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Treating Moss in Portland OregonIf moss is already growing on the roof, it is good to treat it. Reasons to treat moss Moss can be killed with bleach water or zinc sulphate. Both will not stain composite roofs. Things to consider when determining which way to kill the moss are : roofing material, how soon you will remove the dead moss, color of dead moss on your roof, weather and long term prevention. Zinc sulphate is recommended on all composite/ 3 tab /fiberglass roofs because of its effectiveness and moss/mildew prevention qualities. Zinc takes 2-3 weeks to kill moss depending on concentration, rainfall, humidity and heat. The moss dies from the roof surface to the tip of the moss. Zinc sulphate does not stain composite roofs. It usually changes the moss's color from almost black to dark greenish brown. This makes the moss less noticeable on darker roofs. This can be an advantage if you won't be removing the moss for a while.
Zinc sulphate is noticeable (unattractive) on concrete tile roofs, and so I don't reccommend it specifically for concrete tile roofs for this reason only If you're in a hurry to sell the house, I may recommend using an appropriate strength bleach water solution. Bleach water usually kills moss in a matter of hours to a few days depending on weather. It lightens the color of the moss through chlorosis (destruction of green photosynthesizing cells). It often turns it dark or light yellow. Bleach is not a long lasting moss preventative, but very effective at killing moss quickly. This allows for moss removal in about one day (in dry weather). Please note: there is a maximum specified concentration of bleach water that is safe for composite roofs. Please don't pour bleach straight from the bottle onto your roof. This may cause damage to the shingles. FAQsWhy does moss grow on my roof? Because it can :) Moss needs moisture. So you'll find it mostly on shaded parts of the roof. The north side of your roof is often shaded and slow to dry out. Also it grows under overhangs. It won't grow for a few feet under large pieces of galvanized metal because of the zinc runoff there. Also, mildew won't grow downstream from galvanized flashing. What about using zinc strips? There is a lot to say about this. First, they won't kill existing moss. Second, you have to install them in a special way and put so many on the roof that it does not look good. See zinc strips Zinc shingles work better than zinc strips but still cannot keep up with moss in Oregon climate. They would have to be installed every 2 to 4 feet to be effective. This would not look attractive either. How soon after I put on a roof will the moss start growing? From what I've seen, moss will start growing within three years if you have deciduous trees over a shaded part of your roof. If you have no tree nearby and are in the middle of a housing development with low wind, moss will usually be noticeable after 8 years. Will bleach water kill my plants? First, I've done research and development to minimize the amount of bleach used and almost elimnate overspray. Also, I check first to see if you gutters drain into the city sewer or if they empty near succulent plants. Succulent plants would be susceptible might be harmed if they are not washed off within a couple hours. Overspray of bleach water will not harm plants at the concentration that is used on the moss. Moss is a primitave plant and absorbs water through osmosis (cell to cell). It does not have the more sophisticated method of stems and veins. Will zinc sulphate harm my plants? Answer is nearly same as above. I've done research and paid for research to be done on using equipment to evenly distribute the least amount of zinc sulphate on the roof. I've made great progress in this area. Also, I check first to see if you gutters drain into the city sewer or if they empty near succulent plants. Succulent plants would be susceptible might be harmed if they are not washed off within a couple hours. Overspray of zinc sulphate is recommended to be washed off plants and paint. Moss is a bryophite, which is a primitave plant and absorbs water through osmosis (cell to cell). It is very susceptible to zinc. It does not have the more sophisticated nutrient delivery method of stems and veins. Will bleach hurt the environment? I am not an expert on environmental issues like this. I do believe that it is better to kill the moss and remove it from the roof because it impacts the landfills and environment less than reroofing. I use a distribution method that virtually eliminates overspray and minimizes amount of bleach water runoff into the gutter system. Will zinc sulphate hurt the environment? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) heavily regulates pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1972 and sets stringent standards and tests which must be passed before pesticides, herbicides and rodenticides are allowed on the market. Every so many years they come up for review. Industries must pay large amounts of money in testing, research and development. Chemicals that are ineffective and harmful are quickly weeded out. Zinc sulphate has proven itself effective aginst moss and safe for the environment. I have been educated on pesticide application and have an operators license for the business and an applicators license for myself. Please also visit the license and contact information toward the top middle of this page. Following paragraph copied from this government site: http://www.tfhrc.gov/hnr20/recycle/waste/rss1.htm Approximately 10 million metric tons (11 million tons) of asphalt roofing shingle scrap is generated each year in the United States.(1) It is estimated that 90 to 95 percent of this material is from residential roof replacement ("tear-offs"), with the remainder being leftover material from shingle production ("roofing shingle tabs"). I, Brad Lewis, believe that using zinc sulphate to extend the life of roofs is a great step in reducing this waste. Reasons not to treat moss |
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