How to treat Moss growing on North facing roof

Hi,

There is very ugly moss growing on the roof at the front of the house as it is north facing and does not get much sun. How can I remove this without damaging the tiles? I though about using the power hose but i have been told that it will fade the black tiles.

Is this a job for a professionsal or could I treat it myself?

Thanks.

Using a power washer is likely to result in water entering the roof space, and could even dislodge/damage the tiles, so not a great idea.

A good stiff brush followed by a treatment of moss killer would be the best bet. A moss covered roof will be VERY slipery, so you'll need to be very, very, careful. Even when dry, pieces of moss can break away, so did I mention you'll need to be careful? You should at least use a special roof ladder that sits over the ridge. That or hire a pro.
Leo

Thanks for the advice.

Is there a way that the roof can be treated to prevent the moss from growing back?

I heard one time that a cooper cable along the ridge tile worked.

LiveForTheWE said:

Hi,

There is very ugly moss growing on the roof at the front of the house as it is north facing and does not get much sun. How can I remove this without damaging the tiles? I though about using the power hose but i have been told that it will fade the black tiles.

Is this a job for a professionsal or could I treat it myself?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

+1 what Leo has posted and I note the following -

This is a job for a professional. Even Roofers, known far an wide as fearless and with heads for heights, usually walk on new tiles or slates. These at least have a degree of grip. Mossy roofs have little grip.
Even an able-bodied person with a head for heights and used to roofs would have difficulty on this surface. A tethered harness does not provide stability, just stops you reaching the ground if you fall.

Even a scaffold could be inadequate, because if you start slipping near the ridge - the high point of the roof - and you roll or flail when you fall you could go through or over the scaffolding.
An able-bodied person experienced at roof work, on a short tether attached to a cherry-picker might be a reasonable safe means of doing this, but you also need a good operator.


ONQ.

[broken link removed]

All advice on AAM is remote from the situation and cannot be relied upon as a defence or support - in and of itself - should legal action be taken.
Competent legal and building professionals should be asked to advise in Real Life with rights to inspect and issue reports on the matter at hand.

ok, so I got a few guys to look at the problem and it seems to be red algae and not moss that is growing on the roof.

One guy quoted me 3500 to remove it and paint the roof with a special coating so that it won't grow back again. He specialises in roof cleaning but I cann't afford to go down that line.

The other guys are all general trades men and they have offered to use the powerhose to clean it and then spray with moss killer. this is only a temp solution though as the moss killer will get washed off. They are doing the job for nearly a 10th of the price that the specialist has quoted.

Has anyone else any experience in this area?

thanks for any advice.