I have a two bedroomed terrace house and a local person has contacted me suggesting he clean the roof of the moss and seal it - not sure what seal it means. Can anyone please advise, is it necessary to have the roof tiles cleaned of moss and I also notice some bits of grass growing there, looking at the roof front and back there does seem to be a fair bit of it. He has also suggested £850 which would include cleaning out the guttering afterwards and I have no idea if this is reasonable for all the work. This is the first time I have met him. Can anyone please advise if this work is really necessary? Many thanks for any help.
Moss on roof
- Thread starter dibsdiy
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Roof moss usually comes from tree spores nearby......it does look unsightly and holds a load of water.
However, it does no real harm but can prevent natural drainage.
Big questions......if the roof is slate, keep him off - breakage is likely.
What is he going to use to clean it?
What is he going to seal it with?
John
However, it does no real harm but can prevent natural drainage.
Big questions......if the roof is slate, keep him off - breakage is likely.
What is he going to use to clean it?
What is he going to seal it with?
John
Dont have it done
Ive researched this and the general concensus is that moss does minimal damage, less than the damage of removing it.
Moss dries up in summer months and is dormant and a fair bit dies.
the greatest damage moss can do is blocking gutters -so put your money towards having them regularly cleaned out.
Alternatively look at getting a copper ridge -I dont know if they are good or not but are supposed to kill moss
Ive researched this and the general concensus is that moss does minimal damage, less than the damage of removing it.
Moss dries up in summer months and is dormant and a fair bit dies.
the greatest damage moss can do is blocking gutters -so put your money towards having them regularly cleaned out.
Alternatively look at getting a copper ridge -I dont know if they are good or not but are supposed to kill moss
My roof suffers to such an extent the tiles aren’t actually visible on the north face so I feel its worth getting stuck in every six years or so.
However....the tiles are Marley Moderns so they are tough, I use a blunt wallpaper scraper fixed to a long length of dowel and I’m really careful, even covering the rails of my roof ladder with foam from pipe lagging.
I’ve tried thin strips of copper sheet wedged under the tiles and this works great.....but only for a foot or so
John
However....the tiles are Marley Moderns so they are tough, I use a blunt wallpaper scraper fixed to a long length of dowel and I’m really careful, even covering the rails of my roof ladder with foam from pipe lagging.
I’ve tried thin strips of copper sheet wedged under the tiles and this works great.....but only for a foot or so
John
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I did a job on an estate once, all the roofs were the same concrete tiles and all were covered with moss to varying degrees.
The bloke i was doing the job for was the exception, despite lots of trees nearby his roof was spotless, i asked him did he have it power washed.
He said that he had it sprayed every so often by his window cleaner, he used a powerful moss killer mixed with a sort of foam agent which kept it stuck to the roof.
Once the moss dies, the roots like rhiziods
shrivel up which means the moss cant cling to the roof.
Wind, rain and gravity does the rest and the dead moss washes down into the gutter.
The process of demossing does take quite a long time but once the roof is clean it is just a matter of spraying it occasionally to keep it clean.
Spraying using one of those lance sprayers doesn't take long and doesn't damage the roof tiles the way that powerwashing or scrapping does.
The bloke i was doing the job for was the exception, despite lots of trees nearby his roof was spotless, i asked him did he have it power washed.
He said that he had it sprayed every so often by his window cleaner, he used a powerful moss killer mixed with a sort of foam agent which kept it stuck to the roof.
Once the moss dies, the roots like rhiziods
shrivel up which means the moss cant cling to the roof.
Wind, rain and gravity does the rest and the dead moss washes down into the gutter.
The process of demossing does take quite a long time but once the roof is clean it is just a matter of spraying it occasionally to keep it clean.
Spraying using one of those lance sprayers doesn't take long and doesn't damage the roof tiles the way that powerwashing or scrapping does.
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Just a humble diyer view here - It's not necessary to clear moss off your roof, and the risk of damage or of dislodging tiles, as well as the cost, is not worth it. It is, however, worth getting gutters cleared.
Soft washing a roof with moss killer doesn't damage a concrete roof tile any more than spraying a concrete patio with moss killer damages the concrete.
Hard washing a roof using power washers and scrapers can certainly damage tiles.
Sorry, i shoukd not have used the term herbicides, i have edited my post above accordingly.
The term moss killer is more appropriate as not all moss killers are herbicides.
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I'd focus on keeping the gutter clean, and maybe installing one of those leave / moss catcher things.
I cleaned my gutters out this year, had loads in as sometimes the moss rolls off the roof and lands in the gutter.
I left these two there, they looked happy.
I cleaned my gutters out this year, had loads in as sometimes the moss rolls off the roof and lands in the gutter.
I left these two there, they looked happy.
Moss's have sex organs so those 2 could start breeding if not careful.
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I'll keep an eye on them, if they get too close I'll get the bleach out!
there is a product called Wet and Forget which is sold as a cleaner. I have an idea it is a soap product containing fatty acids but I may be wrong.
It is not sold as a herbicide or moss-killer, so you must not use it as such, but it has the effect of removing moss and preventing regrowth for a while. It's a liquid that you mix up with water.
I've used it and it seems to work. Some people use it on patios, some on car soft-tops.
It is sold mail-order. There is often an introductory or affiliate discount. AFAIK they only sell it in 5-litre or larger containers.
If interested message me and I will see if I have a discount code from the car club.
It is not sold as a herbicide or moss-killer, so you must not use it as such, but it has the effect of removing moss and preventing regrowth for a while. It's a liquid that you mix up with water.
I've used it and it seems to work. Some people use it on patios, some on car soft-tops.
It is sold mail-order. There is often an introductory or affiliate discount. AFAIK they only sell it in 5-litre or larger containers.
If interested message me and I will see if I have a discount code from the car club.
Worth getting done imo. Moss on a roof looks unsightly. Really does make a difference in the appearance of your home.
Plus the reality is moss on your roof isnt great for the drainage of the roof. Blocking the gutters and the moss than continually ends up in your garden.
850 sounds about right depending on the size of your roof tbh. A lot of work goes into it...manually scraping every tile. Before applying a treatment. That can be sprayed every few years to keep the roof continually clean without the cost and labour of manually scraping again.
Surprised people still live with mossy roofs
In this day and age. I dont pressure wash roofs mainly because its had a bad name....people hit the tiles with too much pressure. Damaging tiles without replacing them till its got a bad name amongst homeowners. With the right pressure and the tiles are in decent overall condition....its perfectly fine to pressure wash them at the correct pressure. People now using heated water to do it at a lower pressure.
They say it takes the coating off tiles....but in reality that coating is long gone anyway. The coating doesnt last long after the tile leaves the factory. Moss being stuck on your roof in the first place usually indicates the coatings gone. The coating is pretty much a temporary coating.
The best way to do it nowadays tho is to manually scrape off the moss. Then apply a treatment. That can last for years. Personally i,d get more treatment on it after 3 years at a much lower cost to keep it clean continually. The 850,s a big outlay to start with but it makes a big difference in the overall appearance of your home. Done a few roof scrapes with treatment. Done my own as well. Every one i,ve done thought it was expensive to start with but all of them we,re happy paying after seeing the results. Just make sure the guy knows what hes doing first. Ask about the treatment used. How hes going to remove the moss etc.
Plus the reality is moss on your roof isnt great for the drainage of the roof. Blocking the gutters and the moss than continually ends up in your garden.
850 sounds about right depending on the size of your roof tbh. A lot of work goes into it...manually scraping every tile. Before applying a treatment. That can be sprayed every few years to keep the roof continually clean without the cost and labour of manually scraping again.
Surprised people still live with mossy roofs
In this day and age. I dont pressure wash roofs mainly because its had a bad name....people hit the tiles with too much pressure. Damaging tiles without replacing them till its got a bad name amongst homeowners. With the right pressure and the tiles are in decent overall condition....its perfectly fine to pressure wash them at the correct pressure. People now using heated water to do it at a lower pressure.
They say it takes the coating off tiles....but in reality that coating is long gone anyway. The coating doesnt last long after the tile leaves the factory. Moss being stuck on your roof in the first place usually indicates the coatings gone. The coating is pretty much a temporary coating.
The best way to do it nowadays tho is to manually scrape off the moss. Then apply a treatment. That can last for years. Personally i,d get more treatment on it after 3 years at a much lower cost to keep it clean continually. The 850,s a big outlay to start with but it makes a big difference in the overall appearance of your home. Done a few roof scrapes with treatment. Done my own as well. Every one i,ve done thought it was expensive to start with but all of them we,re happy paying after seeing the results. Just make sure the guy knows what hes doing first. Ask about the treatment used. How hes going to remove the moss etc.
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