Critter Quitter: Squirrel Vent Shields

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NOTE: WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND USING A PROFESSIONAL TO INSTALL ANYTHING ON A ROOF DUE TO THE POTENTIAL OF FALL. WE ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILTIY FOR INJURY OR DEATH OCCURRING FROM INSTALLATION OF ANY AVALON MANUFACTURING LLC PRODUCTS. WE ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE TO ROOF, STRUCTURE, PLUMBING, OR FUNCTION THAT MAY OCCUR DUE TO INSTALLATION OF AVALONE MANUFACTURING LLC PRODUCTS.

Please visit our website at Critterquitter.com and see the installation videos that are located there.

1 1/2 inch Lead Flashing Installation

Use the longer 1 ½ inch screws provided for 1 ½ inch vents, the shorter screws for 2 and 3 inch vents. It’s fully acceptable to use all 6 screws if you so desire to provide a more stable mount.
Insert them into the upper hole set if possible. If not, use whatever holes will match your vent. Thread them into the holes using a Phillips head screwdriver, but only screw in approximately ½ inch.
Slide the shield over the vent with the sloped side, if applicable, matching the roof slope.
Hold the vent shield as vertical as possible and hand tighten the screws evenly around the shield until they start to bite into the lead or vent pipe.
Check to make sure the vent shield is vertical. This can be done via eye or by using a small carpenter’s level. Note: the vertical adjustment is limited by how vertical the vent pipe is. Adjust the shield until its vertical by loosening the appropriate screw and re-tightening it.
Start to work the screws into the lead evenly until snug. Do not over tighten as this may strip the Critter Quitter. However, if you do simply drill a 1/8 inch hole near the stripped one and rethread the screw. NOTE: THE INSTALLATION VIDEO STATES THAT A 3/16 INCH HOLE CAN BE USED, PLEASE DISREGARD THIS.
Check for level and make sure the Critter Quitter is located over the center of the vent to assure rain water will go down the vent and out the drain. This will protect your vent if damaged, and if not will make the vent more attractive.

2 & 3 inch Lead Flashing Installation

Rubber Grommet Flashing Installation

Use the longer 1 ½ inch screws provided for these vents as they don’t have lead around them.
Insert them into the upper hole set if possible. If not, use whatever holes will match your vent. Thread them into the holes using a Phillips head screwdriver, but only screw in approximately ½ inch.
Slide the shield over the vent.
Do not let the shield rest on the rubber grommet, this can cause a stress point in the rubber as it ages and becomes hard. Hold the vent shield approximately ¼ inch above the grommet.
Hold the vent shield as vertical as possible and hand tighten the screws evenly around the shield until the start to bite into the vent pipe.
Check to make sure the vent shield is vertical. This can be done via eye or by using a small carpenter’s level. Note: the vertical adjustment is limited by how vertical the vent pipe is. Adjust the shield until its vertical by loosening the appropriate screw and re-tightening it.
Start to work the screws into vent pipe evenly until snug. Do not over tighten as this may strip the Critter Quitter. However, if you do simply drill a 1/8 inch hole near the stripped one and rethread the screw. NOTE: THE INSTALLATION VIDEO STATES THAT A 3/16 INCH HOLE CAN BE USED, PLEASE DISREGARD THIS.
Check for level and make sure the Critter Quitter is located over the center of the vent to assure rain water will go down the vent and out the drain. This will protect your vent if the grommet is old and cracked, and if not will make the vent more attractive.

If desired, a Critter Quitter™ can easily be field cut to match a roof pitch. The outside shell is fairly soft plastic, so any hand saw can be used. If a mitering or other power saw is available, that can be used. Simply mark the angle desired and cut. The hardest part of using a hand saw is stabilizing the unit to make a smooth cut. Please note that using a miter saw will require a 12 inch saw to cut the larger Size B Critter Quitter™ unless you practice on cutting angles on some wood or other practice material. We do not recommend trying to use a 10 inch miter saw to cut a Size B unit as this would require both skill and manipulation of the blade guard, which is dangerous.

Another possibility is to take your shields to any cabinet or carpentry shop, they can cut them quickly for a nominal fee if you tell them the angle.

Calculating Roof Pitch, if you care to.

You do not need to know the pitch to install Critter Quitters™ unless you are installing them on a very steep roof or one that has some odd design. All we need to know is whether your roof is flat or sloped.

But if you want to know what your roof pitch is it’s an easy calculation. Builders use roof pitch because it’s easier to fit to a roof than an angle. Roof pitch is simply the amount of vertical rise for 12 inches of horizontal run. In other words, it’s a triangle with the pitch being the angle at the horizontal/hypotenuse (the line connecting horizontal and vertical lines of the triangle.) If you want to see what your pitch is, find a wall of your house that you can access under your roof. Measure out from the roof horizontally 12 inches and make a small mark. Then measure from that mark straight up to the roof. If you measure 6 inches, then your roof has a pitch of 6. If its 9 inches, your pitch is 9, etc. A pitch of 12 means that you have 12 inches of rise for 12 inches of run, or in other words it’s a 45 degree triangle. So that means that a pitch of 6 is half of 45, or 22.5 degrees, a pitch of 3 is 11.25 degrees , and so on. So each measurement of pitch is basically 3 ¾ degrees.