"Copper might look fancy, but honestly, unless you're hosting rooftop parties for squirrels, galvanized steel with some extra reinforcements should do the trick... at least for a while."
Haha, rooftop squirrel parties sound like a nightmare. We had a similar issue at my parents' place—thought we were good with galvanized steel too, but those critters are relentless. Ended up adding some heavy-duty mesh underneath, and fingers crossed, it's held up so far. Did you guys try any repellents or deterrents, or just stick with physical barriers?
We tried one of those ultrasonic repellent things, but honestly, it seemed like the squirrels just laughed at it. Ended up going back to good old-fashioned physical barriers... Did the mesh installation cause any moisture issues for you?
"Did the mesh installation cause any moisture issues for you?"
Haven't noticed moisture problems myself, but I did see some debris buildup around the edges after heavy rain. Might want to keep an eye on that—could potentially trap moisture down the line.
I haven't done mesh myself, but I did install some metal flashing around my chimney last year. At first, everything seemed fine, no leaks or anything obvious. But after a couple of heavy storms, I noticed leaves and twigs piling up in the corners—pretty similar to what you're describing:
"I did see some debris buildup around the edges after heavy rain. Might want to keep an eye on that—could potentially trap moisture down the line."
Exactly my worry. Sure enough, after a few months, I started seeing some discoloration on the shingles nearby. Wasn't full-on moisture damage yet, but definitely looked like it was holding dampness longer than it should. Ended up having to get up there again and clear it out regularly. Not saying you'll have the same issue, but it's worth being cautious. Maybe check it out every now and then, especially after storms, just to be safe.
Did you notice if the discoloration was mostly on the shaded side of the chimney? Sometimes it's not just debris—could be a ventilation issue too. I've seen roofs where moisture hangs around longer because there's not enough airflow. Might be worth checking your attic vents or soffits...just to rule that out before assuming it's only debris buildup.
