Moss removal is a great way to give your roof a fresh new look. We will explore some methods of How to Remove Moss from a Cedar Shake Roof. These de-mossing techniques are safe and environmentally friendly too, so you don’t have to worry about any damage being done in your quest for moss removal success!
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Cedar Roof
A Cedar shake roofing is an organic roof made of Cedarwood shakes that is an organic material and is more prone to moss growth on the roof. Moss growth is caused due to excessive moisture, humid weather, debris, fallen leaves, and overhanging tree branches that block the air and sun heat to dry the Cedar shakes properly.
What is Moss?
Moss is a small, green-colored plant that releases spores for reproduction. They are very hardy plants able to withstand the harshest of conditions. Moss prefers to grow in wet shingles and areas with excessive moisture. That’s why it’s so important to remove mildew and moss growth from your Cedar roofs before they have time to spread over all of the shingles and cause even more damage.
Moss growth on Cedar Shake roof can become quite thick and heavy, weighing down your roof and causing leaks. Moss causes wood rot and leaks in the attic and makes the Cedar shingles decay fast. It’s dangerous because the weight of the moss, and mold will result in water damage to the roofing underneath due to its ability to act as an unintentional dam when it rains.
What Causes Moss Growth on Roofs?
Moss thrives in moist conditions, so any cedar shingle roof that’s prone to moisture and wet atmosphere will have an increased risk of being infected by moss spores. Unlike grass, moss causes the shingles to suffocate and block the air to dry the shingles off.
For example, roofs that are overgrown with trees, grass, and bushes are the perfect home for the little green moss because they provide lots of shade which means no direct sunlight can kill the mold and algae off and thus create damp conditions for the spores to land on and feed off. Cedar shakes need excessive heat to dry off when they get wet after rain.
Steps to Remove Moss from Cedar Shake Roof
Moss on the roof can be removed by following the 5 steps below:
1) Remove Plants, Bushes, and Overhanging Tree Branches
The moss removing process begins by removing any plants or bushes from around the Cedar shake roof which could be causing excessive moisture on the surface of your cedar shake roofing tiles. Wood roofing always needs attention, maintenance, repairing and removing of debris and bushes regularly to get the extended lifespan of your Cedar shake roof.
Overgrown with bushes and trees branches means that there will be no sunlight and air that can kill the moss off and hence create damp conditions for the moss to grow.
Moss grows on wood shingles due to rain and moisture. So, the best way to prevent moss growth on your Cedar Shingles is to protect the Cedar roof from moisture by removing the debris and overhanging branches on the roof surface.
2) Install Metal and Zinc Strips
Zinc and copper strips are installed at the time of the roof installation process on the ridge cap of wood shakes to prevent moss, mold, and algae from developing on the roof. If installed properly. The copper and zinc strips will decrease the moss problem and fungal growth on the roof having a permanent effect.
3) Contact a Professional
Cedar shingle roofs are not an ordinary type of roof that homeowners can clean by themselves with DIY treatments and cleaning solutions. Cleaning the roof with harsh chemicals can destroy and damage shingles.
The first thing you need to do is contact a professional to remove the moss from the roof. Professionals have experience in roof cleaning service who have expertise in removing moss from cedar shake roofs because they will have all of the tools necessary for removing large amounts of moss growing on the roof.
3) Avoid Power Washing
Some roof cleaning companies suggest pressure washing to remove the moss from the roof. However, power washing can damage the Cedar Shake roof and causes serious problems harming the roof shingles. Not all roof cleaning experts know the moss removal process and may damage the moss-covered roof. A pressure washer should be avoided to remove moss growth on the roof.
4) Roof Cleaning Experts
To avoid costly repairs later on, always choose professionals with expertise, and experience to clean the Cedar roofing. Cedar shake roof cleaning experts safely remove moss from cedar roofing without using any pressure washer. The removal of moss is done with a mild spray using a normal garden hose. The roof cleaning solution used by the roof cleaning experts is Cedar friendly allowing the shakes have a full lifespan as expected. The moss-covered roof is cleaned with low-pressure spray and algae, green moss, mold, and black spots are removed with the help of roof cleaning experts.
5) DIY Moss Removing Solutions
Moss removing solutions used to clean the Cedar roof need to be mild, soft avoiding acid solutions. Moss removing solutions that are used to remove moss from Cedar shake roofing have the properties such as:
- Removing the moss on the cedar roofing with vinegar and salt paste.
- Removing the moss from the Cedar roofing with a salt solution.
- Removing the moss cedar shakes with baking soda and water mixture.
- Avoid using stain removing solutions for moss removal on the Cedar roof.
- Avoid removing the moss from the Cedar roof with bleach and acid solution.
- Avoid using power washers and strong sprays for removing the moss.
- Mild spray and a normal garden hose are preferably good for moss removal.
Conclusion on How to Remove Moss from Cedar Shake Roof
Finally, it is to say that removing moss from the Cedar shake roof is not a ‘do it myself‘ task. It needs professionals to help you remove the moss, mold, and algae growing on your cedar shingles. Homeowners just need to do the maintenance task by removing the bushes, grass, and cutting overhanging branches to help the shingles breathe in the air decreasing the chance of moss growth on the roof. Moreover, Professionals are needed to remove the moss by cleaning the roof with expertise and mild solutions avoiding the use of power washers. Professionals help you with moss removal without harming and threatening the expected lifespan of cedar shake roofing.
