Why Is There Moss Growing On My Roof

Moss absorbs and retains water.

Why is there moss growing on my roof.

Moisture and organic debris. Moss is a non vascular plant that absorbs water through its leaves instead of roots. Moss will commonly thrive in any type of environment that is shaded and damp. Why is moss growing on my roof.

Moss tends to form in areas where it is shielded from the sun. Shaded areas exposed to frequent damp cool weather will quickly encourage moss to grow on your roof. If you remove moss from the roof then you will reduce the possibility of tiles suffering from winter cracks. Moss doesn t always mean you re destined for a whole new roof nor does it mean your home has water or moisture damage.

This means that it needs flowing water in order to reproduce and survive and provides a great indication as to why you won t find moss on an area of a roof that receives a large amount of sun. Moss which tends to appear on areas of roofs that are shaded by trees and on north facing slopes is sometimes killed and re invasions prevented by simply correcting the shady humid conditions. Moss algae and lichen grow on your roof through a combination of two things. If sections of your roof are under heavy tree cover these are prime spots for moss to thrive.

If you notice moss or algae on your roof don t panic. The moss will absorb the damp environment s moisture and establish roots on the roof. Although mosses are vital to ecosystems they re not particularly vital to roofs. This causes the roof to start degrading.

The more water and the more debris the greater the chance of moss growth. Moss thrives in cool damp environments. Particularly where the roofing materials are asphalt shingles or wood shingles holding water on the roof surface by any means leaves debris moss or lichens speeds up wear on these shingles. Moss is a plant without roots.

Hose off and brush all moss loose from your roof shingles. Another critical factor is the amount of shade your roof receives. The presence or absence of sunlight dictates the amount of moss or algae growth. But you don t want it growing on your roof.

Because moss or lichens growing on a roof surface will hold moisture on the roof longer than other areas these growths can reduce the life of the roof covering.