Q: It’s been almost three years since you sold us our house and we’d like to ask your help in suing the seller and home inspector.

After the last big rain we had several small leaks in our roof. We’ve been taking very good care of it by having it pressure washed twice a year to get the moss off. We think the roof was in much worse shape than the sellers represented in their disclosure and we also think the inspector should have noticed if there were any leaks.

A: Before you pay for an attorney there are a few things to consider. First, if you read the seller’s disclosure form closely you will notice, as I pointed out to you during your purchase, that the answers sellers give are simply to the best of their knowledge. They don’t guarantee anything. Most people don’t get up on their roof so they can’t report any problems unless they have experienced leaks. So you may not have a case against them.

Another document you should review is your inspection report. It also doesn’t guarantee anything beyond what the inspector can see on the day of the inspection. The forms most inspectors use also generally have a short timeline for complaints and three years would be too long to justify a complaint now.

The third and most important issue is that, sadly, you did not follow my advice to never, ever pressure wash your roof! Pressure washing can remove the granules that are the protective surface of the shingles. If you’ve been doing this twice a year for three years I’m surprised you have any roofing left. No matter what somebody selling this service tells you, virtually all manufacturers of roofing materials and roofers will tell you that pressure washing is very bad for shingled roofs.

The bottom line, folks, is that I believe you probably did this to yourselves. I always stress to buyers that they refrain from pressure washing and I know it’s even in the inspection report that you received when you bought the house. I’m truly sorry.