A green roof covered with moss may give a fairy tale vibe, but in reality, it is nothing but a nightmare. Yes, you have heard it right! If left untreated on the roof, moss decays the structure and material of the roof and drastically reduces its life span. Because of this, your roof may even collapse, so you must remove the moss from your roof and clean it as soon as possible. Here is how you can do it.
1- Safety Precautions
In most cases, you might have to climb the roof to get rid of dead moss by applying a chemical moss killer. This is dangerous, especially if the roof is high or the pitch is steep. Before trying this, make sure you can work comfortably on the roof or a tall ladder. It is advisable to learn how to use roof harnesses in tasks that require you to climb steep or high roofs. The roof harness includes a roof-mounted bracket with straps designed to prevent falls if you accidentally slip while working on a steep slope.
2- Preparation of the Surface
Removing the moss and cleaning the roof afterward will be messy, so be sure to dress appropriately. Wear second-hand clothing, safety goggles, rubber gloves, a hat, and non-slip shoes. Have your safety rope or seat belt ready when you go to the rooftop. Cover the adjacent plants and flowers with a wrapping sheet. Secure the ladder, grab the hose and climb up the roof. Spray water on all parts of the roof that are covered by the moss. Always work from top to bottom of the roof to ensure that water is drained from the roof. Furthermore, ensure that water and tools do not damage the roof tiles.
3- Application of a Chemical Moss Killer
To apply the powdered chemical moss killer, take out your extension ladder and climb up the rooftop. Spread the moss killer parallel to the roof ridge on a continuous horizon about 2-4 feet away. Dry moss killer is ideal when slow and steady rain is expected shortly. If you are applying the wet moss killer, make sure that your garden hose is connected to a container. Run the water for a while until the moss killer begins to spill. Then spray the roof, starting from the ridge. For large roofs, several bottles of moss killer might be needed.
4- Getting Rid of Dead Moss
When the color of the moss turns visibly brown, it means that it is now dead and hence can be removed easily. However, this may take more than a month after the application of the moss killer. Climb the roof and start removing moss from bottom to top. An easy way to get rid of moss is to scrape off the moss manually from the roof using a hard, long-handled brush and trowel. If you are confident that you can access the roof, preferably on a dry day, you can do it yourself or call an expert instead.
Make sure to use these tools gently. At the seams, use the sharp edges of the scraper like a toothpick to extrude the moss. Work from the lines to the roof ridge and gently wipe off the loose moss. But do that with extreme precaution as the loose moss can be very slippery. If you have multiple areas of the roof full of moss, the entire process must be repeated for each panel, going from bottom to top.
5- Rinsing the Roof Properly
At the end of the session, spray the roof to flush the moss residue into the gutters before taking a long break. Make sure you take a break from the work until the roof is completely dry. This will give you a better view of the roof and see the areas that still need to be scrapped off.
6- Installing Copper or Zinc on the Roof to Prevent Future Moss Growth
Install galvanized or copper-plated sheet metal strips just below the upper ridges on both sides of the roof to prevent the moss problem from coming again. Copper is effective for the prevention of moss, but zinc is cheaper. Sheet metal can be purchased in rolls, and you can cut it into 2–4-inch strips. Secure the batten to the roof with roof nails or screws with rubber washers.
Moss can be dangerous and normally starts growing as a thin layer between roof shingles. It then spreads throughout the roof, weakening its foundation by decaying the structure. If you also have moss on your roof, you should take necessary action and measures to get rid of it. Follow the steps shared above to get rid of moss on your roof as soon as possible and save your roof from decay and damage.