How To Keep Raccoons Out of Soffit/Eaves

Raccoons frequently enter buildings through the eaves (or roof overhangs) of a home.

They do this by pushing up on the soffit; that material which is installed to block off the eaves (cosmetically) in most modern design.

Most soffit has some flex to it because there isn’t anything really solid behind it. Most soffit panels are thin aluminum or vinyl and just hang by the edges.

In the case of raccoons, if they can get good leverage below the soffit, it is easy for them to flex, peel back, or tear down.

These areas of good leverage are where the overhand is directly over another roof line or where a piece of spouting provides a ledge.

Even without raccoons pulling on it, soffit often sags or becomes detached just from weather, time, or sub-par installation.

Once they get somesoffit open, they climb up into the eave areas and can make a nest there or, in many cases, move right into the attic through openings in the eave.

Stopping Raccoons from Getting Into Soffits

Where raccoons have gotten in, we prevent it from recurring by blocking the area behind the soffit with plywood.

This reinforcement stops the raccoons from gaining entry.

This blocking happens only at strategic areas where raccoons are most likely to make entry (because of spots where they can gain leverage).

Why not block the whole thing you ask? Remember that soffit venting is essential to the health and function of a roof installation. Soffits are important and should be modified as little as possible.

Therefore, we only want to block off in the problem spots.

Here is a recently published video where Ryan discusses a long-term raccoon probem and how he solves it.

At this building, you can see that there are areas where raccoons can get very good leverage and move the soffit panels.

You can also see his solution.