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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Last night about 1:30AM we were woken up by quite a racket, it sounded like a large animal walking around on our roof or in our attic. It than changed to this cracking and crunching sound like somebody was ripping apart our attic above our head. By the time I got up and got out a latter to take a look in the attic the sound was gone.

Later that day when returning from work I did a quick walk around the house to see if I could find where the noise was coming from… bingo. Not sure what caused this but it gives me the shivers.



 

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Discussion Starter · #4 ·
That could be squirrels. I've done some repairs on cedar in the past due to them.
Now that is interesting, we have squirrels EVERYWHERE around here and they run up and down the roof all day... but i don't usually see them at night. Do squirrels come out at 1:30AM?

By the way your repairs looks great!... So much better than mine :(
 

· KemoSabe
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Now that is interesting, we have squirrels EVERYWHERE around here and they run up and down the roof all day... but i don't usually see them at night. Do squirrels come out at 1:30AM?

By the way your repairs looks great!... So much better than mine :(
Thanks, I've had plenty of experience with cedar shakes, on roofs and walls.

As for squirrels being active at night. I'm not sure, but your house is being invaded as shelter, so they may be trying to find a nest for raising little ones.

Once they establish a home there, they are very persistent and killing them or trapping and relocating may be the only solution. Depending on your location, neither of those options may be legal. A pest control service may be necessary.

Funny story. I just talked to someone who has relocated 16 of them in the last 2 days.
 

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Discussion Starter · #7 ·
Judging by the other pics from GBR's post and the loud heavy thumping we heard accompanying the ripping noises i am going to guess that this was done by a raccoon. We repaired the hole and secured a large piece of wire mesh over this section of the roof in the hope of stopping a repeat attack.


loneframer if you don't mind me asking, that roof you pictured looks to be about as steep as ours. How do you stay up when working on a roof of that pitch? i had to use a climbing harness strung over the top of the roof to do ours.
 

· KemoSabe
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Judging by the other pics from GBR's post and the loud heavy thumping we heard accompanying the ripping noises i am going to guess that this was done by a raccoon. We repaired the hole and secured a large piece of wire mesh over this section of the roof in the hope of stopping a repeat attack.


loneframer if you don't mind me asking, that roof you pictured looks to be about as steep as ours. How do you stay up when working on a roof of that pitch? i had to use a climbing harness strung over the top of the roof to do ours.
I extended a ladder up matching the slope of the roof, then backed the truck up to it to prevent it from sliding down the driveway.

This repair was a favor "while I was there".:whistling2:
 

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I agree on the raccoons, I’ve seen a couple of times the damage they can do to a roof. Both times in the spring, probably looking for a place to nest.

While you have the ladder out cut back the limbs or whatever it is that’s giving them access to your roof.
 

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Definitely racoons. Here's a funny story for you.

Couple years ago my wife and I rented a cabin for a week. A couple days in, one night we heard this god awful load racket coming from the roof.

Took a flashlight to check it out. There were two racoons sitting on the roof, using their claws to peel/tear away the asphalt shingles, and were throwing them over the side of the roof edge.

So I threw a couple stones at them, only to have them look at me, snarl, and then proceed to throw the shingle pieces down the roof slope at me. Yeah, that's right, the racoons were actually fighting back, mocking my pitiful efforts to scare them.

I actually found it so unbelievably funny that my wife and I had to sit down to finish laughing. Since it was a rented cabin, we went in and tried to go back to sleep. After another hour of noise, my wife gets up this time, goes outside with the flashlight and politely asks them to get off the roof so she could get a couple hours sleep..............yup, you guessed it........they climbed down off the roof and didn't come back until the last night we were there (I'm sure just to say good-bye).:laughing:
 

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Better hang on to her... she has a way with guys. My neighbor watched the mom and dad nest in my attic and the babies from them for 2 months without telling me I had live-ins there. They would roll down the roof slope and sink their claws in the three-tab to stop just short of the edge. Such fun....... Played a radio in that bedroom area nearby on "talk radio" (24/7) three weeks later they left (music puts them to sleep).

Gary
 

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Discussion Starter · #14 ·
It's official, it's a racoon...

Got another visit last night, it was a good way into another hole when i came outside. i was throwing rocks and sticks at it, but it was just sitting there staring at me while contenting to dig into my roof :no:. After a few shots into its side with the pellet gun it ran away in a hurry. have not seen it back yet, wish i didn't live right next to a large police station or i could try shooting it with something a little bigger next time.
 

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Until you cut back what’s giving them access to your roof you’ll probably see this again. Shooting even a pellet gun in the city limits of Portland is probably not a good idea, especially living next to a cop shop.
 

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Discussion Starter · #17 ·
Until you cut back what’s giving them access to your roof you’ll probably see this again. Shooting even a pellet gun in the city limits of Portland is probably not a good idea, especially living next to a cop shop.
:( awww...

i have been keeping my eye on a crossbow that would be nice and quiet... just afraid of what people will say when they see a **** running around the city with an arrow sticking out of it's side :thumbup:

too bad my roof is designed is such a way that it drops to less than 3ft from the ground on one side, that seems to be where all the animals get on it from... we have an extremely steep roof so maybe we need to look into a metal roof that animals can't climb on.
 
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