Is Moss On The Roof Harmful?
It’s common to see moss growing on the roof. It can be a pretty sight for some of us. But occasionally it just makes you wonder, is moss on the roof harmful to you?
Moss is part of nature. You see it in the forest, growing on tree trunks. It is not harmful to you. Not directly. But, it is bad to have moss growing on your roof as it causes roof damage. Consequently, this causes leaking roofs that will result in growth of mold. This mold is the culprit that can potentially harm your health. The roof leak will also incur a cost for roof repair and maintenance.
What causes moss to grow on a roof?
Moss grows in cool, shaded and damp areas. Places that don’t get much sunshine are the best for them as they can grow better. But, certain species can survive even in sunny conditions.
Moss propagates through spores. They rely on wind as the carrier of these spores. So, it’s no surprise that you can see them almost everywhere – in the drain, sidewalks, walls of the building and your roof top.
So, if you have tall buildings or a tree casting their shade on your roof, that area is prone to moss growth. Moss spreads quickly and can be hard to get rid of. When it’s the rainy season, it can grow into a thick layer.
Why is moss bad for your roof?
Moss makes your roof look like a fairy tale but it can damage your roof as time goes. Moss acts like a sponge. Under normal circumstances, rainwater can just evaporate. But, the moss keeps this moisture on your roof.
The roof shingles will start to deteriorate over time. It will soften and become weaker to the elements. Heavy rain and strong wind can pry it off with ease. This will reveal the vulnerable layer underneath the shingles. It’s just a matter of time before your roof starts to show the signs of leak.
The moss growing into your roof will also tend to lift the tiles or shingles up. If these get out of place, it allows water to seep underneath the roof with ease. If left unchecked, the wood frame under the roof will decay and weaken.
Rain water will start to trickle onto the base of our ceiling. This will cause discoloration on your ceiling. Mold will also start to grow which is alarming because moss can cause health problems.
Not only that the lifespan of your roof is greatly reduced. The structural integrity of the roof will also be at risk and might even collapse. You’ll also have to fork out a huge sum of money to get it fixed.
To save all these trouble, it’s absolutely critical to remove roof moss before it’s too late.
How to remove moss from roof?
It is best to hire professionals to do the moss removal for you as it can be dangerous without the proper safety equipment. Anway, to remove moss from roof, here’s what you should do:
1. Scrub the moss
Use a soft-bristle brush to scrub the moss away. Work it from high angle to low without lifting the shingles. Do not use too much force to avoid damaging the shingles.
Avoid using metal brushes as it will scrape the shingles off, causing roof damage. The same goes with power washers. The strong pressure will dig its way into the shingles. This is very harmful to your roof.
2. Spray the moss with cleaning solution
There are commercial cleaning solutions that can help you to remove the moss. However, you may need to lay down a protective sheet along the wall and near the area. Most of these chemicals may cause discoloration on the walls and kill plants.
Read the instructions carefully on how to use it. Some need to be mixed with water while others can be applied directly just like that. Know your product to get the expected results.
Here’s a video that shows this two basic step to clean the moss off the roof:
Alternately, you can use detergent for roof moss removal. Bleach is another agent that you can consider. Mix equal parts of bleach and water and spray it on your roof. Make sure the entire surface area of the roof is covered with the bleach mixture.
Let it sit for as long as it can. You don’t have to wash it off. It will take some time for the bleach to kill the moss and the spores.
When it rains, it will wash off these moss materials off your roof. So, be sure to arrange for gutter cleaning next! You can clean the gutter without a ladder with some tools or hire roof specialists to take care of it for you.
Depending on the type of shingles on your roof, using bleach may not be suitable as it can break down the protective layer of the shingles. Once this layer is dissolved, rain can go through the shingles with ease. So, be sure to find out if your roof can withstand the bleach before doing so.
Finally, you might also want to spray clean water onto the plants in the area around the roof. Take out your garden hose and start washing those plants. This is to wash out the bleach mixture and prevent it from killing your garden plants.
Why You Should Get Professionals For Roof Moss Removal?
Removing moss from the roof requires certain equipment. It is best to let us the roof experts deal with it.
Some roofs are not designed to hold the weight of a person let alone to have someone walking on them. We need to assess the structural strength of the roof firsts before sending our roof contractors up for the cleaning.
There’s also the risk of causing roof damage such as broken roof tiles during the process especially in the hands of the inexperienced. Our experienced roof specialist will be able to deal with the moss without causing more trouble than these moss already has.
Working at height is also dangerous. Slipping is one of the common causes of injury in the roofing industry. It’s not something to be taken lightly as it could cause fatality.
Our roof contractors at Roof Repair Malaysia have the safety gear to make sure we can work at heights safely and efficiently.
Looking for roof moss removal service? Contact us today!
In conclusion, is moss on the roof harmful? It’s a yes and no. It won’t directly harm your health. It will take time for the moss to damage the roof and cause a leak which brings tons of other problems along that can harm your health and safety. But, the first thing it will harm is probably your financial health as you need to fork out money to get the roof fixed. Under the care of professional roof contractors, they can help you to avoid any complications before they even start to be a problem to you.
Living roof or green roof can be aesthetic appealing but most roof is not designed to hold a garden on it. However, the good news is green roof is a climbing trend. We start to see more building roofs covered with vegetation. It’s best to hire professionals to setup your green roof. We have seen clients getting their living roof done by some unqualified contractors and water just leaked through their ceiling!
Roof Repair Malaysia provides roof repair and maintenance services which includes your gutter as well! We have a wide service area – Penang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Don’t hesitate to contact us for enquiries!