What Squirrels Do to a Shingle Roof Between October and the First Hard Freeze
Chewed ridge caps and torn vent screens rarely show from the driveway, so knowing where squirrels work tells you where to look.
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Autumn changes squirrel behaviour in a way that puts your roof directly in their path. They are caching food, they are looking for somewhere warm to spend the winter, and a house is the most promising structure in the area for both purposes.
The damage they do is not random nibbling. They work on specific parts of a roof for specific reasons, and knowing which parts means you know where to look.
In this guide
Why they chew at all
Rodent incisors grow continuously throughout the animal's life. A squirrel that stops gnawing ends up with teeth it cannot use, so it gnaws constantly and more or less indiscriminately on anything firm enough to grind against.
That is the key to understanding the damage. They are not eating your roof and they are not trying to get at anything behind most of what they chew. They are wearing their teeth down, and your roof happens to be the nearest suitable surface.
What they also want in autumn is shelter, and an attic is close to ideal. Dry, insulated, protected from predators and warm. So alongside the incidental gnawing there is purposeful work at any point that looks like it might become an opening.
Ridge caps, the most commonly damaged part
Ridge cap shingles sit at the very top of the roof, which makes them the first thing a squirrel travelling along the ridge line encounters. They are also folded over the peak, which leaves an exposed edge at every overlap.
An exposed edge is exactly what a gnawing animal works on. The damage usually starts at the lower edge of a cap shingle and progresses upward, and because ridge cap is thinner at the fold than field shingles are, it gives way faster.
Damaged ridge cap matters more than its size suggests. The ridge is where the two roof planes meet and where ridge venting frequently sits, so an opening there is at the highest point of the roof with the whole slope feeding toward it. Water entering at a compromised ridge runs down inside the assembly rather than across the surface.
Vents, where chewing meets a genuine opening
Roof vents attract attention because they already represent a gap in the roof surface, and because the materials around them are softer than the shingles.
Plastic vent housings are chewable. Screening over vent openings is thin enough to tear through with modest effort. Ridge vent material, which is often a fabric or plastic product, is particularly vulnerable because it sits at the ridge where the animals already are.
This is where the incidental gnawing becomes purposeful. A vent with a compromised screen is an entry point to an attic, and once an animal discovers the route it stops being a chewing problem and becomes an occupancy problem. At that point the damage includes insulation, wiring and droppings alongside whatever happens to the roof.
Pipe boots belong in this category too, though they have enough going on to deserve their own discussion. The short version is that the material around a plumbing vent is softer than the roof around it, which makes it a target.
Roof edges, fascia and the way in
The eave edge is the natural approach route onto a roof from a tree or a gutter, so it sees traffic that other parts of the roof do not.
Fascia board along the eave is wood, which is softer than anything else on the exterior and sits right where an animal arrives. Gnawed fascia is extremely common, and because the fascia carries the gutter, damage there leads to drainage problems alongside the obvious.
The gap between the fascia and the roof deck is the classic attic entry point. It is often small enough to look harmless and large enough, once worked at, to admit an animal that can compress itself considerably more than people expect.
Shingle edges at the eave take direct chewing as well, particularly the starter course, and starter shingles are doing structural work at the roof's most wind-exposed edge rather than just finishing it off.
What to look for, and when
Autumn is the time to check, before an entry attempt becomes an occupancy and before winter weather tests whatever has been opened up.
From the ground with binoculars, look along the ridge line for cap shingles that sit unevenly or show ragged edges, at vents for torn screening or chewed housings, and along the eave for damaged fascia or displaced shingle edges. Short parallel grooves in a surface are tooth marks and they are distinctive once you have seen them.
From inside, scratching or scurrying sounds in the attic, particularly in the early morning and at dusk, mean the entry point already exists. So do droppings, disturbed insulation and a smell that was not there before.
Keeping limbs cut back from the roof removes the easiest access route, which does more to reduce the problem than anything you can do to the roof itself. Metal guards over vulnerable vents resist chewing where plastic does not. And any existing opening needs closing properly rather than being stuffed, because an animal that got through once will work at a soft repair.
About Bald Eagle Roofs & Exteriors
Bald Eagle Roofs & Exteriors is a locally owned and operated roofing and exteriors company, licensed, insured and bonded. We are a TAMKO Pro Gold Certified Roofing Contractor and we work with materials from Gulfeagle, Atlas and TAMKO. Our installations carry a 5 year workmanship warranty on labour, alongside a 10 year manufacturer warranty on shingles.
We handle roof repair, replacement, new installation and inspections, and we work on gutters, fascia and siding alongside the roof, which matters when critter damage has spread past the shingles. Inspections and estimates are free, there is a 60 second quote tool on our site if you want a number quickly, we lay out good, better and best options so you can compare rather than guess, and financing is available. We also offer 24/7 emergency services, including emergency tarping after storm damage. Call (706) 803-2253.
Roof repairs in Alexander City
Alexander City properties generally sit among mature hardwoods, which is pleasant and also means the local squirrel population has easy access to a great many roofs. Lots with limbs reaching over or near the roofline see the most activity, and the damage tends to concentrate on whichever elevation the trees overhang.
Autumn is the busy season for this across Alexander City, so a check before winter is better timed than one in spring, by which point an animal that got in during October has had months in the attic.
More on the repair work we handle is on our roof repairs page.
Have the roof checked before winter
If you have heard anything in the attic, or you have trees over the roof and have not looked in a while, autumn is the right time to get a roofer on an Alexander City property. Inspections are free and thorough.
Contact us to arrange one, or see what our roof inspections cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do squirrels chew on roofs at all?
Rodent incisors grow continuously, so a squirrel must gnaw constantly to wear them down or end up with teeth it cannot use. Much of the damage is incidental rather than purposeful, with the roof simply being the nearest firm surface. Alongside that, autumn drives them to look for winter shelter, which makes an attic a genuine target.
Which part of the roof do squirrels damage most?
Ridge caps, because they sit at the top where animals travel along the ridge and because they present an exposed edge at every overlap. Ridge cap is also thinner at the fold than field shingles, so it gives way faster. Vents, fascia and eave shingle edges follow, each for their own reasons.
How do I know if something has got into my attic?
Scratching or scurrying sounds, most often around dawn and dusk when the animals are active. Droppings, disturbed or flattened insulation, and a smell that was not previously there are the other indicators. Once you have any of these, the entry point already exists and closing it matters more than repairing the surface damage.
Does a chewed ridge cap actually cause leaks?
It can, and it matters more than the damaged area suggests. The ridge sits at the highest point with both roof planes feeding toward it, and ridge venting frequently runs along it. An opening there admits water that then runs down inside the roof assembly rather than across the surface, so it appears somewhere unrelated.
How do I stop squirrels getting onto the roof?
Cutting limbs back from the roofline removes the easiest access route and does more than anything you can change on the roof itself. Metal guards over vulnerable vents resist chewing where plastic housings and thin screening do not. Any existing opening needs closing properly, since an animal that got through once will work at a soft repair.
When should I check for squirrel damage?
Autumn, before winter weather tests whatever has been opened up and before an entry attempt turns into an occupancy. Checking in spring means an animal that got in during October has had the whole winter in the attic, with insulation and wiring damage accumulating alongside whatever is happening to the roof.
Close the gaps before the cold sets in
Gnawed fascia and chewed vents are easier to fix before an animal moves into the attic. Our roof inspections are free. Call (706) 803-2253 or contact us online.
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