Moss on Roof?
Moss can, and will, cause damage to both your roof and property. It is not as dramatic and as obvious as a missing roof tile or cracked brickwork but, slowly, it will grow and, eventually, water ingress will occur. This isn't intended to cause alarm but to raise awareness that allowing moss to grow, unhindered, will cause issues.
Moss can, and will, cause damage to both your roof and property. It is not as dramatic and as obvious as a missing roof tile or cracked brickwork but, slowly, it will grow and, eventually, water ingress will occur. This isn't intended to cause alarm but to raise awareness that allowing moss to grow, unhindered, will cause issues.
If you ask people what problems moss can cause when it is growing on a roof, the majority will answer 'blocked guttering'. True. As moss grows it can become dislodged (normally by birds, strong wind or rain) and ends up in guttering. If not checked, this can slowly build-up to block the guttering or block rainwater downpipes. Either way, this can cause water to overflow and start running down external walls. However, this is not the only potential damage. If we think of moss as a living sponge, a sponge that spreads and grows then you can start to understand how it can cause other issues.
Moss isn't, in the short-term, going to directly cause damage to a roof. If your roof is in very good, structural, condition then it is the guttering issue that you should be most concerned about. If, however, your roof is a little older then there may be some tiles that have small cracks, areas of cracked pointing, lifted flashing, maybe ridge or hip tiles that aren't bedded as well as they used to be. It is these areas, areas where moss spores can land and grow, that we need to be concerned about. If we go back to the comparison with a sponge, when moss fills with water it expands and the larger the moss the larger it will become. Over time, as moss expands and contracts, it will enlarge these cracks or separate tiles. These areas will then allow water ingress.
From which type of roof you are trying to clear moss doesn't matter. The roof can be cleaned, the process is relatively easy and our cleaning chemicals are effective and easy to use. For many properties, the cleaning should be quite straightforward and can be undertaken without the need of specialist contractors.
Clearing moss should become a standard part of property maintenance however, for many people, the roof isn't an area that is thought about. We have gone into more detail on how to clean moss from various types of roof on our other guide pages listed below. If, after reading the guides you would like further information or advice then please call us or use our CONTACT US page.
MOSS ON A FLAT ROOF
MOSS ON A PITCHED ROOF
MOSS ON A THATCHED ROOF
SPRAYERS & TELESCOPIC LANCES