Table of Contents
Tools
- Ladder
- Garden hose
- Soft, long handled scrub brush (optional)
- Sprayer
- Hammer
Materials
- Trash bag
- Moss removal solution
- Zinc strips (optional)
- Copper strips (optional)
- Roofing nails
Moss growing on your roof can lend your home a bit of a cottagecore vibe, but it can also seriously damage your shingles and incur you roof repair costs. It’s best to remove moss as soon as you see it starting to grow on your roof.
Like vines growing on your house, moss growing on your roof can be a recipe for serious, long-term damage to your home’s surfaces, as well as the underlying structure. Is there moss on your roof? It’s time to do something about it.
How to Know That You Have Moss on Your Roof
You may not notice moss immediately from an unaided ground inspection of your roof, but you can check your roof more carefully by using binoculars, or, if you’re feeling especially fancy, a drone equipped with a camera. Whatever method you use, inspect the whole roof, especially parts that tend to stay in the shade.
What Does Roof Moss Look Like?
![Moss on clay roof tiles](https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/fit-in/x/https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/moss-on-clay-roof-tiles.jpeg)
Getty Images
It’s pretty obvious if moss is growing on your roof. You’ll notice green, fuzzy growth between shingles or on metal roofing surfaces. Sometimes, algae will also grow on roofs alongside moss growths, this typically shows up as black spots on the roof’s surface. One last thing you may notice on your roof is lichens, which are often green plaques that may or may not be raised or textured.
Safety Considerations
Working on a roof can be very dangerous, so make sure that you’re not only wearing protective gear like work boots, thick pants and a hardhat or helmet but also ensure that your harness is in good shape and is properly anchored. Having another person present to help hold your ladder or call for help if things go wrong is also important for your safety.
Preparing to Remove Moss From Your Roof
Preparing to remove moss from your roof isn’t very complicated, you’ll just need to ensure that you’re wearing proper safety gear, that your ladder is in good condition, and that your safety harness is installed correctly according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Instructions
1. Remove All Loose Moss
Using a garden hose with a simple spray attachment, spray water downward along the angle of the roof to dislodge moss. Do not be tempted to spray against the grain of the roof, since this can lift shingles or wedge moss further underneath them. Knock as much of the moss off the roof with the hose as you can. Put any moss you collect into a trash bag for disposal.
WARNING: Do not use a pressure washer, as this can damage shingles.
2. Gently Scrub Remaining Moss
Like hosing the roof, scrubbing the roof poses a risk to your shingles. If you are not exceptionally careful, you can cause a lot more damage than you prevent, including roof leaks. Using a very long handled brush, scrub from the top down, just like you sprayed the hose, to avoid lifting shingles. Work slowly in sections and don’t expect perfection.
Don’t scrub any harder than you have to to avoid removing asphalt shingle granules.
3. Apply a Moss Removing Solution
Although there are many DIY solutions out there, a commercial moss removal solution will help to both protect and preserve your roof and the plants below. Although commercial solutions can damage tender plants, homemade solutions are much more harsh on plants. Choose a commercial solution containing ingredients like potassium salt of fatty acid or zinc sulfate that are less likely to hurt plants, while at the same time, are effective at moss removal.
Wait for a cloudy day, then mix the material in your sprayer according to the package directions. Apply it to the roof, working from the top down, again being careful to not lift any shingles as you do this. If the moss solution is supposed to be hosed off afterward, do so, but follow the package directions.
4. Install Metal Strips on Your Roof
Two-to-four-inch wide copper or zinc strips can be applied to the roof, just below the top ridge on both sides of the roof, using roofing nails. These metals deter moss growth, so when they’re permanently applied to the roof, the simple act of water moving across them as they oxidize will help keep moss and algae killed off. Apply the metal as a continuous strip by overlapping sections by at least one inch across the top of the entire affected area.
DIY Moss Removal Vs. Hiring a Professional
Although you can remove moss yourself, unless you are very careful and work slowly, you risk damaging your roof in the process. Often, hiring a roofing contractor is simply cheaper than repairing the roof when the granules on your asphalt shingles are washed away by improper cleaning techniques.
How to Prevent Moss From Growing on Your Roof
You can prevent moss from growing on your roof by keeping the roof exposed to the sun at all times. This usually involves trimming back the trees overhanging your home, which can also be helpful in preventing storm damage. Keep your gutters clean to help improve water flow from your roof. And as mentioned before, you can also apply metal strips to the peak of your roof on both sides. These can deter moss growth over time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the easiest way to remove moss from a roof?
Removing moss from a roof is a tedious process, there are no shortcuts. The easiest way to do it is to call a professional.
What home remedy kills moss on a roof?
Although there are several home remedies on the internet for killing roof moss, these methods can also damage your roof, as well as plants on the ground, and are not recommended.
Does Dawn dish soap kill moss on your roof?
There are home remedies for moss that include Dawn dish soap, but Dawn dish soap itself is not a very effective way to kill moss.
Is bleach or vinegar better for killing moss?
Both bleach and vinegar are very harsh chemicals that can kill moss, as well as damage your roof. Because of this, they are not recommended for moss removal. Instead, choose a commercial moss killer that will preserve your roof, as well as the plants on the ground below.