A Home Inspector’s day off and a trip to Fargo's Yonker Farm

A Home Inspector’s day off

On a rare Saturday off I had the chance to take my family to Yunker Farm in north Fargo for a very nice Fall festival. My daughter loved the children’s museum and I would recommend the fun activities and hands-on learning to any parent looking for an affordable and educational outing.

While waiting for my wife and daughter to finish their mini-train ride around the grounds I found myself checking out the house the museum is located in. I couldn't help but notice the poor condition of the roof shingles. Many were missing and I could see moss growth over a large portion of the roof. The overall look was actually sort of appealing it being an old house and all but I couldn't help but view it through the eyes of a home inspector.

Roots + Roof = BAD

Anything that can harm your roof covering is bad and should be addressed before you find it raining in your living room. In North Dakota and Minnesota moisture is a constant worry and unchecked moss growth on your shingles can create problems. If your shingles are wood like the ones at Yunker Farm then cleaning them off moss and other bio-growth can be fairly straight forward. Professional painters and roofers recommend using a wire brush to first remove the top layer of growth and then applying a bleach or commercially mixed solution with a garden sprayer or power washer.

Asphalt shingles present a different challenge. Simply power washing the shingles may remove the top layer of moss but might also cause a loss of the granules that protect the water shedding properties of the tar and asphalt in the shingles. You may remove the moss but you also run the risk of reducing the life expectancy of your roof. A Zinc sulphate solution can be the most effective and long lasting way to remove moss from your shingles. It will make the moss shrivel up and if applied correctly will leave a residue on your roof that can help prevent further moss growth for up to a year. Household bleach and even laundry detergent solutions can be used to try to remove moss from your shingles. Whichever method you might choose its always a good idea to first test it on a small area of your shingles that is out of sight.

Keeping moss from setting down roots will help you maintain a nice looking roof and extend the life of your shingles!

Mid-America Inspection Services, serving Fargo and West Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Alexandria, Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes, Wadena and the Minnesota Lakes Region

218-443-3555, 320-846-0004, 218-287-0877, 218-841-0444

midamericainspections@gmail.com

www.midamericainspection.com

Sterling M. Brown

Mid-America Inspection Services LLC