Roof Moss

[pjfitzinc]

That was an extremely useful tip!

[AsktheBuilder]

@straydoggio Want to see nearly instant results? Get up on the roof with a hose and get rid of the moss spraying DOWN the roof. Be sure you don't fall. Then, once the roof is clean, install the copper. The moss will not come back. Understand that installing the copper doesn't make the moss magically disappear.

[AllSurfaceCleaning]

Indeed, any type of zinc or copper flashing will help. We are in a part of the country, Portland, OR, where the climate is so conducive to moss growth, that we are constantly cleaning roofs that have zinc and copper strips on them. Around here, you would need them every 3-4 feet down the field of the roof. But for other parts of the country, they are a great way to go, Tim. If you want to learn how we do it in the Pacific NW, you can read our site All Surface Cleaning. Thanks Tim.

[slehvslehv]

my roof looks like a green carpet! Ill have to try this!

[ioriorioriorio]

I'm a painter, not a roofer....enjoyed your video...for $50 i will paint the top of your head jet black, i notice its gettin a little grey!.....I'll throw in the mustache for another fiver, and I'll use oil- base black...you can look like the stevie vanzandt guy on the sopranos

[AsktheBuilder]

@ioriorioriorio It's a deal!

[Arstru24]

You do a great job.

[Bitrunner1]

Brilliant

[AsktheBuilder]

Thank Mother Nature. She invented copper.

[syverone]

whatever you do dont put copper on a zinc roof. and if u have zinc gutters.

the copper water will eat them up

[SpikenAL]

Will it hurt the Grass ? and kill the Moss on the Ground at runoff ? Thanks Very good Tips and Info.

[AsktheBuilder]

No, the minute amount of copper coming down will not harm vegetation on the ground.

[puttytogo]

i have a metal roof that used to go green and mouldy on the north facing side.i ran a lenght of copper water pipe along the ridge and no more green or moss

[DIYsharkey]

Hehe, I even learn science on this channel! This is wonderful!

[Boodieman72]

Zinc works just as well

[yostick26]

im sure zink is cheeper than copper also

[AsktheBuilder]

In my experience the exact opposite is true. Zinc is not bad at all, but copper seems to be a far better biocide.

[rhblakeman]

I tore a roof off of a utility building that had the old hex shingles (really old and still in good shape just a little brittle) and when we started at the cap we found that someone put PENNIES where the spaces between the tabs were so the water run off would wash across the pennies. Back when I was a kid my grandparent's house had a bare copper wire laid along the edge of the cap and nailed at each end (nails were tarred) and it never had algae, fungus or moss. The moss likes areas under trees.

[wolfpaw69]

Zinc is way cheaper.

[ogaleebugalee]

This dude is great.  I've gone to his website, but didn't know he had a YouTube too. Always great advice. Thanks for all the info Tim! Keep it up!!

[AsktheBuilder]

Thanks! Glad to be of help.

[jws54]

very good to know, thanks very much for sharing.

[slowmoments]

Hi, Tim and thanks for the tip. I plan to stain my concrete or paint it in the summer. The problem with doing this is there are so many cracks everywhere. My home is only 2yrs old and I guest this comes from the house settling on the foundation. Should I seal the cracks first or can I just paint right over them? Thanks

[AsktheBuilder]

You must seal the cracks. Go read all of my Exterior Painting columns at my website.

[ringbolt9]

excellent videos. keep up the good work

[AfeBahrooshe]

Where is your safety harness and line? Safety man, safety!

[mortson978]

convenience man convenience, seriously, he's workin on a 30 degree incline. I just finished a roof on a 45 degree incline, and we didnt wear safety harnesses. Nobody got hurt either. Except for my thumb, but it's all better now. Smashed with a hammer.

[e30m3izzle]

tim i couldn't afford copper strips so i took a jar of old pennies and glued them to my roof, then my roof collapsed and killed me dodo bird. thanks alot tim

[AsktheBuilder]

You have amazing powers being able to still access your YouTube account from the Other Side. I congratulate you!

[bountyhunterbyecho]

Tim thanks for sharing your tips. for all of us out there that own a home..your video help me out alot on some of my project..thanks a bunch Tim :)

[AsktheBuilder]

You are most welcome. More videos are in the works.

[Howlnwoof]

If you were to install copper strips on the rest of your garage, how long would it take to kill off the moss already there? I have about the same looking roof.

[AsktheBuilder]

Great question. I would estimate one year. But then it would take YEARS for Mother Nature to erode the dead moss growth.

[jimmymckay73]

how about zinc strip as an alternative to copper

[AsktheBuilder]

Zinc will work, but copper seems to work better and faster. It is a stronger biocide.

[elliottveares]

emigian using sodium or potassium

[rrbcap]

Sounds like a great idea. Too bad Copper is through the roof - No pun intended :)

[PressurePro]

The effect of the AR (algae resitant) shingles don't last long, it helps, but is only warranted for about 10 years. I have cleaned roof with moss growing ON the copper strips that people put on heir roofs, those don't work.

[AsktheBuilder]

They do work if you buy quality. Some of the manufacturers, in an effort to make higher profits, were not putting enough of the copper granules in the shingles. Maybe you ran into those.

[Magnageek]

Tim, you rock, man! But do you think you should be going up on a roof at your age?

[AsktheBuilder]

Thanks, but don't count me out yet. I only go up if it is absolutely necessary.

[Sharkie626]

That's really cool, We had our roof replaced last summer, we have a total of 6 (yes 6) skylights on the back of the house, which all contain copper, So I guess that explains how the roof on the back of the house remained moss and algae-free. The roof was 20 years old and had a couple of shingle tabs missing and slight algae on the front, so it seemed to be the right time to replace it.

[ThisNamesNowTaken]

Nice tip. Does moss or algae grow in So. Cal. roofs?

[AsktheBuilder]

Maybe. It is pretty dry there so I would think it would only appear on shaded roofs in wet areas near the coast.

[gschjetne]

I ought to do my roof soon too. I'll check the building code here about the copper. Only risk is that the copper will ultimately end up in the ecosystem or in my well. But the amounts should be fairly small.

[AsktheBuilder]

Copper is not a code requirement. Copper is a naturally occurring element.

[RobertDElliott]

Great video and information. Is it possible to spray the roof with some type of solution that would also kill the moss?

Bob

Toronto

[AsktheBuilder]

None that I am aware of. The trouble is, the next time it rains, the chemical you applied would wash off. You need the constant supply of copper to do the job. Just follow my advice and you will never have moss.

[jami3r00]

Great video Tim. Just subscribed. You're a home improvement god!

[crackedcrystal]

I have no doubt copper will do this. Being an aquarium enthusiast, one can put small doses of copper in the tank to kill algae.

I've just found your videos Tim. Great work!

[hayseed6969]

my roof is 10 years old and it has like a black fungus on it,,,but where my roof vents are there is no fungus all the way down to the gutter and i think they are zink!!

[AsktheBuilder]

Could well be. Zinc will do a similar job as copper. I have just found that copper seems to do a better job.

[orlmailman]

Does the copper work for algae we get in florida

[AsktheBuilder]

Absolutely yes.

[joefo53]

i did roofing for for over 5 years and never heard of that trick!! nor the shingles... if its true kool.. hope it helps everyone with the moss problem

[AsktheBuilder]

Oh, its true alright. Look around at roofs where you see copper flashings. You will see they are clean as can be. The shingles with copper in the granules are widely available.

[CaliforniaTravelTips]

This is great advice. I'm sending this video to my friends in Portland!

[AsktheBuilder]

Thanks! Lots of moss up in the Northwest!

[Mandalorx10]

Nifty

[andyfew322]

genius!!

[salas48]

God bless you Tim!!

[fossilman2]

Thanks Tim. I had zinc strips along my Northeast facing side and though it slowed down the moss, eventually it began taking over again. Got a new roof put on this winter. I will try the copper or brass strips on my new place, it's in a very rainy area by the ocean and it seems everyone's roof out there has a garden going (except for the metal roofs). There is a copper foil tape specialty item out there though it isn't widely available.

[AsktheBuilder]

Copper will work much better than brass. You better leave 3 inches exposed.

[baseballgrader]

have you ever heard of Sale ZincShield® - 3.5" Wide Zinc Strip, 1-Roll of 50 feet $44.55

works great. Look it up. Im a roofer and have used it before. This is good for a new roof, you install strips under the shingle caps leaving a bout 3 in sticking out. but if you have stains on the roof on an existing you need to wash the roof and apply LiquidZinc. good job Mr. Carter.

why is your own roof have it/ just wondering

[AsktheBuilder]

Oh yes. Zinc works, but my tests have shown that copper is more effective. But zinc will work! That section of the garage roof never gets direct sun and faces northwest. A huge maple tree shades it. The other side of the roof faces southeast and gets sun all morning and early afternoon. The moss has no chance there as the water evaporates in minutes as the sun hits it.

[baseballgrader]

If the shingles are 20 years old its time to get new shingles most likely.

[AsktheBuilder]

You are correct. The roofer was over last week to give me a bid. He will start in 8 weeks. Wait until you see the roofing videos I will be producing around that job! Many roofing tips are just around the corner.

[albanyjohn]

Probably not such a good idea if you have a water tank collecting water from your roof. If it kills algae does it also make people sick?

Love your work Tim.

[AsktheBuilder]

You would have to ask a doctor. We are talking concentrations in the water of parts per million or billion would be my guess. I would be much more concerned with bacteria from bird droppings and such!

[jefferyb304]

actually a trace amount of copper is recommended in a daily diet.

[AsktheBuilder]

Correct. And I forgot to mention to AlbanyJohn what about the millions of homes that have copper water-supply lines.

[jefferyb304]

Good point.

[asher1112]

enjoyed this one Tim

[Jpangyarihan]

Intriguing and informative! Thanks Tim!

[veldmant]

Thanks again! I was just looking at my garage roof the other day thinking, "How the heck can I get rid of that stuff?"

How serendipitous!

[pasther1975]

thanks for sharing this tips with us we always receive great advice from you. (Actually the active enfredient is copper oxyde) so it should become more efficient when copper turn to a green color

[AsktheBuilder]

Indeed it is....... Cu2O.

[Nemo1181]

Thanks for your videos they have been very useful. Oh thanks for fixing the ending part after the video.

[brettsmith20]

but theres a tree over the mossy part, wouldent that cause it to do that??

[AsktheBuilder]

Yes.

[FirebrandNIRE]

The mans a genius :)

[AsktheBuilder]

Ah Shucks, it was nothing. Thanks for your kind words. But isn't that a fascinating thing about copper? A natural biocide!