Since I was a kid, I have heard a number of people refer to those of us in Washington state as "moss backs." I am not sure it is all that flattering a description but it is, also, not all that untrue either. To get that point across, I will show you some photos of our moss. Our climate, no doubt about it, produces some of the finest moss known to mankind. Many homeowners mistakenly accept moss like that as normal. Fact is, it is not and that seriously shortens the life of the roof. This moss was under a big tree that overhangs the roof. When you have trees over roofs, you get ideal conditions for growing moss. A number of chemicals can be purchased at home stores and they will kill the moss. The products need to be applied carefully but, when moss it growing to this degree, something needs to be done sooner rather than later. Thanks for stopping by, Steven L. Smith
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Steve,we have moss on many roofs here too. Years ago one place we purchased had moss on the garage roof. The inspector told us it was too far gone, the roof really would need replacing. Then came the warning, he told us never ever get up there and try to brush it off. Said the roof would leak like crazy. Your opinion on that?
That could be a good job for Nutsy though, with a little broom the certifried assistant could really go to town. There might be some nuts under that moss!
I always liked moss - LOL. Ever since we had a field trip in school in Finland and we were looking at the 'real' moss in the forest - :) ~Rita
What is that old saying, " A rolling squirrel gathers no moss?" or something like that
Andrea,
It is a matter of degree. Some roofs show lots of moss but the material is still not so bad below. At least the majority of the roof in the photo is okay. My recommendation, because it is slippery for one thing, is to have a roofer remove moss and, when roof is visible, make repairs at the mossy area as is required. On the other hand, some roofs are in such bad shape that the moss might be holding it together. In such a case, with an attic view, it is probable that the roof is already leaking but maybe not profusely.
Steve, silly me! I thought this might be one of those fancy new "green" roofs, and I guess it is - literally!
I see a lot of homes in the Seattle area with moss. Do you have any recommendations for what to use to get rid of moss?
How do you get a lawnmower up on the roofs there?
They just need to put a goat up there for a week and wah lah no more moss.
I had never seen such moss until I saw one of Charlie's posts. What do you recommend to get rid of it, that won't kill the grass or shrubbery below?
I do like the goat idea.
Most hardware stores sell a zinc powder that effectively kills moss. It is applied above the area where the moss is and is washed down into the moss by rain. The only time to treat moss is during its growing season (rainy season: winter).