Moss Growing on Red Tile Roof

By Michael Tapscott (Guest Post)

I have a similar problem on my roof which has asbestos/cement tiles. I tried using copper wire stretched below the ridge tiles, but it has not worked very well. I am told by the "experts" that I should have used a larger diameter copper wire, about 8 to
10mm instead of the 3mm electrical wire which I happened to have!

By Ian Rangeley (UK) (Guest Post)

Our main hospital here in Devon uses bare copper wire (about 3/8" dia) clipped just below the ridge tiles. When it rains the chemical reaction washing down kills the moss and keeps it clear. Once you have paid out for the copper wire to be fitted it lasts for years.

By Beth (Guest Post)

Thanks for the tips but when I pour bleach on our moss it does zip. How long should you leave it ? Maybe I am not patient. I have about 1000sq ft to do so please help before I risk life and limb will it really work?
Beth

By mac (Guest Post)

We used Clorox Bleach for Outdoors to kill the moss and mold growing on our cedar home.

This is for exteriors. When the formula combines with water, it won't harm shrubs and doesn't damage the enviornment. It is a lye compound similar to what the previous responder mentioned.

Our shrubs were just fine, but tender plants like annual flowers were hurt. I'd put a plastic covering on it.

We cleaned our entire house which is quite large with about 4 bottles mixed according to directions. We used a plastic sprayer tank that we got at Home Depot.

By Tawnda (Guest Post)

I have also heard of using the bleach to kill it, but you have to be careful of it coming down on greenery below and killing it.

There is a lye mixture that you can also try. I know it worked WONDERS on our weeds and dandelions and it did not kill any of our grass. We mixed 16-16-16 lawn fertilizer with lye and it worked very well.

By Copper (Guest Post)

Copper at the top of your roof should help. They sell copper strips to help prevent moss at the hardware store.

By Anna Sellars (Guest Post)

I have used bleach to kill moss on cemetary stones, also lobster fishermen use bleach to kill algie, ect. that grows on the bottom of their boats. They put it in some type of a sprayer, like used to spray fruit trees, or a fire fighters (Indian Tank) and spray it on. That way unless the roof is extremely large you may not have to get on the tile but spray from a ladder. If used before the moss gets very big the rain would wash off the dead stuff.