Why Animal Inhabitants are Detrimental to your Flat Roof
Flat roofs have proven to be the best choice for commercial buildings throughout the recent modern years. The flat roof design has shown to be more economical, much easier to inspect for new tenants, and most importantly, increases usable rent-able space in a building. Though the flat roof design has proven to be superior, there are still serious issues that landlords must be aware of. One of those issues includes being aware that animals on flat roofs can be detrimental and can cause damage when they decide to make your roof their new home.
The potential problem of having animals such as raccoons and possums infesting the flat roof of your building is a serious issue and could be costly. In this article, we’ll discuss the damage these animals on flat roofs can cause, the public health issues these animals could cause, and humane ways to relocate these furry creatures away from your property.
Raccoons and possums are excellent climbers. They can climb the corners of most buildings and can easily climb up and down rain gutters and down spouts. Once they are on the roof, they will make the space their own personal home. While the animals may look cute, the damage they could cause to a roof would be severely detrimental to a building. Unfortunately, commercial flat roof buildings are much more prone to animal infestation. Machine noise and active work of employees keeps the sound of animals on flat roofs from being noticed.
No other animal could do more damage to the flat roof than raccoons or possums and if caught too late, repairs could cost building owners thousands. In most cases, signs of infestation includes leaky roofs, a foul urine smell, or the smell of feces. Also, it is a good idea to occasionally inspect the property in the evening after employees leave to look for possible damage. It is also easier to hear the sound of raccoons and possums moving around when no one is working and since they are nocturnal.
Not only does this cause damage to a building, but the fecal matter from these rodent animals can also cause serious health issues and could put your building at risk of litigation, costing the owner millions.
Once property owners realize they have an infestation problem, there are humane ways to capture possums and raccoons instead of killing them. However, it is best to hire an expert to trap these animals since it can be a complicated and potentially dangerous endeavor.
Instead of killing these animals, live cage traps are available to capture them. Live cage traps are large metal cages that usually have food to lure the animal in. Once the animal enters, a trip pan in the back of the cage is triggered and the entrance to the cage drops, resulting in the animal being stuck inside without harm. For more information about trapping, click here.
Once the animal is captured in the live cage, wildlife experts suggest taking animals to a wooded area at least five miles away from your flat roof property. This will ensure that the raccoon or possum do not return.
When the animals are gone, the damage is still there. It is important to use a proven company to protect your building and ensure that the flat roof is secure.
RoofSlope uses cost-effective solutions to repair and correct bad drainage that can result in water “ponding” on your roof. For more information about RoofSlope please feel free to contact us anytime.
