One of the more special things about living in South Florida is our connection to nature. From spotting a great blue heron in our backyard to watching a manatee swim lazily by, we get a front row seat to many beautiful and unique creatures.
Still, as much as we love seeing these animals up close, there are some we would prefer wouldn’t come quite so close. There are a whole host of critters who prefer living on our roofs and in our attics and garages. We can’t blame them, they are trying to beat the heat and come in out of the rain like the rest of us. However, they can do some real damage to our roof and home – and therefore, we must keep them out as much as we can.
Damage Animals Can Cause
Avery Roof Services is not involved in pest control, but we are often called in to fix the damage which was caused by critters who gained access to a roof or attic. Animals such as raccoons, opossums, rats and mice are the most common to invade Sarasota area homes. These animals most often gain access to a home by finding a vulnerability in the roofing materials, eaves or soffits. Even a very small hole gives them the access they need, as they can chew and claw their way in by enlarging the hole.
These animals can:
- Destroy roofing materials, soffits and eaves by chewing through them.
- Create a fire hazard by chewing through electrical wires and bringing in flammable materials for their nests.
- Leave droppings which can become a biohazard for humans, making them sick and transmitting diseases.
- Contaminate your insulation with urine, compacting it leaving a foul odor and rendering it useless.
- Die in your attic or walls, resulting in a rancid stench difficult to identify and remove.
Pest Control Measures for Your Roof
Again, the team at Avery Roof Services is not qualified to remove pests. However, once the animals are removed, there are several things which should be done in order to restore your property. For instance, the removal and replacement of contaminated insulation and the restoration of your electrical wires are both important to making sure your family is safe and healthy. Clearly these projects are out of our area of expertise – but there are many things we can do to help you in other ways.
A licensed and insured roofing company should come out to your home to do a thorough roof inspection. We will be looking for damaged or chewed roofing materials, as well as points of entry or access which are not properly blocked off.
These points of entry can be covered with chicken wire, or in some cases you can install a one-way exclusion door. These metal doors will allow animals to leave your attic or garage. but will not allow them to go back in. The one caveat with these doors is that you must be certain that all animals – including nesting babies – have been removed from the area. Otherwise they will either die in your attic or likely try to intrude further into your home through the walls.
We may love all of the critters we share our environment with, but that doesn’t mean we want them damaging our home. If you have roof damage from a raccoon or rat, give us a call to fix those minor repairs as soon as possible. The experts at Avery Roof Services are here for any roofing emergency – to make sure that your roof does its job, keeping your home and family safe and dry.
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