Remove Moss From Your Garden Shed's Roof
Moss often appears on roofing materials that are exposed to humid, shady conditions. It can saturate shingles and cause them to deteriorate over time. Learn how to remove moss from your garden shed's roof with the following tips and prevent it from reappearing.
Materials
- vinyl tarp
- ladder
- hand rake
- scrub brush
- industrial strength detergent
- garden sprayer
- bleach
- water hose
- copper strip
- roofing nails
- nail gun
Remove Pieces Of Moss And Surface Stains
Protect the ground next to the garden shed with a vinyl tarp. Set up a ladder next to the shed. Inspect the shingles for moss. Use a hand rake to remove large clumps of moss. Grasp the moss with the blades of the rake as you pull the handle towards yourself. Be careful not to scrape the shingles with the blades because it can damage them. If you are concerned about this occurring, use a hand rake that has flexible, plastic blades.
Once all of the moss has been removed, clean the surface of each shingle with soapy water and a scrub brush. Use firm pressure as you move the brush over each stained surface. Rinse off the roof with a water hose. If stubborn stains are still present, remove them with the following steps.
Eliminate Stubborn Moss Stains
Remove the tank from a garden sprayer and fill it with equal amounts of bleach and water. Reattach the tank and squeeze the nozzle on the sprayer as you move the tip of the gun over the stained areas. Allow the cleaning solution to penetrate for a few minutes. Use a scrub brush to help loosen the stains. Rinse the roof's surface off well with a water hose and wait for it to dry. Remove the tarp from the ground and dispose of the cleaning solution that was used.
Keep The Roofing Materials Protected
Protect the roofing materials from damage in the future by adding a copper strip across the top of the roof. When it rains, copper will drip down the roof and coat the shingles. Copper prevents moss from growing and will also stop fungus, mold, and mildew from appearing on the shingles. Measure the length of the roof to determine how long the copper strip needs to be. Lay the strip underneath the bottom of each shingle that runs across the top of the shed's roof. Secure the strip with roofing nails. Space the nails out evenly, in the middle of the strip.
The roofing materials will be protected from damage for a couple years after the strip is installed. In the future, install a new strip for additional protection.
If the shingles are too deteriorated, contact a roofing contractor to replace the damaged shingles.