Can Demossing Extend the Life of Your Roof?

Many home owners recognize that moss growing on a roof is unsightly and visually unappealing, but may not be aware of the damage that the moss is doing to the roof.

Roof moss removal is extremely important in extending the life of a
roof, as failure to kill moss can cause extensive damage. Roofing is expensive. Value and protect it.

How Does Moss Damage a Roof?

Moss may seem harmless, but when left growing on a roof it can actually shorten the lifespan by years. In our rainy coastal climate, we often have perfect conditions for moss to grow and spread, on almost any surface. Moss spreads and reproduces from tiny and very prevalent spores, which flower into moss during the rainy months.

When moss is left to grow on a roof, it tends to readily grow in the irregular surfaces of shingles, shakes and tiles. Moss has similar properties to a sponge, and it is able to soak up rainwater and use this to rapidly grow and expand in size.

These small spores that began in tiny cracks and crevices grow into mossy mats, not only grinding slowly away the surface, but also keeping the area below saturated with all that extra, stored water.

Over time, not only do these surfaces become damaged from the moss, but rainwater can be held back like a dam and get behind flashings, allowing water to leak through the roof.

How Should the Moss be Killed?

It might be tempting to go up onto your roof and start scrubbing that moss off, but this could actually cause further damage to your delicate shingles. Roofing is fragile, and aggressive scraping can cause damage.

Pressure washing, most particularly can cause extensive shingle damage and should never be done on a roof. Not only are the tools themselves damaging, but the roof must bear the walking traffic. The steeper the roof, the more damage is being done by shoes, because of gravity working on the weight of the worker, sliding downward and sideways. All those things cause roof damage.

Furthermore, using harsh chemicals might succeed at killing the moss temporarily, but the runoff from these chemicals may harm the environment, damaging nearby plants and animals. One product sold in stores states that it can kill fish.

Most contain bleach, which has a short term effectiveness on moss.

The best way to kill moss is to use a service which uses an environmentally friendly solution, a well-proven product that is gently sprayed on and kills the moss, without endangering the environment. ROTban’s moss removal service achieves all of this, effectively killing moss, without harming the environment or damaging your roof further.

Education and experience are important in this work. Extend the life of your roof by having ROTban sterilize your roof gently today, with long-lasting effectiveness.

Since 1998, ROTbanTM has been removing moss, algae, and stains from roofs, building exteriors, and landscape structures for commercial and residential customers. ROTbanTM operates throughout the lower mainland from North Vancouver to Hope.

If you have any questions about this article or would to schedule an appointment with us, please call (604) 761-5640 or email us at info@rotban.ca.