EverHopefull Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 OK so after much heavy rain overnight I discovered a stain on the ceiling that is directly under a dormer window in the room above. After a 7am excursion into the roof space around the back of the dormer I am pretty sure I have traced the stain source. Following the water source is not so easy. From outside I can see a lot of moss built up on the roof and worse, along the flashing itself. My first plan when it stops raining is to try to clear the moss on the roof, starting specifically around the area pinpointed. I have ladders but no scaffold, am I being foolish to consider being on the roof at all? I would be happy to buy some climbing kit, harness etc to protect myself. I am not bothered about the height. What kit would be useful for this task? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 Pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EverHopefull Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 (edited) Here are a few pics. I can't see any tiles out of place or gutter issues. Edited July 20, 2019 by EverHopefull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 Pictures too close how high off the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EverHopefull Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 (edited) The windows are on the second floor in real terms. Roof pics taken from balcony on first floor. Ladder access from balcony pretty good. I thought about getting a climbing rope and anchoring it to my pickup tow bar mount and throwing the line over the roof to the side with the dormer. Getting a harness and belay and attacking the moss for a day with a paint scraper and wire brush. Edited July 20, 2019 by EverHopefull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 You definitely need to use a cat ladder at the very least Harness would be useless It probably wouldn’t cost much to pay for a couple of guys to go up and clean the whole roof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpd Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 If you don’t have experience working at heights then I would not recommend you you go buying equipment that in all reality is only as good as the experience of the person using it. It can be very dangerous ”thinking you are safe” just because you have a nice new rope, harness and some shiny clips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EverHopefull Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 True, good advice. Simple problems frustrate me when they should be so easy and I feel within my skill set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfb Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 Are there lead soakers under the flashing? Could be the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 The problem with harnesses is that you need something very secure to fasten to Even a tour scaf is not secure enough Quite a few window cleaners have the long reach cleaning equipment that would perhaps do the job It looks very sloppy up there Not worth the risk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EverHopefull Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 Would the moss even be able to lift the flashing enough to cause an issue like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EverHopefull Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 Just been back in loft space and can see plant type roots, moss I would suspect under tiles when I peel back some roof lining, above the solid insulation panel in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpd Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 If it was me...... ( I have extensive rope work experience and working on buildings but am not a professional ) I would be putting up roof ladders and devise a way to get my power washer up there with the longest hose I have and work methodically from the top down blasting away all moss and built up crud. ( I would hopefully remember to block of the gutter down pipes or at least make sure anything that went down was not going to bog up drainage ) Safety ropes would be in play at all times for both equipment and people. As others have said this sort of work will be carried out by professionals and it may be worth getting a quote before looking at other more personality dangerous options ! The ability to do it yourself has the advantages that you can go OCD on it and also carefully investigate the whole roof for damaged or misaligned tiles. I have a completely knackered 120 year old slate roof that needs attention every summer ready for the winter so spend quite a bit of time scurrying about up there....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 The moss can lift the flashing but more likely it will impede the flow of water down the slope and get back up under the tile lap then find any break or lap in the felt. Almost a mirror image of my Godforsaken dormer! Just de-mossed our flat, tiled roof. Laid a roll of DPC out at ground. Paint scraped the moss and brushed / swept off then hosed off and cleaned the gutters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 where abouts in the country are you? Scaffold towers are pretty cheap to buy or why not rent for a weekend if that gives you safe access Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EverHopefull Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 I have a bucket in position in the roof space, waiting for the moss to dry a little as sun has been out all afternoon here. Then I will attack the moss with a Dutch hoe and a patio block paver brush tomorrow morning. Will see if that stops the water coming in and go from there. I guess insurance may well be called upon to save further damage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 We had a moss problem on the concrete tiles on our last house. The moss would grow so thick that rain water would pool behind it in heavy rain, then make its way between/under tiles around a chimney breast. The water level would briefly overtop the lead flashing and trickle in, I think. I cleared the moss but within a couple of years it was back again, so I tried spraying the roof with a concentrated copper sulphate solution. This was extremely effective, and left enough of a residue in the textured surface of the tiles to dissuade moss from growing back for several years. Very well worth doing, IMHO. I just bought a couple of kg of copper sulphate pentahydrate (about £15 from eBay), made a saturated solution in a pressure sprayer and sprayed that all over the roof. Not only does it stop moss growing, but it will kill any moss that you can't easily reach, and it will then dry and fall off. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 My neighbour sprays his roof with armilitox and this has kept Moss growth down for a good couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 1 minute ago, Russell griffiths said: My neighbour sprays his roof with armilitox and this has kept Moss growth down for a good couple of years. I believe this is banned by the RHS now, plus it's expensive. £15 of copper sulphate makes around 25 litres of concentrated solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 32 minutes ago, JSHarris said: I believe this is banned by the RHS now, plus it's expensive. £15 of copper sulphate makes around 25 litres of concentrated solution. Is that the same sort of stuff used in Wet and forget? https://www.wetandforget.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makie Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 8 hours ago, Cpd said: If it was me...... ( I have extensive rope work experience and working on buildings but am not a professional ) I would be putting up roof ladders and devise a way to get my power washer up there with the longest hose I have and work methodically from the top down blasting away all moss and built up crud. ( I would hopefully remember to block of the gutter down pipes or at least make sure anything that went down was not going to bog up drainage ) Safety ropes would be in play at all times for both equipment and people. As others have said this sort of work will be carried out by professionals and it may be worth getting a quote before looking at other more personality dangerous options ! The ability to do it yourself has the advantages that you can go OCD on it and also carefully investigate the whole roof for damaged or misaligned tiles. I have a completely knackered 120 year old slate roof that needs attention every summer ready for the winter so spend quite a bit of time scurrying about up there....... Never power-wash a roof! I'm a roofer and it's a good way to make sure you need a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 6 minutes ago, Vijay said: Is that the same sort of stuff used in Wet and forget? https://www.wetandforget.co.uk/ TBH, I don't know, but whenever I can I try and find out what the active ingredient is in any product and then see if it's cheaper to just buy that and make your own. I routinely make screenwash, de-icer spray, concentrated bleach, moss killer and a few other things just using cheap bulk ingredients. The cost savings can be really useful, just a matter of digging around in things like Material Safety Data Sheets then formulating a DIY version. My wife reckons that my home made windscreen de-icer is a lot more effective than the commercial stuff, and I can make several litres of the stuff for the price of one aerosol can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpd Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 6 minutes ago, makie said: Never power-wash a roof! I'm a roofer and it's a good way to make sure you need a new one. Strange as it worked very well on a slate roof of a friend . I can’t see how it can be bad in all cases as I have seen it done and it worked with no detrimental effect to the roof..... in fact the roof stopped leaking and looked great as well ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, JSHarris said: We had a moss problem on the concrete tiles on our last house. The moss would grow so thick that rain water would pool behind it in heavy rain, then make its way between/under tiles around a chimney breast. The water level would briefly overtop the lead flashing and trickle in, I think. I cleared the moss but within a couple of years it was back again, so I tried spraying the roof with a concentrated copper sulphate solution. This was extremely effective, and left enough of a residue in the textured surface of the tiles to dissuade moss from growing back for several years. Very well worth doing, IMHO. I just bought a couple of kg of copper sulphate pentahydrate (about £15 from eBay), made a saturated solution in a pressure sprayer and sprayed that all over the roof. Not only does it stop moss growing, but it will kill any moss that you can't easily reach, and it will then dry and fall off. This stuff? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Copper-Sulphate-QUALITY-PRODUCT-FREE-POSTAGE-HDPE-BOTTLE-CRYSTALS/132871662790?var=432170982709&hash=item1eefc4acc6:m:m1EXirEUWvNsQsfW_aQcw0Q or https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-5kg-Copper-Sulphate-QUALITY-PRODUCT-FREE-POST-HDPE-COURIER-CuSo4-5H2O/132525074063?hash=item1edb1c268f:g:SckAAOSw74FamqPU What ratio to water? Cheers Edited July 20, 2019 by Onoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 If you use the car as an anchor for a safety rope take All keys for the car in your pocket. You look to have a secret lead gutter up the side of the dormers under the tiles. If that gets clogged with moss or bird muck it can block and oveflow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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