roof space. Some of the most useful views — onto a lower roof, along a gutter — are from an upstairs window, which anybody can do beforehand.
What the survey produces
A list of points to close, a note of anything that needs a genuine repair rather than a closure, and a view on whether the roof space is shared with a neighbouring property. All three are worth having before the work rather than discovering during it.
Questions
Can I do the survey myself?
The ground-level half, yes, and it is genuinely useful. The detail at height needs proper access.
What if nothing is found?
Then the roof space is very possibly shared with a neighbouring property, which is a common finding and changes the approach.
How long does it take?
It depends on the roof. A simple modern roof line is quick; an extended period property with several junctions takes considerably longer.
Squirrel Control Stowmarket
Squirrel control in Stowmarket 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 Stowmarket, call 01502 630 122, or read the Stowmarket squirrel control page.