LESLIE: Now we’ve got Ron in Connecticut who’s got moss on the roof. Tell us about it.
RON: Yes, it’s a reoccurring problem, I think, probably all over the country.
LESLIE: Oh gosh, yes.
RON: And I think one of your earlier programs you had also had a question about the moss on a roof. Well, one of the older solutions may be – and I’m inquiring about it – is using zinc sulfate because I’ve also run across the idea of zinc strips being …
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
RON: … nailed on to the roof.
TOM: Yeah, absolutely. Mm-hmm. That’s right.
RON: And I’m just interested in any comment on zinc sulfate; using that; mixing it and spraying it on the roof.
TOM: I think any mildicide product like that is effective when you have a very heavy buildup. Putting the zinc strips on the roof is also effective. You can also use copper …
LESLIE: And nickel.
TOM: … strips or nickel strips and what happens is the rainwater, as it touches them, some of the metal releases and it acts as a mildicide.
LESLIE: That’s why sometimes around flashing you see that sort of stripy, clean, dirty area …
RON: Right.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: … because it does that. It’s washing it.
RON: Yes.
TOM: Mm-hmm. Exactly.
RON: Any ideas about using the chemical mix of …
TOM: I’ve never used that chemical mix specifically but I’ve used others that are similar to that. I know that’s also incorporated into different types of siding washes and roof washes.
RON: Uh-huh. OK.
TOM: So those are all possibilities.
RON: Uh-huh.
TOM: And it’s the right idea. The other thing that you can do is, to try to reduce the volume of moss that you have growing on the roof, try to get as much light up there as you can. I mean if your trees are overhanging, typically if you have a real shady roof you get more moss buildup but if you trim back trees and let a bit more sunlight get to that that kind of stops it from coming back.
RON: Similar now, I’ve run across the idea that some of the newer shingles have a built-in …
TOM: Correct. They have a built-in …
RON: … additive of some kind.
TOM: Correct. Correct. They have a built-in mildicide.
RON: They do?
TOM: Yes.
RON: Now, is that true of all shingles.
TOM: I think it is, to some extent, on all shingles but I know that there are shingles that are specifically designed to not grow moss and you may need to look for those specifically.
RON: OK. Yes, thanks.
TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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