The control work is the part people ask about. The proofing visit is the part that decides whether the same conversation happens next autumn, and it is worth knowing what it involves.
When it happens
After the control work, once the roof space is confirmed clear. The interval is deliberate rather than administrative — it is what makes it possible to close the roof with confidence rather than hope, and the household's own observation of quiet mornings is a large part of the evidence.
What happens first
A survey of the whole elevation rather than the one known opening. The eaves run end to end, both corners, the verge on each gable, the ridge ends, junctions with lower roofs, vents and penetrations — on every elevation the approach route reaches. The point is to find the openings that are not in use as well as the one that was, because closing only the marked one is what produces a second hole a few feet away.
What gets done
- Openings closed in steel — heavy galvanised or stainless mesh of a small aperture, or metal eaves and soffit closures
- Mechanically fixed, screwed and clamped rather than glued, because fixings and edges are what get attacked rather than the material
- Dressed into the surrounding detail, so there is no edge to start on
- Ventilation maintained. A roof space has to breathe, so mesh of the right aperture is used rather than anything solid
- Mortar repair where a verge or ridge has failed, so the detail is sound rather than merely covered
What is not part of it
Roof repairs proper — re-tiling, replacing rotten fascia or soffit, renewing failed felt — are a roofer's job. So is clearing and replacing insulation, and so is any electrical work. Where a roof needs a genuine repair rather than a closure, saying so is more useful than meshing over a board that is failing anyway.
What is needed from the household
- Access around the outside of the property, on all the relevant elevations
- Cars moved where they are against a wall being worked on
- Garden furniture, bins and anything stacked cleared from the base of the wall
- Pets kept in
- Anything you have observed since the last visit — quiet mornings, or not
It is outside work. Unlike the control visit, most of the proofing happens at the roof edge from outside, with access equipment suited to the property. Nobody needs to be in the house for it, though someone knowing the history helps.
Afterwards
Photograph the closed points, from the ground at full zoom. That is the baseline for the annual ten-minute look each September, and comparing photographs a year apart is how anything that has changed gets caught early.
Then the loft can go back: insulation, the electrical check where there has been gnawing near a cable run, and stored belongings last.
Questions
Do I need to be at home?
Not usually — it is mostly external work. Someone who knows the history of the noise is useful if they can be there.
Will it change how the roof looks?
Mesh and metal closures are fitted discreetly and dressed into the detail. On a listed building or in a conservation area, appearance is part of the conversation beforehand.
What if a new opening is found on the day?
It gets closed with the others. Proofing is priced on the property rather than per opening.
Squirrel Control Woodbridge
Squirrel control in Woodbridge 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 Woodbridge, call 01502 630 122, or read the Woodbridge squirrel control page.