You won’t walk far into the neighborhood before seeing a home covered in roof moss and algae. Your home might be one of the dozens on the block dealing with a moss problem that won’t go away.

Despite how common it is to see an algae and moss-covered roof, those substances are detrimental to your home, and removing moss from roof surfaces is more demanding than you might think.

Why Do Moss and Algae Grow in the First Place?

Before we look at the dangers of moss spores and how you can eliminate them, you might be wondering how they got on your roof surface in the first place.

Moss commonly grows on damp surfaces without exposure to frequent sunlight, similar to mold and mildew. Regardless of your roofing material, your home could be a target for moss and other plants if it meets those criteria.

Why Are Roofs Prime Real Estate for Moss?

Green moss grows on roofs more frequently in some climates than in other parts of your home because of the surface’s exposure to moisture. Your roof is your home’s shield against rain, but it could have pools of standing water if it doesn’t have new shingles in place. That water attracts moss, algae, and mold, and all it takes is a few overcast days for that water to produce these substances.

You’ll notice moss more frequently on the north side of your roof since that area receives less sunlight than the southern or eastern roofing materials. However, moss can grow anywhere on your roof, and it’s vital to identify it when it appears.

Identifying Moss and Algae

The early stage of moss growth has a distinct appearance that most people don’t even know is moss.

The most common blemish on people’s roofs is those black streaks. Black streaks are nothing more than mold forming on the roof. With the limestone that’s in the actual shingle of most people’s roofs, the lack of sun, the dampness, the darkness, the shade, etc., it’ll grow faster and create those black streaks.

Aside from streaks on your roof plane and shingles, you can identify moss as a fuzzy, green substance and blue-green algae as a lime green growth that looks similar to spilled paint.

If you’re unsure whether your roof has moss or not, you can schedule a roof inspection service from Trotta’s Power Washing. We will examine your roof shingles for plant life and recommend cleaning solutions based on our findings.

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Algae and Moss Growth

You should call a team of experts to remove moss from your roof the second you notice it. Though moss isn’t a health risk like mold, it could damage shingles on your roof and create the need for roof replacement. However, the most common problem moss causes your home is reduced curb appeal.

Some power washers like to say that it’s eating your roof. That is a semi-true story. Moss and algae will take a long time to actually affect your shingles’ performance, but let’s just face it; as far as curb appeal it just looks bad. That’s the main reason people clean the roof.

Moss can also block your gutters and prevent proper drainage throughout your home. Calling a moss remover is the only way to negate these practical and aesthetic obstacles.

Safe Methods for Roof Moss Removal

Some homeowners attempt to remove moss on their own with rubber gloves, a garden hose, baking soda, and a water spray bottle. However, most quickly learn that moss and algae are stronger than they look, despite being sensitive plants.

You can make a more effective moss remover at home with two gallons of water and a pound of oxygen bleach. However, you should also attach a safety rope to your roof for DIY cleaning, and even if you’re safe, your roof cleaning efforts won’t be as effective as those of a professional roofer.

Professional roof washing teams have the equipment and experience to scrub every ounce of moss and algae off your shingles and keep your roof safe.

Cleaning Moss Off Asphalt Shingles

When looking for roof cleaning services, you’ll see several companies advertising pressure washing services. However, you should be cautious about hiring a pressure washer to clean your roof, especially if you have an asphalt shingle roof.

The safest way that Trotta’s Power Washing has found, and that has been proven in many other power wash companies throughout the country that we’ve done research with, is a no-pressure approach. You also want to be careful with any type of agitation that may wear off some of the [shingle] granules, the limestone, or the asphalt to the roof.

The last thing anyone wants after installing a new roof is needing to replace it after a simple cleaning. That’s why Trotta’s Power Washing ditches the pressure and uses a chemical cleaning solution that keeps your roof and shingles safe.

Trotta’s Power Washing’s Potent Chemical Cleaning

Trotta’s Power Washing uses a powerful chlorine bleach solution for roof cleaning that will kill moss on contact. If our chemical solution doesn’t eliminate every spore from your roof shingles, we’ll reapply it until they are perfectly clean. Additionally, rather than pressure washing the solution off and risk damaging your roof, we let it eat through the remaining moss and wear off naturally.

Chlorine is a harsh chemical on its own; we dilute it with water and other key surfactants and soaps so that it doesn’t damage your roof shingles, only the dead moss. Our process puts less stress on your roof than pressure washers and will even prevent moss from returning.

The Ideal Time to Wash a Roof

Now that you know Trotta’s Power Washing is the best team for roof cleaning, you should also know that the best time to schedule service is preferably during a dry day.

We need to make sure the cleaning solution is applied to a dry surface, and that the surface stays dry for about two to four hours at least. What happens if it gets rained on prematurely, or if we apply it to a wet roof, is that it dilutes the product too much and will not get the full effect of cleaning.

Schedule Professional Moss Removal Today

Whether you have an old or new roof, we know that you want to treat it well, and nobody works with more care than Trotta’s Power Washing. Our expert cleaning team uses powerful solutions that cut through moss quickly, keep your roof safe, and leave you with a home that looks as good as you deserve.

Call Trotta’s Power Washing today at (330) 940-3705 to receive a free quote on our cleaning services.