Moss growth on the roof can seem inevitably with many homes, particularly if your roof is shaded anywhere or you live in an area with regular rainfall. This is especially true when you have trees overhanging your roof, as they provide both shade and plant material for the moss to live off of. The longer you have the roof, the more moss you will see growing on it if the conditions are right.
Luckily, you can clean the moss off of your roof if you are willing to do a little exterior home improvement work. The following information will help you understand what you need to clean moss off of your roof. Using the right combination of tools and chemicals, you can get rid of the moss and protect your roof from further moss growth.
Moss Cleaning Tools
Gather the following tools and equipment before you tackle the moss:
1. Extendable ladder
You need a ladder tall enough to allow safe access to the roof. Remember, you are not supposed to use the very top rungs of a ladder, so get one that extends a fair bit beyond the edge of the roof.
2. Ladder horns or stabilizers
These can be useful if you want to avoid damaging your gutters by leaning the ladder directly on the gutter.
3. Long handled brush
You will need to scrub off what moss you can. A long handle allows you to reach further, and may allow you to avoid actually walking on your roof – which is always safer and less likely to damage the roof. Do not give into the temptation to use a pressure washer. It can damage your roof and is unnecessary in most cases.
4. Moss killer
There are a number of products you can buy to kill moss. You can also make a 50:50 mixture of water and bleach.
5. Hose-end sprayer
If you are spraying a liquid, you will probably need a hose attachment for applying liquid mixtures. You can find a hose-end sprayer at any garden or hardware store.
6. Zinc or copper strips or flashing
Zinc and copper kill moss. You will want to install this after cleaning if you want to prevent further growth.
7. Work clothes
This will be dirty, wet work. Wear appropriate clothing, including work gloves and eye protection when you are applying the moss killing chemicals. Also, if you are going to be walking on the roof, wear shoes with good, grippy soles.
8. A partner
Having a partner to stabilize your ladder and hand up supplies can be very useful. It's also a good safety measure.
Cleaning The Moss Off Of Your Roof
Use the ladder to reach the moss growth, then take the brush and scrub t in a motion that goes with the shingles. You want to avoid going against the grain and lifting shingles as doing so can damage them. Once you have brushed off all of the moss, it is time to apply the moss killing chemicals.
Before you start applying the moss killer, read the instructions carefully. If you are using a bleach mixture, or any chemical that can harm your plants, make sure to spray any plant that may come into contact with the moss killer with water first. Once you have applied the moss killer, you can spray the plants again to remove any residue.
After you have applied the moss killer, you can install the copper or zinc strips at the top of your roof. Where you install them will vary, but they need to be at the higher end of the roof so the metal molecules can flow downward along the shingles for complete protection.
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