Steel wool definitely helps, but I've found copper mesh to be even better for squirrels. Had a stubborn one chew right through steel wool once—little guy was determined. Switched to copper mesh packed tight and sealed with foam, and haven't had an issue since. As for noisy pipes, yeah, air pockets can linger a bit. Mine took almost three days before they finally quieted down completely... thought I'd messed something up at first. Patience is key, I guess.
Copper mesh, huh? I've heard good things, but honestly, squirrels are tiny furry ninjas—I swear they evolve every year. I tried copper mesh once myself, thinking I'd finally outsmarted them. Worked great at first, but then one particularly persistent squirrel (I named him Chuck Norris) managed to pull it loose. I think he took it personally, lol.
Ended up going with hardware cloth (the metal mesh stuff). It was a bit of a pain to install, but nothing's gotten through yet. I sealed it up with some expanding foam, too, just to be safe. Been squirrel-free for two years now... knock on wood.
As for the noisy pipes issue, three days sounds rough! Mine settled down within a day or so, but I did spend a good half-hour tapping and jiggling the pipes like some kind of plumbing whisperer. Not sure if it actually helped or just made me feel productive, haha. But you're right—patience is definitely part of the DIY homeowner's toolkit.
Glad you got it sorted though, it's always satisfying to finally silence those mysterious house noises.
"I did spend a good half-hour tapping and jiggling the pipes like some kind of plumbing whisperer."
Haha, plumbing whisperer—I like that. Glad you got it sorted! For anyone else dealing with noisy pipes, here's a quick tip: try securing loose pipes with pipe clips or foam insulation sleeves. Usually, it's just vibration causing the racket, and stabilizing them can quiet things down pretty quickly. Beats spending days wondering if your house is haunted...
Haha, plumbing whisperer is gold. I had a similar issue last winter—pipes banging around like they were auditioning for a drum solo. Tried the foam sleeves trick, and it definitely helped quiet things down. But honestly, what made the biggest difference was slightly lowering my water pressure at the main valve. Anyone else notice their pipes get louder when the pressure's cranked up too high? Seems counterintuitive, but dialing it back just a bit saved my sanity...and probably my pipes too.
Had the same experience at a client's place last year—pipes banging around like crazy whenever they turned on the shower. Foam sleeves helped a bit, but the real fix was installing a water hammer arrestor near the fixture causing most of the noise. Lowering pressure can definitely help, but sometimes it's just masking the underlying issue. I'd keep an eye on it...if the noise creeps back, might be worth looking into arrestors or checking pipe brackets for looseness.
