Moss Removal and Treatment in Portland, OR

Moss can shorten the life of your roof. At Action Window & Gutter Cleaning, we clean and treat your composition roof and are licensed moss treatment specialists. According to Scott Harris of Shipshape Property, Oregon’s only board certified Master Inspector, Composition Roofs should be treated every 3 years.

There is a Difference Between Cleaning your Roof and Treating It!

Untreated Moss on Roof Portland OR

Same roof - Treated Portland OR

Treating your roof is critical for good maintenance

Generally speaking, if you can see moss on your roof from the ground, it’s time to treat it. If you let it grow, it will reduce the effective life of your roof, deform your shingles and cause them to be prone to leakage and catching wind that results in shingles blowing off the roof, all of which will sooner or later require expensive repairs or replacement.

Moss removal or roof cleaning alone simply removes the visible moss, but leaves the roots (rhizomes) and spores that are left behind to regrow. Only an herbicide can kill and slow down future growth.

How frequently your roof needs treating will depend on how much sun or shade your roof has. We are happy to recommend the right service plan for your roof. In general, all composite roofs should have preventative treatment at least every three years.

Did you Know that Moss Treatment Requires Special Licensing? Action Window & Gutter Cleaning is fully licensed to treat and clean your roof.

Keeping your Roof Clean will Save You Money!

Your roof is one of the most expensive systems in your home to replace, and must be maintained to ensure that it lasts for its scheduled life or beyond. Wet moss is heavy! We have removed over 1000 pounds from a medium sized home! That is a lot of extra weight on your roof.

Failure to maintain your roof may cause it to fail early, leak sooner, and be more susceptible to wind damage, as well as potentially cause insurance problems for you in the event of damage and a claim. Many insurance companies now require a moss-free roof before they will issue or renew insurance.

As Certified Pesticide Operators, we can certify to your insurance company that the moss has been properly treated with guaranteed results.

Did you know, you should almost always have your Gutters Cleaned at the same time you treat for moss… here’s why

Moss killer can seep into your rain gutters and if they aren’t clear, the chemical won’t wash away naturally, resulting in rust and reducing the life of your gutters. When you schedule roof cleaning and gutter cleaning simultaneously, you’ll receive our package discount, thereby saving you money on the extra service.

For a Free Estimate
or to Schedule your Moss Treatment and Roof Cleaning…

Please call us at (503) 407-3346

Our Process for Treating Moss on your Composition Roof

Our usual process for cleaning a moss-infested roof is to brush off the larger pieces with a broom or brush, leaving the low-lying moss and rhizomes (roots) on the roof. Then we treat with an EPA labeled moss killer (herbicide). The rest will immediately start to die, and over the next few months, will blow and wash away in the wind and rain, leaving your roof clean.

However, if you are getting your house ready for sale, or are concerned with its immediate aesthetic appearance and don’t have time to wait out the natural process, then your best choice for a clean roof is hand removal of the moss and cleaning.

Hand removal means taking a brush or tool and literally scraping moss off the edge of every individual composition shingle. This is a labor intensive process, and is usually done after the moss is sprayed and dead. Roof cleaning with a specifically designed compound follows. The result is that the roof looks clean immediately, and as close to looking new as is possible.

Dangers of Pressure Washing Composition Roofs

There are several options for roof cleaning, ranging from pressure washing to blowing with an air blower, to sweeping. We discourage using a pressure washer on your composition roof, which is essentially thick tar paper with sand and gravel embedded in it to slow down the tar’s deterioration due to heat and ultraviolet rays from the sun.

The natural process of wind and rain tends to wash away the sand and gravel over time, which is why your roof wears out. Pressure washing greatly accelerates that process. The only time you should use pressure washing on a composition roof is when you are cleaning it to do an overlay roof. If there are just leaves and needles on your roof, usually blowing or even sweeping is enough to keep it clean, and this is far easier on your roof.

You should think carefully before allowing your roof to be pressure washed, since in addition to potential damage to composite roofing, pressure washing may void many manufacturers’ warranties.

Tile Roofs

The best treatment for a tile roof is either pressure washing or compressed air, followed by a pesticide treatment to retard future growth. Because of the inherently porous nature of tile, it is difficult to get good, long-lasting results. However, we can still make your roof look great by a thorough cleaning, either by hand followed by a treatment to kill the last of the rhizomes, or by pressure washing followed by treatment. If your roof has a lot of shade, you should expect to treat your tile roof every year.

The Best Time to Treat your Roof

When it comes to Treatment, timing is important. Our experience and treatment techniques allow us to treat moss successfully almost year-round. We do avoid treatment in the pouring rain, high winds, or freezing weather. We have a special truck and we will often clean your roof and prep it for treatment on one visit, and then return to treat it during an appropriate weather window.