Highland home walk-around
Why older roofs are so busy
Victorian and early-1900s homes in Highland often have steep roofs with dormers, turrets and decorative trim. Each joint is a place where wood can rot or shrink, and squirrels widen small gaps quickly. Attics in these houses are often divided into small, hard-to-reach spaces, so a squirrel that dies behind a knee wall can be difficult to reach.
Masonry chimneys from that era were rarely capped originally. Birds and squirrels fall into flues, and raccoons den on smoke shelves. Many homes have had heating systems changed several times, leaving old flues and openings that no longer serve anything but still connect to the roof.
Quick reference
- Smell over a top-floor room
- Look at the attic bay above, including knee walls and eaves.
- Smell at the fireplace
- Suspect the chimney; keep the damper closed and do not light a fire.
- Smell in a back bedroom by the garage roof
- Check where the garage roof meets the house wall.
- Flies at a dormer window
- The carcass is often in the dormer cheek wall or the attic just behind it.
Getting help with an old house
Older Highland homes can make removal complicated: divided attics, plaster ceilings, chimneys with several flues and decorative trim that is costly to replace. When choosing a provider, ask how they will reach the spot with the least damage, whether they work on plaster, and how they will protect historic finishes. A chimney sweep is usually the right person for anything in a flue, and a licensed wildlife professional for anything still alive.
Plaster patches in particular take skill to blend, so a small, well-planned opening matters more than in drywall.
Common questions
Is a carriage house more likely to have animals?
Detached outbuildings are less sealed and often store food or seed, so they see more rodents. A smell in the main house usually means the source is in the house itself, though.
General information for Sloan's Lake, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.