Removing Lichen

Over the last few years I have noticed some lichen growing on my house roof. It seemed to have started when some trees near the front and back of the house shaded the roof and kept the roof damp. Each year the lichen spread out more and covered the entire roof. Although the trees have now been removed, the lichen continues to grow.

I tried scrapping them off, but they soon returned. There are fine rootlets that dig into the shingle tar and when scrapped away leave a small indentation. After searching the internet and reading Peter Horton in the Globe, there seems to be no cure for this problem.

However, I think I discovered a possible solution. Lichen is a composite plant growth of an algae and a fungus living together in a symbiotic relationship. See link ……. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichen

Since you can kill algae in pool water with an algaecide, it might also work on lichen. Using this idea, I bought some pool algaecide called HTH Algae Guard (3x concentrated) and applied it to the greenish gray lichen. The next day the lichen turned brown and seemed to have died.

Over the next few days I applied some more HTH with a small brush and let it absorb for a few minutes. I tried to work only on a small area about two feet square so I could scrap off the lichen while they were still wet with the HTH.

I then used a hand scrub brush with strong bristles and scrubbed the lichen off while scrubbing the HTH into the shingle. Painting the roof with HTH will prevent further lichen growth. It was much easier scrubbing the lichen off after applying the HTH than without.

You can buy the HTH at any hardware or pool supply place. I bought mine at Walmarts. However, they only stock it during the summer season. You can see some photos of the lichen and the HTH materials in the link below …. http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Lichen92510#

In the photos of the roof, you can see that the lichen has been removed from near the roof peek and along the right side. The area in the middle of the roof still has the lichen not yet removed but will be worked on later.

I would assume that the HTH might also be used to remove moss and mold growing on walkways, house siding and green stained yard furniture.

Comments and suggestions welcome: …. Send email to … markryan82@comcast.net

Ice Dams + Attic Insulation

Last winter we had a series of snow storms where I live in the northeast, in Wilmington, MA. The snow piled up on the roof each day, as I tried to remove most of it with a roof rake/shovel, although some snow remained higher up on the roof. The storms were followed by several days of fluctuating temperatures above and below freezing.

This temperature fluctuation caused the roof snow higher up to melt during the day but then freeze along the roof edge at night. This ice then backed up under the shingles to form an ice dam. The ice traveled under the shingles, melted and then dripped down and stained the ceilings below.

I tried to fix the problem by chipping the ice with hammer and chisel, as I stood on a ladder. Although this helped with the immediate problem, more ice dams formed with successive snow storms.

Looking for a solution, I searched the internet for some answers and found some solutions that I hope will help this winter. All the solutions centered on preventing heat from the house below to melt the snow on the roof above. Thus, if there is no melting snow there will be no ice dams.

The solutions included putting in air vents along the eves to increase air circulation under the roof and keep it cold. In addition, I added more insulation in the attic so less heat would escape from the house below and not heat the roof above. To prevent the insulation from blocking air circulation coming from the eve or soffit vents, I installed Styrofoam baffles between the rafters. I also repaired the roof gable vents with new screening and installed an automatic fan over the gable opening. The fan is thermostatically controlled and set to keep the attic cool by pulling in air from the eves, up to the roof ridge and then out the gable vents. Lastly, I bought a 4x8 sheet of insulated Styrofoam to fit over the pull down stairs leading to the attic. This helps with heat loss through the stairs opening. I also taped the edges of the Styrofoam with box tape since it shreds and makes a mess.

The following links below will give you more information about ice dams or installing insulation as well as some photos of my installation project ……..

Ice Dams
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK1068.html

Attic Insulation
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,212235,00.html

Project Photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/IceDams11108?authkey=6mjRDHVzRJk

Comments are always welcome. Have you had similar roof problems. Send me an email at markryan82@comcast.net.

How To Shingle A Roof And Cost Estimator

Last winter the snow piled up on my roof as we had one storm after another in my area of the Northeast. Being cautious, I removed most of it with a roof snow shovel to get rid of the extra weight. However, some ice dams formed along the roof edge and water leaked on interior ceilings. I even tried to chip away some of the ice with chisel and hammer but that didn’t help.

In the spring, I called a few contractors to give me an estimate on roof repairs or roof shingle replacement. I knew that there were already two layers of shingles on the current roof which would have to be removed before any new ones were installed. I have a ranch style home that measures 30 by 40 feet at the foundation. The roof has a moderate slope and no additional structures to work around. I last had the roof shingled over one existing layer 18 years ago which cost about $1400. The shingles were asphalt and had a lifetime of about 25 years.

The estimates given to me by several contractors ranged from $3000 to $7500. That would include stripping the two existing layers and removing all the waste debris as well as installing new shingles and all the accessories. Some contractors also suggested that I didn’t need a whole new roof and could just repair some spots.

Since the cost range was quite large, I decided to look up some information on the internet and try to estimate what the job would really cost for materials and labor. I read about how to install shingles and made lists of all the different types of shingles and materials. To get the general idea of what is involved with roof installation, you can see an interesting video at ThisOldHouse.Com. Click the link ……
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1630932,00.html
In addition Home Depot also has a video at the link …
http://www6.homedepot.com/tv/hdtv_player.html?videoID=000059&cm_sp=dept-_-d22-_-roofing-_-KnowHow-_-videotag_install

I also went to the online catalog at Home Depot and Lowes to get prices for shingles and other materials. You can see some of the material costs at the following links…..
Home Depot …..
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?Ntk=AllProps&N=10000003+90039+500530&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&langId=-1

Lowes ….. (also shows the new Architectural Shingles)
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&Ne=4294967294&Ntt=shingles&Ntk=i_products&N=4294961544&sortOp=bestMatch

I then listed all the material prices, labor costs and roof dimensions and calculated how much the job should cost. To make the calculations easier and adjustable with different roof dimensions, I constructed an Excel Spreadsheet. The roof diagram above lists all the dimensions needed. After constructing the spreadsheet, I uploaded it to Google Docs so you can download it to your desktop and make your own roof estimates.

Click on the link and follow the directions below …….
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pPRsaiyteUA301vZZQYWVMQ
New SS – View Only
You may get a message –“Trying To Sign In To Google” – Click on the Spreadsheet (SS) and you will go to the Google Sign In Page – Do Not Sign In – Click the Left Top Arrow and you will be brought Back To the SS – You can only “view” this SS and make no online changes. You can browse this SS page to view the various calculations made from inputting just five roof dimensions.

If you want to input your own roof dimensions, you need to do the following. You will need to save a copy of the SS on your desktop to use it and make changes. – Click File in the SS Title Bar –Then Export – Then ( xls ). Save the SS to your desktop. You now have a working copy of the SS. Make another copy of it to work with and save the original as is without changes. On the copy, you can change the five house dimensions on the SS and then press enter. New calculations will appear along with a new total cost. The only cells you should change are the five house dimensions. Other cells have formulae that if changed will mess up the SS. You can add new house dimensions and make new calculations.

Shareware License – This spreadsheet has taken a considerable amount of time to create and is a form of shareware that is for personal use only. The calculations obtained are a best guess estimate of the average cost for shingling a roof for a single family home and are not legally binding. If the user wishes to use the SS for any reason other than personal, please contact me for a license by email at markryan82@comcast.net .

My roof estimator generates a (best guess) cost of about $4500 which is in the middle of the range obtained from the various contractors ($3000-$7500). My daughter just had her roof re-shingled for about $2800. Her contractor needed the work and did a good job, was done in 2 days, had 3 men and removed all the waste shingles.

If you shop around you can get a good price that suits your situation. The highest estimate is not always the best job. I have also learned that some contractors estimate a job by multiplying the number of squares of shingles needed by a cost factor which includes (materials, labor and waste removal). The cost factor per square from low to high price is ($200 to $500). My house would require 15 squares which would include side trim and waste factor; (a square is 100 sf of shingles or 3 bundles). Using this formula you get (15squares x $200) = $3000 for a low price and (15 squares x $500) = $7500 for a high price. You can see a contractor that uses this method at the link ……
http://www.newenglandmetalroof.com/roofing-prices.html
and their “higher price” calculator at the link …..
http://www.newenglandmetalroof.com/roofing-calculator.html

If you want a reference book for installing roof shingles, you can get it at Lowes at the link …….
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=100360-2137-287945

After doing all this, I decided that I really didn’t need a new roof and could just make some minor repairs myself. This required putting some roof tar (asphalt adhesive) under some of the loose shingles and around the chimney and vent pipes. In addition, I added some attic vents under the eaves to increase air circulation. I’ll explain how I added the vents in my next blog.

Comments are always welcome. Do you have roof problems? Use my estimator to get a rough idea of the cost and then you will be more knowledgeable when you talk to a contractor.

How To Build A Wind Vane & Cupola

One of the things that always intrigues me is the variety of wind vanes, cupolas and finials that adorn the roof tops of buildings. As I traveled around New England this summer I took some photos of some of the interesting ones and listed them in a photo album with a link at the end of the next paragraph.

Most cupolas are square structures with louvered sides and a four sided roof. On top of the cupola is the traditional NSEW directional bars and then an arrow that moves and points in the direction from which the wind is coming. A decorative finial usually rests on the arrow or on top of the central pivot. The decorative finials usually have a shape that is related to the building, or geographical area or special interest of the owner. Thus, a finial in the shape of a fireman might be on a fire station or a whale might be on a seaside restaurant. You can see some example photos and ones from a shop in Wells, Maine at the link….. http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/WindVanesExamples71408

You can also see various wind vanes at online web sites and get an idea of the relative cost which depends on the size and construction materials. Those with copper roofs demand the highest prices. One online web site can be seen at the link ……. http://www.theweathervanefactory.com/index.php

Since the cost of the copper wind vanes, finials and cupolas was more than I wanted to spend, I decided to build my own and attached it to a backyard garden shed. Although the cost to purchase a wind vane and cupola online starts at around $500, I was able to build one with materials costing about $75 plus my labor.

You can see photos of my simple construction project at the link ….. http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/WindvaneProject82508
I first used a computer paint program to draw a design which is shown in the photo at top. I also recycled an old vinyl window shutter and cut it in 4 equal pieces for the cupola sides. Other materials were wood supports 1-1/2x3/4, metal brackets, barn board grooved plywood, corner molding, outdoor paint, nuts, bolts, screws, and threaded rod for center pivot.

The entire construction and installation took several weeks and made me appreciate the high cost of the ones seen on line. However, there is also a personal pride attached to your own creation.

Have you tried some unique home projects like this one? Comments are always welcome.