Roof Moss an Affordable Way to Remove it

The majority of home owners never consider roof cleaning as part of their home maintenance upkeep. Home owner insurance policies are being canceled nationwide when insurance representatives notice moss on roofs. The moss is alive and eating its way thru the roofing material, causing water and ice backups that can lead leaks and costly repairs.

Roof moss, like any other living organism, needs water, food and air in order to survive. The north side or a shady section of a roof is the perfect habitat for moss. The north facing side of your roof does not get direct sunlight which would burn the moss off; instead it remains cooler and retains water longer allowing moss to thrive. Moss can survive on airborne food sources or from eating the surface that it is attached too, like; wood pulp from cedar shingle roofs or from the limestone in the asphalt style shingles.

To most home owners to idea of climbing up on the roof to clean the moss off seems quite unnerving to say the least, which is probably the reason most people let it go so long that replacement is their only choice but with the right roof cleaning product and few common tools it can be easily accomplished without even stepping foot onto the roof.

Not all moss removal products are effective enough to remove the roots of the moss along with the flower and that is the key, removing the roots, if not it is just like using straight water, it is only a temporary fix when the roots are not removed because the following season the moss will be back in full bloom.

The use of chlorine bleach on your roof can cause more problems than it may seem to solve. Chlorine bleach severely dries out any surface it comes in contact with, when left on clothes to long it will burn a hole through the clothing, similar damage can occur on roofing material, making the roofing material brittle and susceptible to wind damage. Chlorine bleach can also permanently alter the color of your roofing material.

There are professional roof cleaning companies that can remove the moss for you, as always I recommend seeing some “before and after” pictures, talking directly with their references, checking insurance policies and making sure that they are using an Eco-Safe cleaning agent before along them to work on the roof.

With the state the economy today, home owners are taking on a lot of home maintenance projects themselves rather than hiring a contractor. Roof moss can be removed over time with the help of the rain, wind and the right roof cleaning product. If you don’t mind mixing up a container of cleaning solution and using a hose to spray down your roof, you too can save hundreds of dollars that would have gone to a service contractor. An efficient moss cleaner will dry the moss up quickly and then the rain and wind will remove it from the roof.