The Lemon Fool

staffordian wrote:Does copper actually work as far as killing moss is concerned , or is it one of those urban myths?

I have read that a strip of copper, or perhaps a length of copper wire strung along the ridge of the roof will release enough copper salts when it rains on it to keep the roof clear.

Sounds a bit iffy to me, but does anyone know for sure?

AsleepInYorkshire wrote:

staffordian wrote:Does copper actually work as far as killing moss is concerned , or is it one of those urban myths?

I have read that a strip of copper, or perhaps a length of copper wire strung along the ridge of the roof will release enough copper salts when it rains on it to keep the roof clear.

Sounds a bit iffy to me, but does anyone know for sure?

I works. It was used many years ago but the practice tailed off. I don't know why though.

AiY

Howard wrote:My house roof is in good condition (cement tiles) but, in places it is a bit mossy. I live in one of those roads where the neighbours are keen on house maintenance.

Several neighbours have had contractors remove moss. This has been done mechanically by physical scraping (not powerwashing).

Should I follow suit? I've looked for advice on the internet and this is split pretty evenly between yes and no. I am not concerned by the appearance of the moss because it isn't that thick or widely spread and, in my view, just makes the house look fairly mature.

We live next to a lot of trees so I have "hedgehogs" in the gutters and so no drainage problems. Gulleys are kept clear.

Comments or advice would be most welcome.

regards

Howard

Howard wrote:We live next to a lot of trees so I have "hedgehogs" in the gutters and so no drainage problems. Gulleys are kept clear.

While NFRC is a dedicated roofing trade association that has been around for over 120 years we have never recognised the practice of moss removal or roof painting as a true roofing discipline. The reason being, in most instances, moss on roof tiles is rarely a problem and only needs to be removed if it is blocking gutters, outlets and other drainage points on the roof. Most ‘techniques’ that we have come across to remove moss, are often achieved by ‘violent’ means such as power-washing, which may cause damage to the roof, especially when combined with unnecessary foot traffic often leading to cracked or broken roof tiles.

PhaseThree wrote:If you are serious about moss removal use BAC50* rather than scraping. It kills the stuff and prevents regrowth for a few years. If you decide to scrape then the contractors will be a yearly occurrence.

*Benzalkonium Chloride, Seriously unpleasant stuff

kempiejon wrote:Soda crystals kill moss on my decking and paths. Sometimes the crystals form little clumps a catapult could fire it onto the roof.

mc2fool wrote:

PhaseThree wrote:If you are serious about moss removal use BAC50* rather than scraping. It kills the stuff and prevents regrowth for a few years. If you decide to scrape then the contractors will be a yearly occurrence.

*Benzalkonium Chloride, Seriously unpleasant stuff

Well https://job-prices.co.uk/best-moss-killer/ agrees and really likes it.

But https://mistralni.co.uk/products/c10-c1 ... hloride-ba says, "BAC50 is no longer permitted for the use as, or in preparations for the treatment of moss as moss has been reclassified as a plant and comes under the plant protection legislation."

I suspect that refers to the plant protection products legislation, although of a quick google I can't find any reference to that and BAC 50 and moss.

mc2fool wrote:

Howard wrote:We live next to a lot of trees so I have "hedgehogs" in the gutters and so no drainage problems. Gulleys are kept clear.

What's your situation and experience with these? We have lots of trees and have been thinking about installing these on our block of flats, but have some reservations.

There's all the stuff that gets stuck in them and also the buildup of sludge beneath them (dirt and decomposing leaves & rotting moss off of the roof), necessitating period cleaning. I fitted one on our garage block a couple of years back (the gutters are only 8ft up, so reachable with a step ladder, and about as high as I'm happy to go before I start getting the willies ) and after the first year I whipped them out to shake out all of the leaves and twigs stuck in them and there was a lot of such sludge that I needed to clean out. The second year I did the same but for some reason there was a lot less sludge.

Our neighbour has them on his house (gutters at around 16ft up) and he gets a man-with-tall-ladder round every year to do the same. Ours are even higher up (probably 20ft) and while it'd be good to save on the £200 a go gutter cleaning bill that might not be worth it if we end up paying more to uninstall, clean and refit them each year....

mc2fool wrote:

Howard wrote:We live next to a lot of trees so I have "hedgehogs" in the gutters and so no drainage problems. Gulleys are kept clear.

What's your situation and experience with these? We have lots of trees and have been thinking about installing these on our block of flats, but have some reservations.

There's all the stuff that gets stuck in them and also the buildup of sludge beneath them (dirt and decomposing leaves & rotting moss off of the roof), necessitating period cleaning. I fitted one on our garage block a couple of years back (the gutters are only 8ft up, so reachable with a step ladder, and about as high as I'm happy to go before I start getting the willies ) and after the first year I whipped them out to shake out all of the leaves and twigs stuck in them and there was a lot of such sludge that I needed to clean out. The second year I did the same but for some reason there was a lot less sludge.

Our neighbour has them on his house (gutters at around 16ft up) and he gets a man-with-tall-ladder round every year to do the same. Ours are even higher up (probably 20ft) and while it'd be good to save on the £200 a go gutter cleaning bill that might not be worth it if we end up paying more to uninstall, clean and refit them each year....

Howard wrote:

mc2fool wrote:

Howard wrote:We live next to a lot of trees so I have "hedgehogs" in the gutters and so no drainage problems. Gulleys are kept clear.

What's your situation and experience with these? We have lots of trees and have been thinking about installing these on our block of flats, but have some reservations.

There's all the stuff that gets stuck in them and also the buildup of sludge beneath them (dirt and decomposing leaves & rotting moss off of the roof), necessitating period cleaning. I fitted one on our garage block a couple of years back (the gutters are only 8ft up, so reachable with a step ladder, and about as high as I'm happy to go before I start getting the willies ) and after the first year I whipped them out to shake out all of the leaves and twigs stuck in them and there was a lot of such sludge that I needed to clean out. The second year I did the same but for some reason there was a lot less sludge.

Our neighbour has them on his house (gutters at around 16ft up) and he gets a man-with-tall-ladder round every year to do the same. Ours are even higher up (probably 20ft) and while it'd be good to save on the £200 a go gutter cleaning bill that might not be worth it if we end up paying more to uninstall, clean and refit them each year....

You asked about the hedgehogs. I had them fitted in 2012. I'd give them a fairly positive recommendation. Good points are that they do stop leaves blocking the gutter downpipes and, in my view, don't restrict the water flow very much as it all goes underneath. However, moss does tend to grow on the top of them after a few years. I took them out myself about 2014 and washed out the gutters. Mrs H isn't keen on my escapades up long ladders so on the next occasions, in 2016 and 2019, I got a roofer to do this. (Cost around £250 to clean around 80m of gutters. Since then I've cleaned the lower gutters and just watched the high ones grow a bit more moss. I have approached a local tradesmen to remove and clean them in the next few weeks.

Before they were fitted, leaves from the substantial number of trees around us occasionally blocked the top of the downpipes causing overflows during heavy rain. In those days I shinned up a ladder to clear them. Our house is not overshadowed and gets lots of sun on the roof - at least in Summer.

So the honest answer to your question is: they are an improvement on unguarded gutters but they aren't a perfect solution.

regards

Howard

Howard wrote:[
You asked about the hedgehogs. I had them fitted in 2012. I'd give them a fairly positive recommendation. Good points are that they do stop leaves blocking the gutter downpipes and, in my view, don't restrict the water flow very much as it all goes underneath. However, moss does tend to grow on the top of them after a few years. I took them out myself about 2014 and washed out the gutters. Mrs H isn't keen on my escapades up long ladders so on the next occasions, in 2016 and 2019, I got a roofer to do this. (Cost around £250 to clean around 80m of gutters. Since then I've cleaned the lower gutters and just watched the high ones grow a bit more moss. I have approached a local tradesmen to remove and clean them in the next few weeks.

Before they were fitted, leaves from the substantial number of trees around us occasionally blocked the top of the downpipes causing overflows during heavy rain. In those days I shinned up a ladder to clear them. Our house is not overshadowed and gets lots of sun on the roof - at least in Summer.

So the honest answer to your question is: they are an improvement on unguarded gutters but they aren't a perfect solution.

regards

Howard