Moss on roof

[Moonshine]

I have mechanically cleared some moss off my clay roof tiles.

I am not going to pressure wash the tiles, but is there any week killer type product I can use to kill the rest of the remaining plant life? Application via a sprayer?

[Bozza]

Wet & Forget is a product that gets good reviews.  I have bought some to remove moss from a north facing stone wall, But yet to use it so cannot comment further hopefully someone else can,  Costco were doing it a few weeks back.

[tonyshouse]

Copper sulphate - but best plan is to scrape it off - don’t let it block the drain

[Moonshine]

22 minutes ago, tonyshouse said:

Copper sulphate - but best plan is to scrape it off - don’t let it block the drain

 

Scraped as much as I can off, now trying to kill off the remaining fragments

[nod]

I’ve some K rend cleaner that kills Alga and moss 

Spray on a dry day The rain does the rest I can send you the make 

Edited September 12, 2020 by nod

[NewToAllOfThis]

4 hours ago, Bozza said:

Wet & Forget is a product that gets good reviews.  I have bought some to remove moss from a north facing stone wall, But yet to use it so cannot comment further hopefully someone else can,  Costco were doing it a few weeks back.

I scraped as much moss off as I could and then sprayed Wet & Forget. Didn't kill or remove the existing moss but I have found there is a lot less new moss but this could just be to do with the weather.

[Onoff]

Have a read of this thread. I actually bought some copper sulphate but haven't yet used it as I was worried about it harming the environment.

 

https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/10605-water-coming-in/?tab=comments#comment-179034

[BobAJob]

I bought Smartseal Moss Clear.  It gets ok reviews on Amazon.  I used a Skyscraper on a pole to clear the moss then sprayed the roof with Moss Clear. 

[daiking]

What’s a skyscraper? LMGTFY...

HFM? (How f**kin’ much?)

[BobAJob]

It's a metal head that is shaped to the profile of your roof tiles.  It comes with something like 10 different profile blades.  You screw it to a pole like they use for window washing brushes and run it up and down and across the roof from the ground or a ladder to remove the moss.  Removing the moss is ok. It's getting all the moss down to you so you can take it off that takes the time. It cost around £200 for head and all the profiles, which is expensive for what it is.  Definitely use a carbon pole not a aluminium one as the weight of the pole will be a problem when you have it fully extended to reach the tiles up by the ridge tiles. 

[Moonshine]

There I was thinking you had a sleeping mistake but no....

 

https://www.spinaclean.com/skyscraper

 

I used a wallpaper scrapper taped to and extendable pole from a ladder ?

[daiking]

21 minutes ago, BobAJob said:

It's a metal head that is shaped to the profile of your roof tiles.  It comes with something like 10 different profile blades.  You screw it to a pole like they use for window washing brushes and run it up and down and across the roof from the ground or a ladder to remove the moss.  Removing the moss is ok. It's getting all the moss down to you so you can take it off that takes the time. It cost around £200 for head and all the profiles, which is expensive for what it is.  Definitely use a carbon pole not a aluminium one as the weight of the pole will be a problem when you have it fully extended to reach the tiles up by the ridge tiles. 

 I googled it.
 

Bit much to justify for a typical householder. 

[BobAJob]

53 minutes ago, daiking said:

 I googled it.
 

Bit much to justify for a typical householder. 

True. It's being marketed as a tool property maintenance companies could use to offer roof cleaning services that don't involve them getting up on the roof.  

[Ferdinand]

19 hours ago, Moonshine said:

There I was thinking you had a sleeping mistake but no....

 

https://www.spinaclean.com/skyscraper

 

I used a wallpaper scrapper taped to and extendable pole from a ladder ?

 

If you want the short (24 ft) pole package it comes to £562 from there .... more from elsewhere.

 

No idea what the long - 34ft - pole costs.

 

Pole must have used Sergei Bubka as a consultant and paid him in gold medals.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Ferdinand

[Ferdinand]

Dear God....

 

http://www.cornwall-vacuums.co.uk/skyvac-accessories

 

This is the Kirby Vaccuum of roof cleaners.

[Onoff]

9 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Dear God....

 

http://www.cornwall-vacuums.co.uk/skyvac-accessories

 

This is the Kirby Vaccuum of roof cleaners.

 

Have to be a right sucker for that sort of money...

Edited September 16, 2020 by Onoff

[Simplysimon]

wow, someone saw a market and invested, hope it pays off. a lot better than an oik with a pressure washer walking up the roof and firing it under the tiles, but still.......

[BobAJob]

2 hours ago, Simplysimon said:

wow, someone saw a market and invested, hope it pays off. a lot better than an oik with a pressure washer walking up the roof and firing it under the tiles, but still.......

You should never use a pressure washer on a roof.  

[BobAJob]

5 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

Have to be a right sucker for that sort of money...

It seems to do a good job at sucking all the moss and dust out of the gutters after a moss clearing job.  It probably saves a lot of time if you were doing it professionally. 

[Simplysimon]

1 hour ago, BobAJob said:

You should never use a pressure washer on a roof.  

sorry, should have put the sarcasm in inverted commas or bold ?

[vfrdave]

On 12/09/2020 at 13:27, nod said:

I’ve some K rend cleaner that kills Alga and moss 

Spray on a dry day The rain does the rest I can send you the make 

What is it you use?

[nod]

Algaecide 

[vfrdave]

15 hours ago, nod said:

Algaecide 

When I Google that it brings up lots of options.

 

Do you have a link to the product you use, I always like a tried and tested product fire these sort of things.

[Andrea Long]

On 15/09/2020 at 19:51, BobAJob said:

It's a metal head that is shaped to the profile of your roof tiles.  It comes with something like 10 different profile blades.  You screw it to a pole like they use for window washing brushes and run it up and down and across the roof from the ground or a ladder to remove the moss.  Removing the moss is ok. It's getting all the moss down to you so you can take it off that takes the time. It cost around £200 for head and all the profiles, which is expensive for what it is.  Definitely use a carbon pole not a aluminium one as the weight of the pole will be a problem when you have it fully extended to reach the tiles up by the ridge tiles. 

 

my husband uses the tool your talking about he got his from https://roofscraper.co.uk/, hes a window cleaner that also does roof and pressure washing. I did ask him why he doesnt pressure wash roofs as i think they look like brand new but he says pressure washing can cause some serious leaks and thats why he only scrapes the moss off not sure what he does after but i know he brushes on a chemical i think its biocide? it takes a while to change the colour of the tile from what ive seen and some just look ugly afterwards? 

[saveasteading]

23 minutes ago, Andrea Long said:

pressure washing can cause some serious leaks

Quite right. Also it is difficult to do  well by spray without close access, Spraying water up from below  can get under the tiles and into the house.

Scraping gently gets the big lumps off....and a great substitute for compost.

 

There is nothing wrong with a few bits of moss left on the roof, and it will be back soon enough.

Plus the moss attracts insects and then birds.