Roof Moss Removal: Cleaning Mold Algae & Moss From Your Roof
We don’t recommend trying to handle roof algae and moss removal on your own. We recommend hiring a professional.
If you are a DIY person capable of climbing a ladder and not afraid of heights, you may be able to tackle algae or moss removal yourself.
The safest method for your roof and the environment is to use a product called Spray and Forget or Wet and Forget. These products can be purchased at most local hardware stores, can be put into a hose-end sprayer, and applied in many cases from the ground or a ladder or the edge of the gutter. These methods can take 3-6 months to work but are the safest. Take some time to research these products before use.
Another more aggressive method for quicker results is the use of water and bleach. Below are the general steps for this method:
- Mix 1 part oxygen bleach cleaner with 1 part water.
- Pour the bucket of solution onto the affected area of the roof and let it soak for 30 minutes.
- For larger sections affected by algae or moss you could put this solution into a spray pump and apply. Be extremely careful not to step on wet algae or moss as it is very slippery and could cause a slip and fall!
- After 30 minutes, rinse the mixture off with your hose on a low-pressure setting. NEVER PRESSURE WASH YOUR ROOF. The moss won’t come off your roof immediately, but within a few days, it will dry up and blow off with the wind. If your roof is pretty well-covered in moss, you might need to use a leaf blower to get rid of the remains.
Preventing Reinfestation Zinc Strips Are One Option
If you wish to prevent reoccurrence of fungus, think zinc! Zinc strips have been used for many years as an algae preventative. StainHandler.com offers sets of 3′ zinc strips, which areattached near the peak of the roof. When it rains, a slight amount of zincdissolves from the strips and coats the roof, inhibiting algae and fungusgrowth.
Get Rid Roof Mold Easily
Traditional cleaning methods for dirty roofs involved using a bleach and water solution that was sprayed on the roof and allowed to sit for 10-15 minute sand then rinsed off. This can get your roof clean but it can damage your roof if the bleach concentration is too strong or harm plants and grass under the roof when the solution is rinsed off. There are natural organize cleaning solutions on the market today that can be used to get rid of roof mold safely without the risk to your home, plants, pets, or family. One drawback of these cleaning solutions is that because they are not using chemical cleaners, they take a little time and repeated use to get full results and they have to be reapplied on a regular basis every few weeks or months.
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Roof Replacement Services In Virginia
Since 1993, Sunshine Contracting has been the leading supplier of exterior remodeling services in northeast Virginia. Our range of services covers everything from roof replacement to gutter work on homes throughout the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun and Stafford.
To resolve issues like mold damage and algae/moss growth on your rooftop, contact Sunshine Contracting for a free estimate. To learn more about our work, visit our services page.
How To Clean Algae And Moss From A Roof
Its best to clean your roof on a cloudy day to prevent the removal liquid from evaporating too quickly. Apply this liquid solution with a garden sprayer. When using an Anti-Moss solution let it stand on the surface for about a few hours without rain. Your roof will get clean in the next few weeks.
Dont let a bleach mixture stand on the roof surface longer than 20-30 minutes. Rinse it off with the spray from a garden hose after 30 minutes. Remember donât use a pressure washer, which can damage the shingles by removing their protective layer of asphalt granules.
If accumulations of algae or moss are heavy, a part of it should wash off the roof surface immediately with the stream from the garden hose. Using a brush or broom with medium-stiff bristles you can attempt brushing off algae and moss, but donât scrub too hard. You donât want to brush off the mineral granules from the shingles.
If algae, moss or heavy stains persist on your roof surface after rinsing, let the roof dry, and then spray on the bleach solution again. Again wait for 30 minutes and rinse with a hose. Donât worry if some staining remains after this second rinse. Exposure to rain and sunlight should wash it off over time.
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How To Get Rid Of Algae And Mold
If your roof is super bad, make sure you consult someone professional before taking action. Why spend money cleaning a roof when it needs a repair. In that same vein, why repair a roof when it just needs a cleaning? But luckily most of the time to remove algae and mold your roof will just need a good, thorough cleaning.
One way to clean the roof of algae and moss is with a brush and a little grunt work, scrubbing and separating the greens from the roof. Brushing should start at the top and work down, as going up could mess up your shingles. Bleach shouldnt be used either because it can damage your roof. You should use an environmentally friendly and safe roof cleaning solution.
Removing Mold From Your Roof
Having green moss covering your roof might give your home an old-world charm thats reminiscent of a fairy tale, but in truth, moss is more of a nightmare if left unaddressed. The greenery looks lovely, but it can accumulate over time, become mold, and then cause degradation on your roofs material. This is especially the case if your roof is made of asphalt, wood, and clay, but it can also cause damage concrete and metal. Although moss looks nice, you should remove it from your roof.
Generally, molds grow on the parts of the roof where the sun does not reach. This includes areas that are in the constant shade and in between shingles. Aside from causing discolouration, shingles can rot through the years if not checked. Also, by letting mold thicken and multiply, the bacteria can eventually enter your crawlspace or attic, thus risking the quality of the air you breathe inside.
There are plenty of ways to remove mold from the roof yourself, but if you find that it is beyond your abilities, its best to call a professional to get the job done correctly. ABOVE IT ALL ROOFING offers professional, reliable, and affordable roof mold removal services in the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario.
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Tip 11 Check Your Bathroom Paint
Because steam is the most common cause of bathroom ceiling mold, there are two things to check. One, if your bathroom ceiling is insulated, check how close the insulation is to the edges. Most builders stop the insulation about 6 inches from the crown molding. This causes cold spots at the ceiling edges, which is why mold gathers on those spots. Use a thermal camera to confirm.
The camera will identify cold spots so you can buff up the insulation on those bare spots. Second, be careful about the ceiling paint you select. Matte paint absorbs more water, so it could aggravate your mold problem. Glossy paint or exterior weather-proof paint works best. You can also apply ceiling paint thats infused with anti-mildew ingredients like mildewcide.
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How To Use Bleach Mixtures On Your Roof
The following procedure is for bleach-cleaning only using JOMAX. If JOMAXis not available in your area, use a TSP mixture with bleach added.
If you think it wise to leave the bleach-brew on the roof longer than therecommended time, thinkagain! As mentioned earlier, long term exposure to bleach can damage most any surface, and yourroof is no exception. However, this piecemeal approach is the likelyto cause the least damage.
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Contact Your Trusted Collingwood Roofers Today
For more information on how to remove mold from your roof and why its important to do so, contact us today. As an experienced roofing contractor, well handle everything from new roof installation to roof repair to roof maintenance, such as removing mold and algae. Contact us today for more information.
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Procedure To Remove Mold In Attic
1. Mold Inspection: A mold inspection is conducted by a mold inspector that is IICRC certified, highly trained, and considered a mold expert. Thermal imaging is necessary to do a proper and thorough inspection, moisture meters and hygrometers may also be needed.
2. Identify the source: The mold specialist will identify why the mold has grown. Most typical mold sources in the attic are improper ventilation and insulation as well as roof leaks.
3. Proper containment needs to be set up as well as negative air machines that need to be installed. This seals off the attic and prevents the mold from spreading to the rest of your home.
4. Media Blasting can now be performed, either by soda blasting or dry ice blasting. This is the only effective way to remove mold from your attic and will get into all of the nooks and crevices that otherwise would never be reached.
5. Hepa Sandwich is the only way to effectively remove all of the mold spores. This is done by HEPA vacuuming your attic, then cleaning, and then HEPA vacuuming again. This may need to be done several times throughout the entire process. Air scrubbers and negative air machines need to be running which will also aid in the removal of the mold spores.
6. Insulation Removal. Once all the mold has been removed from the attic, the contaminated insulation needs to be removed.
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Prevent Roof Mold & Algae
Keep out moisture, and mold cannot grow. Roof waterproofing may be the best solution for your needs if you are constantly dealing with mold growth.
For algae and moss, we can add metal strips of copper to the peaks of your roof. Copper is like Kryptonite for algae and moss. When it rains, metal molecules get spread around the roof for ongoing protection.
You should also keep the roof clear of debris and always make sure your gutters are in great working order so water can drain.
About time for a roof replacement? Choose shingles with embedded copper granules.
Does Attic Mold Affect Indoor Air Quality
Given all these precautions for attic mold, you might be wondering why it can be so hard to notice until its too late. Part of that is because attic mold doesnt necessarily affect the quality of air inside your home.
This is due to the simple fact that warm air rises, a phenomenon known as the stack effect, in which air rises from the lower levels of your home to the attic. Since mold spores dont have wings as in they cant fly against the upward flow of the stack effect within a house its extremely rare for attic mold to affect the indoor air quality.
However, attic mold is a common issue that homeowners dont know they have until other issues arise. Although there are plenty of professionals that can remove attic mold, its also better to prevent it from happening in the first place, even if it doesnt directly affect the air in your house.
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S You Shouldnt Use To Remove Moss From A Roof
Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad advice out there about how to remove moss. While these methods may be effective at removing moss, they may also damage shingles in the process. We dont recommend you try to remove your moss by:
- Scrubbing: You may be tempted to scrub the moss off the shingles because moss grips shingles quite strongly. However, scrubbing is likely to damage the asphalt shingles and remove their granules.
- Pressure washing: Pressure washers can be very strong and certainly strong enough to break a shingles adhesive and lift it up. They also can strip asphalt shingles of their granule surface, which can ruin their performance and destroy their color. Any amount of pressure washing can cause serious problems with the roof, including major leaks. Never use a pressure washer or a pressurized stream of water on your roof.
- Using harsh chemicals: High concentrations of bleach and other chemicals may do permanent damage to the shingles, increasing your risk for leaks.
Using any of these methods may also void your limited warranty on the roof. If youre in doubt about the safety or effectiveness of a moss removal method you want to try, consult with a professional roofer. A handful of roofers in areas where moss infections are common do specialize in removing moss. They may be able to do the work for you and, if not, may have recommendations about what your specific roof can benefit from.
How To Clean Your Roof
There are several ways to clean your roof from moss, algae and mold. Use these tips as your guide when cleaning your roof.
Some homeowners are considering roof waterproofing in order to prevent moisture and mold growth. While its good to initiate for your roofs maintenance, getting help from an exceptional roofing company is still your best option.
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How To Remove Mold & Algae On Your Roof
A lot of the dark streaky stuff found on roofs in wet climates like ours in the Lower Mainland and the South coast of B.C. is in fact, algae and not mold. There is difference between mold and algae and how they affect your roof. Algae commonly feeds on the limestone powder in asphalt shingles, while mold often thrives on plant and other organic matter that’s fallen onto your roof.
You can’t do anything to prevent algae and mold spores from flying through the air and landing on your roof, but you can help prevent mold growth by keeping the shingles free of organic matter.
Tips For Mold Prevention
After you learn how to remove mold, focus on preventing it in the future. Controlling dampness is the key to stopping most mold. The worst infestations usually occur in damp crawl spaces, attics, walls where water leaked in from the outside, and in basements with poor foundation drainage. Stopping leaks, ensuring good ventilation in attics, keeping crawl spaces dry and routing water away from the foundation are the best defenses against mold.
Mildewcide in paint is usually effective for controlling surface mold in damp rooms like bathrooms, and outside in shady areas. Many paints already have mildewcide in them. Check with your paint dealer about mold removal products.
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How To Clean Roof Tiles
Project Guide: Roofing Tools & Accessories
Help & Advice> Project guides> Pitched Roofing
Over time, dirt, moss and algae can build up on your roof tiles. In order to retain the structural integrity of the roof, and ensure your home and belongings are protected from all weather conditions, it is important to keep your roof clean, and clean it relatively regularly. There are a number of ways in which you could clean roof tiles, but which methods are best and which should you avoid?
Here at Roofing Superstore we are always on hand to offer help and advice, and weve created a quick guide on why you need to clean roof tiles, how to clean roof tiles, and how to prevent a build up of dirt, moss and lichen.
