I learned why there are so many crazy squirrels

[phil]

evidently they eat lead flashing. I was surprised to hear it is actually a common problem.
after re-doing my roof , I reused the lead flashing. It fits the pipe for the bathroom sink and kitchen sink and the toilet vent. I then realized that I have some water that mysteriously appeared in my basement. not much but it took me seeing it a few times in the basement before it dawned on m ethat the issue was on the roof.

It was because the flashing doesn't fit tight against the pipes that protrude the roof. the flange that fits down in with the shingles is fine. on my electrical mast I used a hose clamp and then butyl tape but that might not be exactly right.
the lead should go up over each pipe and be bent around the top edge to prevent water getting between. with mine the pipes stick up a bit longer than the lead can accommodate. lead expands differently than the metal pipe so there is naturally a little movement there. since the pipe is quite long the expansion and movement from temperature change happen right from the basement so it's actually a considerable length. the actual change might only be 1/16th of an inch but the flashing has to allow the pipe to move a little. the lead wont move much but the metal pipes actually grow and shrink just a little due to expansion. lead also can grow or shrink very slightly over time which is a weird property of lead.
I began looking for something to repair them all. I thought something like a copper pot with a bracket of some sort to hold it above the pipe might provide shelter and prevent water getting under the flashing. some houses have an upside down U bend but that's ugly. New houses have a variety of covers. mine are open. any rain that enters the pipe just goes down the sewer. I thought maybe a weather vane could be part of a lid? you can't block them and you aren't supposed to cut them shorter. code designates how far they need to be above the roofing. I should be able to buy a lead part, evidently there is a piece you can get that fits over the lead flashing and it is shaped so you can bend it down around the top edge.. but something tells me I'm in for a goose chase to get the right parts.
It made me wonder how many with old houses have nibbled down vent flashing around their pipes. If your squirrels seem a bit extra nutty that may be why, they commonly nibble on the lead and shorten them !

at our summer place we had a rat in the toilet. the toilet was drained for winter but it was living down in the toilet bowl and entering and exiting from the roof. It never lifted the toilet lid so it wasn't in the house. Maybe a lid would prevent that. not something normal people would ever think about. some of the new houses seem to use shiny aluminum covers. I think if they are tinny you may be able to hear when birds land on them , sometimes woodpeckers will pick at stuff like that for some weird reason. maybe if the lid is pointy then birds won't land there. I found that some were making fake chimneys and things to try to hide the vents which can be an eyesore. one place was selling little birdhouse shaped covers. maybe if I think it through I can fashion something to solve the leaking issue.

good for others to look up at their roof and take note if the flashing might be loose against the pipe and allowing a little water down there. It probably often wets the inside of walls and places like that. typically if the flashing isn't a good fit here, ( too short to cover the top of the pipe) rain wets the pipe , the flashing isn't really sealed to the pipe so it lets a wee bit down and it weeps where the pipe goes. the leak will open happen during a rain and it might be subtle enough that a roofer never actually gets a call back on it, which means they might not really concern themselves too much when they reuse the lead flashing.

[Lily left the valley]

evidently they eat lead flashing. I was surprised to hear it is actually a common problem.
after re-doing my roof , I reused the lead flashing. {snip}

It's not that they eat it, it's that the lead, like some alloys (and wood types), is a good "file" for keeping their teeth a maneagable size. Squirrels' teeth need to be constantly worked down by gnawing because their teeth keeping growing long after they become adults (average 6" per year).

Them seeking out such "files" is often why they cause blackouts from chewing on wire as well.

I know this from Sean when he used to be an exterminator, but here's another (humorous) source: Squirrels always need things to file down their teeth. Don’t let them use your lead pipe jacks!

[phil]

yesterday as I was nailing on the last ridge cap shingle at dusk my kitty got let out the bedroom window and came up to the very peak to see me. she sat on the peak as if to give her approval on a job well done. I dont think she chases squirrels but she sure does like little birds and mice. she goes down the aluminum ladder head first, it's fun to watch. the house across from me has that old type of stucco. Ive seen squirrels run all around the side of the house as if they were glued to it.

I just need to get some new cap thingys to stop rain getting between the pipe and the flashing. on the front of the house I have a little more shingles to replace but I think Im tired of working on it and Ill continue next year probably with some paint and curly shingle fixing combined. its just half of the entrance way cover and the little ridge over the bay windows. at least most of it is finished. i sort of reused the flashing near the chimney and it isnt' perfect. I keep thinking I could trim it up a bit with a counterflashing but it'll keep most of the wet out. I planned to make a little cricket for above the chimney but at least i got the most important stuff done. Im leaving the hook for the harness up there on the peak. it was mostly covered with the ridge cap shingles and i decided not to remove it. i want to add a long wire AM radio antenna and put the mast for my digital TV antenna up there near the chimney. I might also add a separate FM antenna.
Im not too worried about the squirrels, I found it surprising that they would chew the lead. I didn't know their teeth grew so much.
My neighbor has pidgeons on his house. I think they will try to nest on mine but maybe with kitty having access they are less likely to nest on mine. the pidgeons are kind of cute until they start really multiplying which they do.