For many years I had moss growing on my roof in Seattle and had no idea it was causing so much harm. I thought the moss on my roof shingles looked pretty and might actually make the roof stronger, but I was very, very wrong. For sure, moss looks nice when it’s on the roof of a wooden cabin in a scenic photo of the landscape, and it looks nice in the mountains and on brick pathways, but it’s horrible for the health of your roof. So, today I want to explain why I now get the moss cleaned off my roof by professionals every three years, and why you should do the same.
The longer moss is left on your roof untreated the more potential damage it can do to your shingles. And once enough damage is done to your shingles much worse problems occur, such as water leaks into your roof space and attic. These water leaks are made possible because moss grows relentlessly, plying open your singles overtime creating gaps between them and underneath. I’ve seen roofs covered in so much moss that the wood of the roof became rotten and the moss was so heavy with moisture that eventually the roof caved in. The owner of this house was elderly and widowed so they couldn’t go up and clean it themselves, and it was very sad to see.
My own roof wasn’t as bad as the others, but if I hadn’t got it professionally handled by a roof cleaning Seattle company soon then I would have needed roof repairs. By taking action I prevented worse damage to my roof. So if you see moss on your roof I recommend getting it treated by professionals as soon as you can. The cost of roof cleaning is well worth it because you’ll be saving money if you consider the cost of the roof repairs you’ll need if you let your moss problem get out of control.
Even metal roofs are susceptible to the damages of moss, because moss can corrode the zinc on sheet metal and cause it to rust overtime. Also, slate tiled roofs are no better, because if the moss grows between the tiles it can cause them to get dislodged or even crack due to the tension of expanding. The same goes for wooden and clay tiled roofs. Asphalt shingles are the most susceptible, because the moss can literally peal the shingles up and allow water to pour underneath more easily due to the shingles’ light weight. So no matter what type of roof you have, the moss should be treated right away.
Not all areas around the world have moss problems, but many coastal cities like Seattle do. In Seattle, because moss loves the moisture of the Pacific Ocean, the moss regrows on my roof roughly every three years. It would grow back sooner but the roof cleaning Seattle company I hired sprayed a moss prevention solution on my shingles which temporally stops any further moss from re-growing, but this only lasts three years. If you’re worried about the moss re-growing, some companies offer warranties on their roof moss treatments for up to three years, but any longer than three years is just not possible for prevention, so after this time you’ll need to get the treatment again. But like I said it’s well worth the cost! And you might as well get your windows and gutters cleaned at the same time because most moss removal companies also offer these services, along with pressure washing if you’re driveway could use a touchup. I found that you save a lot of money on your pressure washing, window cleaning and gutter cleaning if you order them at the same time as your roof cleaning service rather than separately at different times of the year.
In an older article I talked about why I could really use a robot in my life, and I thought I’d mention that here because some roof cleaning companies are developing and experimenting with new technology that allows robots to clean your roof. My roof was cleaned by hand but perhaps by the time you’re reading this article robot roof cleaners will be the new norm, and I’m excited to give that technology a try next time I need my roof cleaned.
So now you should know why moss should be cleaned from your roof right away, and how to go about it. I hope this article is found useful for people who are seeking this information, and I hope your roof stays healthy for many more decades to come!