That time a squirrel ran through a window I just installed in Portland

I was finishing up a big picture window job at a house in the West Hills, just about to clean the final pane. The homeowners were inside, and I had the old frame out and the new unit ready to go in. I turned my back for maybe thirty seconds to grab my level, and I heard this wild scratching sound. A gray squirrel had jumped off a branch, sprinted across the patio, and launched itself straight through the open hole where the window would be, right into their living room. The lady inside screamed, the squirrel panicked and started bouncing off the walls, and I'm standing there with a tube of sealant in my hand, totally frozen. We finally got it out with a broom and a lot of yelling. Now, no matter the job, I always have a piece of plywood or a drop cloth ready to cover any opening the second the old glass is out. You just never know what's going to try and move in. Has anyone else had an animal try to claim a window space before you could finish?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnp9826d agoMost Upvoted

Oh, a one in a million thing, sure. Right up until it's your million and you're the guy explaining to a client why there's squirrel pee on their new white couch. That plywood isn't for the squirrel, it's for my sanity.

sam_murphy3923d ago

Ever think about the smell? Johnp98 is right, it's not just about the mess. That smell gets into everything and you can't just air it out.

terry_carter1527d ago

Seems like a lot of extra work for a one in a million thing. A squirrel gets inside, you shoo it out. It's not like it was a raccoon or a swarm of bees.