Don’t Ignore Chimney Squirrels
This week we share a video of some damage caused by squirrels inside a chimney.
In this case, the squirrels chewed their way into a metal chimney cap/vent combo. The squirrels then proceeded to make a nest in the chimney.
But, as Ryan discovered, another squirrel-caused problem was damage to the chimney liner. This potentially dangerous problem was not easily visible.
Please watch the video blog and see why ignoring squirrels using the chimney is not recommended.
Can Squirrels Chew Through Metal?
A take-away point from the video is that squirrels are great chewers who’ll go through thinner metals.
While metal is often a deterrent to them, we find houses every year where thin, soft metals have been gnawed right through. We guess it all depends on how badly they want to get past it.
In this instance, the squirrels occupying this chimney made pretty easy work of the cap and liner with their sharp teeth.
Squirrels in Chimneys | Carbon Monoxide
The second take-away from the video is that squirrels in chimneys could lead to potentially serious issues like carbon monoxide poisoning when venting is disrupted.
The vents of gas appliances are designed to get bad stuff, especially carbon monoxide, out of homes. So when the venting of gas furnaces, gas hot water heaters, etc. gets disrupted there is always the potential for that gas to build up where it’s not wanted.
In this case, the exhaust gases went up the chimney but did not go directly out anymore because of the squirrels. We are not saying that the gases were going back down the chimney; we just know the designed flow has been interrupted.
The best prevention step to take is to have a working carbon monoxide detector in the home. Since carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, a detector is the only way to know if there is a build up.
The second prevention step is to pay attention, as this homeowner did, and not ignore squirrels or birds or other nuisance wildlife that have moved into your chimney. Animals don’t belong in chimneys.
Squirrel Removal & Repair | Akron, Canton, Kent, OH
Over the years, we’ve highlighted more typical squirrel damage in many posts. If you’d like to see more typical squirrel damage, don’t forget to check out our main squirrel removal page and other squirrel removal blogs.
For squirrel removal and repair questions, please contact us.
We will remove pest squirrels in the Canton, Kent, Akron area and make the necessary repairs to keep squirrels out for good.
Also you may be interested in some of our other squirrel removal videos.
