Why Does It Sound Like Someone Is Walking Around in My Attic at Night?

There is a pretty big difference between hearing a little scratching and hearing something walk across your attic like it contributed to the mortgage.

Heavy footsteps, thumping or movement at night are some of the calls that immediately make homeowners think raccoon.

And raccoons are absolutely one possibility.

But sound travels strangely through houses, so we still inspect before assuming anything.

What sounds enormous from your bedroom might be smaller than you think. What sounds like it is directly over your bed might actually be entering ten feet away.

What we look for during an inspection

Noise gives us a starting point.

The house usually tells us the rest.

We look for things like:

Exterior damage around the roofline.

Disturbed soffits.

Entry points around fascia or roof transitions.

Tracks or droppings.

Disturbed insulation.

Nesting material.

Evidence of repeated travel through one area.

That helps us determine not only what is inside, but how it is getting there.

Raccoons are much better climbers than people realize

We hear this constantly:

“There are no trees touching my roof, so how would a raccoon get up there?”

Downspouts.

Brick.

Fences.

Decks.

Roof transitions.

Nearby structures.

Raccoons are extremely capable climbers. Removing the tree branch closest to the house does not automatically make your roof inaccessible.

They can also get through spaces homeowners are shocked to see them use, especially when there is already a weak area they can pull or push open.

What if there are babies?

That is another reason we do not recommend blindly closing the opening.

A mother can be removed while young are still inside.

Now the homeowner thinks the problem was solved because the adult animal is gone, while the actual situation inside the attic has gotten worse.

The safest first move is figuring out exactly what is happening.

If you are hearing heavy movement in an attic around Lexington, Chevy Chase, Ashland Park, Beaumont or surrounding Fayette County, call (859) 893-1304 for a free inspection.

We will figure out what is up there and what removal method makes sense before anyone starts randomly sealing holes.