Moss growing on your roof might not seem like much of a problem, but as much as it might be an inconvenience to tackle, moss can really damage it. Moss is a natural absorbent, and so any moisture that establishes itself on the roof is only going to hinder your roof’s structural integrity. That being said, it’s worth cleaning the moss off as soon as it appears. Here are a few tips on how to clean moss off your roof successfully.
How To Clean Moss Off Your Roof Surface
If you want to clean the moss off yourself, then you’ll want to figure out how to first remove it but to also ensure it doesn’t come back. So let’s cover the first bit, how to clean moss off your roof. There are different ways to remove moss from your rooftops and firstly, you should choose the right day to do it on. You’re going to want to do it on a cloudy day so that when you’re applying any roof cleaning products, it’s in the right conditions that it’s going to soak into the moss. If it’s done on a hot day, then the product or treatment you use is simply going to evaporate and potentially hinder your results.
You should allow at least twenty minutes for the product to absorb into the moss, and there are plenty of products out there to choose from. There are those that are available in a spray bottle, or that can be attached to a hose. Each one is going to need to follow correctly as they can tend to have different instructions. Using a stiff brush on your roof can also be useful for scrubbing away moss, and it’s worth getting an extendable pole for reaching your roof safely. If you’re looking for a homemade cleaning solution for moss, then simply mixing bleach and water might help. It depends on the growth of moss that you have up there and so it might be worth purchasing the right products to get rid of the stubborn moss that just won’t move.
When prepping your roof for the treatment, it’s important to protect any nearby plants as anything chemical-based that gets onto the ground below, might end up killing it. Plastic sheeting is an easy solution to this and can be bought easily from any local DIY shop. Once you’ve laid down the treatment and removed the moss, be sure to water down the roof and all plants on the ground. This is so you’re just making doubly sure that no chemicals have gotten onto the plants.
How To Keep Moss From Coming Back on The Roof
Removing moss from your roof isn’t easy, and it’s not something you want to be doing on a regular basis. With that being said, there’s certainly things you can do to ensure it doesn’t grow back. Trimming any tree branches that are near your roof area or perhaps overhanging onto them is good to prevent further moss growth. Try to keep your roof completely free of debris and so it’s worth taking a brush to it every so often or getting a professional to come out to do it for you. Clean out the gutters where you can, so that you avoid any moisture buildup around these areas too, and towards the ends of your roofing. The gutters are one place that can also cause structural damage to your property, and it can end up being costly if you’re not careful. So make sure you’re cleaning them out regularly.
There are anti-moss strips that you might also wish to purchase in order to prevent any moss from growing back. Zinc and copper are two elements that moss don’t like, and so you can get these nailed to the roof to help with the battle against it. It’s a last-case scenario though so it should only be used if you’ve had re-growth even with putting the above solutions in place. Nailing screws into your roofing can puncture your roof’s seal and therefore potentially cause damage as well.
Spotting moss growing on your roof can be difficult when it’s so high up, but once you’ve spotted it, it’s important to take action straight away. If you’ve found that upon inspection, the moss has damaged your roofing in some way, then it’s worth contacting your local roofing company to help fix any damage that has been caused. If you’re not sure if damage has been done or not, then they can at least do a roof inspection just to be safe.
