Keeping Your Roof Moss Free and Why It’s Important

Keeping Your Roof Moss Free and Why It’s Important

Moss isn’t something you tend to really worry about that often. In fact, many homeowners actually like the appearance of a mossy roof, thinking it adds more character to the property.

However, did you know that in some cases it can lead to damage? It can also lower the life expectancy of your roof and surprisingly affect your heating bill. It largely depends upon how much moss is present, but if there’s a lot of it, moss removal is recommended.

The damage moss can cause

Moss may seem harmless enough, but it can cause a surprising amount of damage over time. For example, moss both absorbs and retains water. This can lead to winter cracks on the tiles. It is also capable of affecting the bond between the roof and apex or ridge tiles. If it does affect the bond, the tiles will become loose and in some cases fall off altogether. This would expose it to leaks, leading to expensive repair issues such as rot and mould.

The amount of water retained by moss, increases the weight of the roof. This will put additional pressure on the structure, potentially leading to weakness. This is both costly to fix and extremely dangerous. It does depend upon the size of the rafters however. If they are undersized, that’s when structural weakness could become an issue.

Contributing towards blocked guttering

It’s not just damage to the actual roof moss can cause either. In heavy downpours, it can end up being washed down into the guttering. The majority of homeowners who find moss on the roof, also discover it is in the gutters too.

Blocked gutters are a nightmare for your property. They prevent rainwater from draining properly, causing a build-up that often seeps through into the home.  Once again, this can lead to problems with mould, rot and structural damage.

If left untreated, moss can lead to on-going maintenance costs. So, it can be much cheaper to just remove the moss completely. However, it’s very important that you use a professional roofing contractor to do this. If you try to wash it off with a pressure washer, you could end up damaging the tiles. A contractor will have the proper equipment and knowledge to remove the moss in the safest, most effective way.

Overall, as you can see, keeping your roof moss free is vital if you want to avoid costly repairs. It’s also worth having your guttering cleaned at the same time to ensure maximum drainage and give you complete peace of mind.

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