How To Remove Lichen From Clay Roof Tiles

When leaves and other material collect on your roof a perfect bed is formed for moss and lichens to grow.

How to remove lichen from clay roof tiles.

Scraping moss off the roof. Moss and lichen love to grow on clay tiles so why is it important to remove it especially as some people say it adds character to the roof. Lichen avoids galvanized steel copper and zinc because these metals work as a natural biocide. For an average 3 bedroom tile roof with lichen you would require 3 x 5 litre packs depending on the total area covered with lichen.

While lichens don t damage the structure of roof tiles they can stain the surface of the roof as well as trap moisture. Some homeowners attempt to use harsh acids or cleaning chemicals to remove the lichen but even if these due end up killing the lichen the organism still remains deeply adhered to your roof. Lichen damage to tile. Several natural remedies can kill the lichens and restore the look of your roof tiles.

Before proceeding with any remedial work to remove moss or lichen we would recommend speaking to a roofing maintenance professional. For best results mix the wet forget and spot spray the lichen leave for 10 15 minutes and then respray the lichen and the entire roof to ensure the lichen absorbs the wet forget thoroughly. Give the anti moss spray time to do its job and then use the high pressure cleaner to wash the tiles down. Lichen can be really tricky to remove because it grips strongly onto the surface.

So if you attempt to remove it with a hand tool you may accidentally remove the protective top layer of your roof shingles as well. Moss is a flowerless plant that grows in clumps and lichen is actually two organisms that coexist fungus and algae as one to the mutual benefit of both organisms symbiosis. Lichen are sutborn and are very diffcult to remove unlike the roof algae roof lichen are persistent and deeply adhered to the roof. As you did in the previous step walk backwards when you are spraying away from the wet tiles and onto the dry ones.

This will remove all the moss and lichen as well as any built up dirt. Moisture increases the chance of mold growth which can damage the roof tiles. Moss can be scraped off by hand but this must be performed with caution to avoid damaging roof tiles particularly in the case of timber or asphalt shingles. Removing lichen fully using this method is nearly impossible not to mention time consuming especially if you are dealing with a large surface like a roof.

Remove moss and lichen from your roof with vinegar.