Marietta, GA
Ridge Exclusion
Seal roofline gaps before wildlife moves in.
Warning Signs Along the Ridge Line
A gap along your ridge line is small, but it's exactly the size a squirrel or bird needs to get into your attic. We check the ridge first on almost every inspection, since that's where the real gap is usually hiding.
- • Scratching or scurrying sounds coming from directly above a room
- • Pine straw or nesting material packed into the ridge cap seam
- • Daylight visible through the ridge when you look up from inside the attic
- • Ridge cap shingles that look lifted, cracked, or missing after a windstorm
- • Stains or dark streaks running down from the ridge on the decking underside
Ridge Exclusion vs. Pest-Only Sealing
Many homeowners call a pest company first. That's not wrong, but it's not the whole fix. Pest control deals with the animal. We deal with the hole it's using. Pest-only sealing usually means caulk or foam stuffed into the gap you can see from the ground. It might hold for a season, but squirrels chew foam like it's nothing.
Real ridge exclusion means pulling back the ridge cap, checking the decking underneath, and closing the gap with wire mesh exclusion and proper flashing animals can't chew through. The animal usually isn't getting in at just one spot. It's often a ridge gap plus a soffit gap plus a loose vent, all at once, so we look at the whole roofline rather than sealing one and calling it done.
What Happens During a Ridge Inspection
We start with a ground-level walk around your home, looking at soffits, gable vents, and roof edges for gaps critters could use. Then we get on the roof and check the ridge cap shingles for lifted edges, cracked sealant, or backed-out nails, and look closely at the ridge vent itself, the most common entry point for squirrels and birds around Marietta attics.
Any gap gets sealed with the right material for that spot, and where needed we install wire mesh exclusion under vent openings so air still flows but animals can't squeeze through. We document everything with photos before and after, and if we find soft decking under the ridge, we show you before anything gets closed back up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I need ridge exclusion instead of just pest control?
If animals keep getting in through the same spot, not just once, that's ridge exclusion territory. A one-time noise usually isn't.
What are the warning signs that animals are getting in through my ridge line?
Scratching above a room, daylight through the ridge from inside the attic, and pine straw packed into the ridge cap seam.
What happens during a ridge inspection and repair visit?
A ground-level walk, then a close inspection of the ridge cap and vent, gap sealing, and wire mesh exclusion where needed.
How fast can you come out to check a ridge problem in Marietta?
We offer free roof inspections and try to move quickly, since a ridge gap tends to get worse the longer it sits open.
Why does Marietta's tree canopy make ridge problems worse?
Mature pines stretch over rooflines, giving squirrels a bridge straight to the ridge cap.
Can foam or caulk really keep squirrels out of my roof?
No. Squirrels chew through foam easily. Wire mesh and proper flashing hold up where foam doesn't.
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