Raccoons can damage roofs. They often use weak spots to access the inside of a property. Even if a raccoon doesn't get into your home, its efforts to do so can leave you with roofing problems.

If you've recently had to remove a raccoon from your home or have noticed activity on your roof, then you might need a roof repair. These animals can damage different parts of a system. Read on to learn more about the damage they can cause.

1. Shingle Damage

Raccoons might be small, but they are strong. If you have a shingle roof and a raccoon finds a weak area, say where a shingle has come loose or curled up, then they will target this area as a potential access point.

A raccoon will use their sharp teeth and claws to pull up shingles or to make small holes bigger. They don't need a lot of room to get through a roof and into a property. So, they might only need to remove or break just one or two shingles.

Your roofing contractor can check the integrity of your shingles. If raccoons have caused damage, they can repair or replace shingles.

2. Soffit, Fascia, Eaves, and Siding Damage

Raccoons are adept at finding the weakest spot on a roof. If your shingles are in good shape, then they might look for easier access points.

Often, they target wooden parts of your system that might have some water damage. For example, if the wood on a soffit, fascia, eave, or siding board is a bit soft or has even a tiny hole in it, then the raccoon will simply tear at this area. They make small holes bigger or pull apart weakened wood to create their own holes.

During a raccoon damage check, your contractor will examine all these areas. If they find access holes or future weak spots, then you might need to replace some of these parts.

3. Vent Damage

Roof vents often encourage raccoons to try to get into a roof. They expel warm air that alerts a raccoon to a potentially attractive denning area. Plus, vents aren't usually strong enough to withstand a determined raccoon.

If a raccoon has pulled out a vent to get inside your home, then you have to replace the vent. Your contractor can recommend the strongest option; they can also talk to you about putting a mesh guard around the new vent to make it harder to breach in the future.

To get help evaluating raccoon damage, contact residential roof repair contractors. They can check your roof and repair any damage they find.

Reach out to a company like Integrity Roofing Company to learn more. 

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