I noticed over the weekend that I am getting a build up of moss on my back porch roof. The roof is under trees and gets very little sun.
Will the moss shorten the life of the asphalt shingles?
Is there a way to get rid of the moss? Some people recommended that I should spray the roof with a bleach solution to get rid of the moss. Would this be a good idea?
Thanks
I think there are products that are specifically for this and would be better than bleach. Also, I read in an old home repair book that you can string bare copper wire back and forth across the roof. As the copper rusts, the oxides created are an anti-fungal agent. That is why you can see copper flashing on old church roofs.
Good luck.
The bleach will help. Better solution is to remove branches overhead, or just remove those trees that overhang your house. I prefer to go one step further and keep all branches at least 10 feet from the house. Your gutters will stay cleaner and this will help keep squirrels off your roof.
They sell stuff at Home Depot just for that. It goes right on your garden hose and you spray it on the roof. I have heard that the copper wire does the trick also.
There are zinc strips sold for this, they nail at the top . They are better than copper , but all will work. More sun is the best long term option, as drying is not now allowed, rot will follow. Trees are great , but must be trimmed a little. Houses need sun to dry them out, but mine is covered by 7 old oaks so I understand your reluctance. Trim a little, I lost my moss problems this way.
The moss will damage the roof and so can the bleach. There are products you can spray on and products that you can affix to the roof which will prevent additional growth. Us the stuff intended for roofs.
Depends where you live. If you live in Pacific Northwest, there isn't much you can do to keep the moss off the shady portions of your roof. I had a cedar shake roof and cedar gutters on the house when I bought it. The zinc strip trick didn't seem to make much difference, if any. I just get up there each year in early Summer with a stiff broom and brush the loose stuff off. Keeps it under control. Next time, I will get a steel roof and say goodbye to roof moss forever. Good luck!
Yes because it retains moisture and doesn't let the shingles dry out after wet weather.
You've gotten various answers in this regard. My only addition is to suggest zinc strips installed just below the topmost course of shingles; the rainwater runs off the strips and changes chemical composition to become hostile to moss.
Is not "moss" a plant? Roundup(tm)?
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