Moss may be found growing on various types of surfaces. It can thrive on patios, driveways, lawns, roofs, etc.
The non-vascular plants that reproduce by spores are tenacious, and this often makes them a nuisance.
To avoid an infestation of moss, it is better to treat the problem at an early stage.
What Is a Good Way to Control Moss? Another way to handle moss is to apply a product that will kill and prevent future moss growth. Adding moss to your roof can lead to serious structural damage to your home.
This article will provide a list of roof moss killing products to help you control moss growth on your roof.
Types Of Roof Moss Killers
There are many different ways to get rid of moss from your roof: some are free while others cost money.
Free ways include making your own homemade recipes or using things you already have around the house.
Paid methods involve purchasing commercial products designed to kill moss.
Moss killers generally kill moss by removing moisture from non-vascular plants.
To accomplish this, moss killer products contain chemicals that specifically target moss plants.
Commercially available moss killer products may be divided into two categories:
- liquid products
- dry powder products
Liquid roof moss killer
The roof moss killer is the most common in the liquid form and is therefore the most commonly used by homeowners to kill roof moss.
All liquid roof moss killers come packaged in a container that has a garden hose connection, making it easy to use from the ground, allowing you to kill roof moss without climbing up onto the roof directly.
Liquid roof moss killers are more effective than dry powder roof moss killers because they have a higher concentration of active ingredients compared to dry powder roof moss killers.
To achieve the best results with a liquid roof moss killer, apply the chemical to a dry roof surface. After the treatment has been applied and the roof moss has died, wash away the dead moss with a garden hose.
Dry powder roof moss killers
The third type of roof moss killer is roof moss killer powder, which is applied by sprinkling it along the roof in parallel lines.
To be most effective, it should be applied during the rainy season so that rainwater activates the powder, creating a roof moss killer mixture.
As this mixture runs down the roof, it will kill any moss that it comes in contact with. This roof moss killer will usually take effect within a week.
However, this method of applying roof moss killer has several drawbacks:
- First, it can be difficult to apply evenly on your roof and leave unsightly streaks behind.
- The streaks produced by this type of roof moss killer are typically difficult to remove. Additionally, the wind may carry this type of roof moss killer powder away before it can mix with rainwater.
Why You Should Remove Moss from Your Roof
Moss growing on roofs can provide a rustic appearance that some find appealing.
People often find themselves wanting to leave the moss on their roof in order to keep the aesthetic.
However, the damage moss can do to a roof is significant, and if not removed immediately, moss growing on roofs can cause serious problems.
Here are just a few reasons why you must have moss removed from your roof immediately.
Damages Structures
A roof with moss covering can be severely damaged by moss.
Moss affects the bottom layer’s ability to hold up the weight of the roof and impacts the overall strength of your structure. This also causes the roofing to lift off and create holes in the roof.
The spaces created by moss on your roof allow for ice to form on your roofs and allow for moisture to create a mold issue.
If you allow moss to grow on your roof you may have to replace the roof and spend money that could have been saved if you had managed the problem properly.
Causes Allergies
The moss that grows on property does pose health risks to you, your family, and your pets when it releases hazardous materials into the atmosphere of your life.
Health hazards created by the toxic substances created by moss will result in allergy and other potential medical problems.
To avoid placing your family and yourself in harm’s way, it is essential to destroy the moss growing on your landscape before the health concerns become serious and widespread.
Roof Moss Killers – How They Work?
Roofs come in different forms:
- tiles
- slates
- or thatch
Moss growth is possible on every type of roof as long as there’s enough moisture in the air. If you want to eliminate the moss from your roof successfully, you need to use the best moss killer for roofs. It is just as important to know how to apply the moss killer correctly.
For any moss killer used on roofs, use only a neutral pH solution. An acidic or basic solution will damage your roof by burning or corroding its surface.
If you don’t use a neutral pH moss killer, this is ironic because you destroy the roofing surface while trying to preserve it.
Moss killers work by drying out the water in the moss. The best moss killers combine both moss killing and moisture absorption capabilities.
The most effective time to apply a moss killer is when the roof surface is completely dry. This allows for maximum application coverage, especially if you are using a liquid moss killer.
A dry surface also helps eliminate spores, lichen, and minimize moss regrowth.
Most premade moss killer products will provide instructions regarding how long it should remain on the roof prior to washing it away. Depending on the product, it may be left for a few minutes to a full day.
After the moss killer has been allowed to work, be sure to wash both the dead moss and the moss killer off of the roof.
Free Methods – Roof Moss Killers
Some of the best ways to kill moss are items that you probably already have around your house.
You will most likely be using household items that are readily available for you to use.
Most of these non-chemical methods include:
Hand-cleaning
You can manually rid your roof of moss with the help of various tools such as:
- rakes
- brushes
- or garden hoses
You need access to the roof, so the first step is to bring a good set of ladders!
Cleaning by hand is relatively simple if you are physically capable of physically cleaning the roof and if you are informed enough on proper moss removal methods to ensure that the shingles are not damaged during cleaning.
Power Washing
You can use hydro or pressurized water to clean your roof of moss without using chemicals.
You can choose either high or low pressures to perform the required cleaning for your specific needs.
Additionally, you may want to use a washable biodegradable detergent in combination with water in order to remove the moss effectively.
Scrapping
The nonchemical method of removing moss from roofs by scraping with aluminum is a more forgiving process than using steel, which will damage the roof.
It requires some level of patience, stamina and energy since removing all of the moss will take time.
While it is effective, scraping off all of the moss with this method is challenging.
Homemade roof moss killers are inexpensive and can be made from materials found around the house.
The methods discussed in this article do use chemicals to kill roof moss, but ingredients can be found at home for a low cost.
Homemade roof moss killer recipes are listed below as examples to consider when tackling the task of removing moss from your roof.
A mixture of Water and dawn ultra-dish soap
Using 8 ounces of Dawn Ultra soap mixed with 2 gallons of water in a large bucket is a great way to create a roof moss killer.
Once you have completed the mixing process, you can now take the bucket of mixed solution and pour it into your garden sprayer and set up a ladder to spray the area affected by moss.
After waiting 20 minutes for the mixture to work, use plain water to rinse away any remaining mixture.
You may need to apply several times if there are any signs of active moss growth.
Chlorine bleach and water
Mix 2-3 cups of chlorine bleach with 2 gallons of water in a bucket.
Make sure the mixture is diluted, do not use concentrated bleach; this will damage your roofing by corroding the shingles.
Also, please remember to use gloves when handling the bleach for safety’s sake.
At This point – Once the mixture has been created; pour it into a garden sprayer and climb up onto your roof using a ladder to apply the solution to any areas where you have noticed moss growing.
Allow 20 minutes for the bleach solution to work before rinsing off with clean water to verify that all moss is dead.
Powdered Oxygen Bleach and water
Mix one pound of powdered oxygen bleach with two gallons of water in a bucket and mix it well to get a uniform mixture.
After the mixture is mixed for a uniform mixture, transfer the mixture into a sprayer. Be sure to wear protective gloves to protect yourself from chemical burns to your hands.
Spray the roof area that has the moss evenly, and give the month to take effect.
After twenty minutes, rinse the roof and see if it worked or not. If there is any moss on the roof that is not dead, you will need to repeat the process until all of it is gone.
Vinegar and water
Using a mixture of distilled vinegar and water is an easy option for getting rid of any moss growing on your roof.
Moss tends to thrive in moist environments with acidic conditions, so cutting down on moist conditions by using a vinegar-water solution can keep moss from growing on your roof.
As with the other options, you would take the mixed solution and pour it into your garden sprayer. You should go up on a ladder to access the roof and spray the solution on the existing moss.
Once you have finished spraying the solution onto all the moss patches you would give it 30 minutes before removing any remaining dead moss by rinsing your roof with plain tap water.
Paid Methods – Roof Moss Killers
Multiple brands available for killing roof moss.
As referenced above, roof moss killers are available in two formulations:
- Liquid,
- Granular,
Before purchasing a roof moss killer, you should consider multiple factors when deciding what product will work best for you.
Factors you should consider when buying a roof moss killer
The type of moss killer
There are moss killers in both granular and liquid forms.
Generally speaking, liquid moss killer is usually a better option when using it on roofs because granular moss killer tends to leave streaks on the shingles of your roof.
Purpose
Before you buy a moss killer, make sure that it will work well with your intended application.
There are many different moss killers, some will work well on lawns and patios, while others are designed specifically for roof use.
For this reason, it is vital that when you buy a moss killer for your roof, it is designed specifically for that purpose.
Chemical content
When selecting a moss killer, you need to be aware that many types of moss killers are actually chemicals and therefore should be treated as such.
Look for a moss killer that has a neutral pH, meaning it will not cause any corrosion to your roofing materials while killing moss.
It is very important that you always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when using their product.
Price
As the market contains a variety of brands for moss killers, it is worth mentioning that prices vary greatly between these brands.
The best option would be a product you could afford, but that is still good quality.
Although a lower price could indicate a good deal for you, do not make this a priority over buying quality. Higher quality products will usually come with a higher cost.
Manufacturer/ Brand
Today the market has a number of manufacturers that produce weed killers.
Of course, you want to choose a brand name that has built up a reputation for providing quality products at reasonable prices.
How To Successfully Kill Roof Moss
Understand how moss grows
Understanding how and why moss grows on roofs is necessary to successfully remove it.
Moss naturally grows in moist, cooler environments. As a result, most roof moss growth occurs in the fall and springtime.
Moisture is critical for the growth and survival of moss; however, they do not require sunlight or nutrients to survive.
Moss will grow in any cracks or crevices between the roof shingles as they can creep underneath the edges of the shingles and spread out quickly, causing damage.
The overabundance of moss can cause rot on the roof underlayment and further damage the framing of your home.
Choose the best roof moss killer
Choosing a good moss killer can make the difference between being successful in killing moss and having a total disaster.
As we’ve seen already in this article, moss killers created for use on roofs will work differently from moss killers created for use on lawns, which means that you’ll want to pay close attention when selecting your products.
Important note: Roof moss killers should effectively kill any moss without causing damage to the roofing material. Good roof moss killer products will typically kill moss very quickly, and will leave no stain or corrosive damage to roofing materials.
Ensure the moss does not regrow
Removing moss permanently means you do not have to deal with this problem all the time.
The best way to kill off moss is while it is actually living, which is during the humid, wet season.
- In order to avoid regrowing moss, you should begin by using a rake or broom to remove the excess moss so that you can reach the base of the moss that has grown.
- After that, apply the moss killer on the moss using either a spray or sprinkle bottle and allow it time to work, following the manufacturer’s time requirement to ensure effectiveness.
- Once all the moss has been eliminated, then rinse off your roof with water and wash away the remaining debris from the solution.
Final Words
Moss growth on roofs can be harmful and leads to a decreased lifespan for the shingles, which in turn affects overall structural integrity.
If you catch moss early on, it is best to eliminate it quickly.
To rid your home of moss growth, there are many options available to treat this situation including commercial products and DIY options.
The right product should be used according to the directions provided by the manufacturer, as each solution should have different instructions for maximum results.