Organic Verses Chemical Moss KIller

Moss growth on roof tiles has long been a problem for many a homeowner. Many people employ a local roofing contractor to remove the moss and apply a moss killer chemical to prevent early re growth.

There are however some very valid reasons for not using such chemicals around your home:

• You or a member of your family have an allergy to the chemicals
• You have a fish pond and are concerned for the health of your fish stocks
• Your rain gutters disperse directly into a watercourse/stream/river
• Your rainwater is currently stored in a water butt/barrel and is used for watering the garden

If the any of the above apply to you then consider using an organic alternative.

Copper has long been known to prevent moss growth on a multitude of surfaces including roof tiles.

When rainfall comes into contact with the copper small amounts of by-products are released which inhibit the growth of mould, algae and moss. It's the closest thing you find to an organic moss killer anyway.

This process is not instant and moss control is achieved a small amount at a time - whenever it rains.

Copper wire is not going to release enough of the by-products to inhibit moss growth so it is best to use a copper strip which can be slid under a course (or two) of roof tiles. It is also possible to purchase and install a product named "Copper Ridge" which is fixed directly to the roof ridge:

Thanks to Copper Ridge for the photo.

While copper works very well as an organic moss inhibiter it is not powerful enough to kill off existing moss growth. The roof moss must first be removed prior to the use of any copper products.

Which ever product is chosen for the ridge the best results will be achieved on a simple two sided roof structure rather than a hipped "envolope" type roof - click here for an example of a roof without a ridgeline.

All copper products work best on flat profiled tiles where the by-products are allowed to disperse evenly over the roof tiles. Channeled roof tiles like these channel the by-products directly down to the gutter.

Copper should never be used on properties that have aluminium gutters as the copper residue can damage the aluminium, if you have such gutters please consider using a chemical moss killer instead.

Further Reading

Moss Killer Chemicals
Do Roof Coatings Really Work?
The Truth About Gutter Guards