LESLIE: Now we’re going to go to Virginia where Betty has a stain question.
Betty, what’s dirty?
BETTY: The shingles on our roof …
TOM: Oh.
BETTY: … have developed a gray stain.
TOM: Is it a shady house, Betty?
BETTY: Yes.
TOM: You have trees around it?
BETTY: Yes.
TOM: Yeah, that’s why. And the good news is, Betty, that there is no damage to your shingles because of that. That’s simply moss that’s growing up on that roof and it happens more frequently in areas of the house that are covered by large trees, especially on the north and the east sides of homes.
Now you can get rid of the moss but you’re going to have to treat it with a mildicide. So what you’re going to need to do is to probably mix up some bleach-and-water solution. Now write this down. I want you to use one part bleach and two parts water. It has to be applied liberally across that mossy area. And then you let it sit for a while and then you scrub it off with a stiff brush like a floor brush. Now mind you, if this is a steep roof …
BETTY: It is.
TOM: Well, then it’s not a job for you, Betty. OK? Hire a pro to do this. But they might want to pressure wash it. The one caution I would have for them on that is to not go too heavy on the pressure. So we don’t want to damage the roof.
LESLIE: (overlapping voices) Damage the roof.
TOM: And then Leslie, you were giving me a good trick of the trade about ridge vents that might cut some of this down as well.
LESLIE: Betty, if you use a copper or a nickel ridge vent, when you put it along the top of your roof, as it actually rains, the metal releases something and then the water will cause this to run down your roof and will actually fight that mildew and that moss all the time. So it’s a good, natural thing to keep – you know, to keep it from reoccurring.
TOM: So there you go, Betty. That way you can get it clean and you can keep it clean in the long run. OK?
BETTY: That sounds great. Thanks very much.
TOM: Alright. Betty, thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
BETTY: Thank you.
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