Another roof ? How do I get lichens off roof?

[jyoutz]

Lichens are a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an alga

Yes, but not a straight fungi.

 

[CalG]

Yes, but not a straight fungi.

picking straws!

Water has minerals and disolved gasses. It's still WATER.

In a symbiotic relationship, IF one of the two members is removed, The OTHER member will decline completely.

 

[two_bit_score]

How can I remove them without damaging the shingles?

Have a zinc strip put on the ridge when you re-roof.

 

[lman]

I put a steel roof on my house and that took care of the fungus that I used to have with asphalt on the north side roof.

 

[civilian]

There is a product called Wet and Forget. Use a garden sprayer to apply to the shingles and forget about it. After a while, the moss will be gone. Might need to reapply on bad cases. Dad and I have used on our roofs with good results. Jon

 

[oosik]

I had new shingles installed on my roof - fifteen years ago. They have copper incorporated into the new shingles. Not a single problem with any type of growth on the new roof.

So...... I would guess that the copper strip suggestion will work.

 

[ponytug]

Copper works really well. I would start with "wet and forget", although expect a few treatments.

All the best,

Peter

 

[two_bit_score]

There is a product called Wet and Forget. Use a garden sprayer to apply to the shingles and forget about it. After a while, the moss will be gone. Might need to reapply on bad cases. Dad and I have used on our roofs with good results. Jon

I’ve used that on sides of buildings but not on roofs. I can see it would work on roofs though.

 

[justoldjoe]

My garages had a lichen/moss issue which cropped up over a few months covering about 75% of the roof. I mixed about 2 cups of baking soda, a cup of vinegar and 3 gal of water and wet down the roof with a sprayer and reapplied in about two weeks. That dried the lichen up enough that I could hose off the roof to remove whatever the rain did not wash off.

 

[Jstpssng]

Good posts. But please take note that you are answering a 20 year old thread...