That’s pretty much my experience too—those reports always look scarier than what’s actually up there. I get the value in all those fancy images, but half the time it’s just “watch this spot” and nothing ever comes of it. Out of curiosity, do you ever bother with roof cleaning for the moss, or just let it ride unless it gets outta hand?
Out of curiosity, do you ever bother with roof cleaning for the moss, or just let it ride unless it gets outta hand?
I’m in the Pacific Northwest, so moss is kind of a given. I tend to keep an eye on it and only get up there to clean if it starts forming thick patches. The reports always make it sound like you need to scrub every speck, but honestly, I haven’t seen any real damage from a little green here and there. Have you noticed any actual issues if you leave it for a while? My shingles are asphalt and about 12 years old—still holding up fine.
Moss is definitely a fact of life up here, and honestly, I see a lot of folks taking the “wait and see” approach like you. With asphalt shingles, a thin layer probably isn’t hurting much in the short term, but once it starts getting thick or spreading into the shingle edges, that’s when I start to worry. The moss can actually lift the shingles just enough for water to sneak in—especially after a few years of freeze/thaw cycles.
I’ve seen roofs where people let it go for too long, and you get these weird soft spots or early granule loss in those patches. Not always catastrophic, but it can shorten the lifespan if it gets out of hand. Twelve years isn’t old for a roof around here, though if you keep an eye on it and knock back the big patches every year or two, you’re probably fine.
Some folks use those zinc strips at the ridge to slow moss down, but results are hit or miss. Just don’t go up there with a pressure washer—seen more damage from those than from moss itself.
I get the hesitation with zinc strips—tried them a couple years back and honestly, didn’t see much difference. What’s worked for me is just hitting the big moss patches with a stiff brush every spring, nothing fancy. I agree about pressure washers being a bad idea. My neighbor blasted his roof and ended up with more shingle grit in his gutters than moss on the ground. It’s tempting to ignore the moss, but once it gets under those shingles, you’re in for a headache. Twelve years isn’t old, but I wouldn’t let it ride too long.
Pressure washers are a hard no from me too—seen too many folks wreck their shingles that way. I’d add, if you’re brushing, make sure you’re not going against the shingle grain or lifting edges. Sometimes folks get a bit too aggressive and end up doing more harm than good. If you’re seeing moss every spring, might be worth checking for shade or drainage issues too... sometimes trimming back trees can help slow it down. Twelve years isn’t ancient, but moss will speed up wear if you let it go.
