Moss on the Roof?

[bob]

I live in the Pacific NorthWET and I've got a lot of moss on my shingles.

There are plenty of products out there that claim they will kill it, and I'm guessing most do. What I'd like to know is whether or not I need to be concerned about them killing the plants and trees near the house.

Are there any solutions that work better than others? More "eco friendly"?

 

[Randy]

I'm not aware of what the effective compounds are that kill the moss but have heard they are iron compounds. That doesn't sound like damaging chemicals to me but I wouldn't go on that alone. I know it takes persistence though in application because with each new rain residual moss killer is washed away. I think a trip by the local garden center or extension office would yield good results and direction.

 

[Randy]

Bob, I just finished reading the threads in the university and college blogs and saw that some of the entries were from the University of Washington. Is there a way you can access those people and pose the moss question to them?

 

[Wombat]

Bob, I usually use salt myself but here's a couple of links which may help
http://www.thechemicalblog.co.uk/how-do-i-kill-roof-moss/
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/use-salt-kill-moss-58156.html

 

[Flower4Yeshua]

OS the salt will not kill your plants? We have a bit of the moss also . in the past Mike would just use a power washer and clean it. Not really an option at this point. So thanks for all the info. to look into

 

[RonsGarden]

We do not have a moss problem, but lichen that loves growing on older shingles.
We use a soft bristle brush to remove them.
They love the north side of the roof.
They are very slow growing so do not pose a any real problem.
We can gauge when we need new shingles by the coverage of the lichen......usually 12 to 15 years depending on the quality of the shingles.