Non-toxic Removal of Moss From Your Roof

Moss can make a roof more slippery.

Moss, while relatively harmless of itself, tends to collect water that increases the wear and tear on your roof. Moreover, moss may take away from the beauty of your roof. Remove moss with chemicals including zinc sulfate and chlorine bleach. Be warned that these chemicals may cause discoloration and the runoff can damage plants and objects below the roof. Use a non-toxic method to remove moss from your roof.

Things You'll Need

• Bristle scrub brush
• Pole
• Power washer
• Copper strips

Instructions

1. Push a standard-bristle scrub brush on a pole down the roof to tear the moss's shallow root system from the shingles. Do not push the brush up the roof, as this may damage the bond between the shingle layers.

2. Power-wash the roof to remove any loose moss.

3. Place copper strips, available at roofing supply stores, near the top of the roof. Slide the copper strip horizontally under the shingles, but make sure that at least 4 inches of the copper strip is exposed. When it rains, copper molecules will run down the roof and create an environment poisonous to moss. Copper will kill any remaining moss and prevent moss from returning, reports Cornell University.

References

• Cornell University: Removing Moss and Algae From Roofs
• University of Minnesota: Moss on Roofs