Strong, healthy roofs gather no moss

Q. I am getting moss growing in the joints of my brick patio. How can I get rid of it?

Carol Quarantello, Saugus

A. Moss on a roof you want to get rid of because the moss can eventually rot the asphalt shingles. The same goes for moss growing on any wood product. But moss on shady parts of the lawn, moss on trees, and moss between stones or brick, why not keep it? It is handsome stuff, and it grows often where grass will not. And between bricks and stones, it gives the paving an antique look. If you look closely at it, you can see the various varieties, all of which are good looking. The Japanese revere it; they well should because there is so much of it, especially in the southern crescent from Tokyo to Nagasaki. I think they got tired of trying to eradicate it (impossible) and finally embraced it.

If you really want to get rid of it, you can simply dig it out of the joints, and then pour vinegar in the joints. Vinegar is like super acid rain and will prevent a lot of things from growing.

Q. The windows in my 1920s house have storms on the outside, and they work pretty well. But in winter I am getting moisture on the inside of the storms, but only on the second floor. Why just on the second floor, and how can I prevent it from occurring?

Doug (Confused)

A. What is happening with your upstairs windows is this: Warm, humid air in the house makes it through the original windows and condenses on the cold storm. Result, water. To prevent this, make sure the weep holes in the storms are open, to release that excessive water vapor. Also, weatherstrip the windows to prevent house air from passing through them. The best weatherstripping for your original windows is spring bronze weatherstripping, not easy to find but available at the Boston Building Materials Coop in Roxbury. With this spring bronze, you can weatherstrip the sides of the sash, as well as the bottom of the lower sash, the top of the upper sash, and the checkrail, where the two sash meet.

As for the condensation occurring only on the second floor, that's easy; humid air rises. Of course, it also could mean the first floor windows are tighter than those upstairs.

Q. I am putting up a stockade fence. Is it best to put it on the property line or 1 foot on my side so I can safely work on the other side when necessary?

Curious

A. From the property disputes we read about, the better part of valor is to put the fence inside the line; how much -- a couple of inches or a foot? -- does not matter. You can avoid any need for maintenance by putting in pressure-treated posts and not painting the fence. It is also important to know exactly where the property line is.

Q. It is feasible to paint my vinyl windows?

Linda Morton, \New Orleans

A. It is feasible to paint vinyl, sanding heavily and painting with a latex house paint. But up until now it hasn't been practical, because there are so many narrow surfaces and edges where paint will not adhere very well. Up until now, that is: Krylon, makers of aerosol spray paints, has developed a paint that it calls Fusion, which it claims will bind with vinyl for a permanent coat. Check it out. If the Fusion works, fine. If not, keep the windows white.

Q. Is there any easy and sure way to get rid of Japanese bamboo? I have cut it down repeatedly and it keeps coming back, stronger than ever.

Stan Kasanovich, Truro

A. I have forgotten the botanical name, but it is not a bamboo, and it was imported to this country as an ornamental at the turn of the last century. It looks pretty good when it comes up in the spring, producing big leaves on stiff stems that look, more or less, like bamboo. But then in the fall it just dies and is a miserable mess and should be cut down anyway.

I had two larger tracts of it in my yard and dug it out by going deep down, 12 inches at least, to get rid of the traveling roots. I still have a little but it doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Roundup will also kill it and make it easier to dig up those pesky roots.

Q. We use the fireplace a few times a year. I have a big stack of firewood in the back of the yard, with a tarp on top. It has been there for 20 years. It is not decayed, but is there any chance of bug infestations? If so, what can I do about them?

Tom Sweeney, Stoneham A Insects in wood in New England? That's a given. The wood may not have any, and in cold weather they will be hibernating or long gone. Termites, if any, are deep in the ground and will stay there until spring. So, store only as much wood in the house as you will burn in an evening. You may see a few bugs scurrying away when the logs burn, and if you do, you can make it a game as to how many you can catch.

Wrote Judy Knapp by e-mail: There are many medical concerns when there are bats in the house. I am a nurse and work in an emergency department, and the CDC's recommendation whenever anyone finds a bat in the house is to have the rabies vaccine series.

Lorraine Ott, RN, pediatric nurse practitioner, wrote by e-mail: Do not wait till spring while your children enjoy them! They are wild animals and most carry the deadly rabies virus. Medically speaking, if a child obtains a bite and there are known bats inside, he is treated for rabies, quite unpleasant but better than death.

Thank you, readers, for that important information.

Handyman on Call also appears in the Globe's Style & Arts section on Thursdays. Peter Hotton is available 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair; call 617-929-2930. Hotton chats online about house matters 2 to 3 p.m. Thursdays at boston.com. He can be reached at photton@globe.com.