Moss Removal

Top Tips For Moss Removal

Both aesthetic and safety reasons lead people to consider moss removal.  Although moss on the side of a stately manor or rustic building can add to a feeling of authenticity or quaintness, it can also diminish the value of a home by making it seem old and drab.  If you are going to put your home up for sale, it is often a good idea to remove the moss so that you can make your home seem newer and brighter.  Although some people enjoy the dark greens of moss covered walls and walkways, most will get the subtle feeling of age, which is rarely good in a fussy real estate market where buyers are looking for any reason to talk you down from your original asking price.

A secondary, though perhaps even more important reason to consider moss removal has to do with safety concerns.  If you have a brick walkway or stairwell covered in moss, it can make for slippery footing, and a liability concern that you should address before it becomes a possible legal problem. 

Step One in Moss Removal: Bleach it out

The first step in moss removal is to treat the mossy area with bleach.  Bleach will kill most moss, which will in turn make it easier to remove.  Before you begin, however, you need to make sure that bleach will not negatively affect the material beneath the moss.  Bleach can sometimes create discoloration in brick and other materials, so you want to take a test run first.  Pick a secluded spot of the walkway or wall that will not be obvious to anyone and treat that spot with the bleach.  Then remove it and the moss and wait a few days.  Waiting is important because sometimes the bleach will only have its effects after the sun has weathered it for a bit.  If you don’t like the effect then skip to the next step.

If the test has a satisfactory result, then you will want to treat your entire area (break it into stages if it is a large area like a deck).  Once the moss has whitened, rinse the bleach off with a garden hose, always being careful not to splash the moss on your eyes and be sure to wear the same kind of clothes that you would wear to paint your house.  Painter’s overalls are the best bet just in case there is splash back.

Power Washer

The quickest and least labor-intensive way to remove moss is with a power washer, regardless of whether you have treated the surface with bleach.  A power washer will concentrate a spray of water at such force that it dislodges the moss from its surface.  The effect is quite striking and satisfying.

You will want to be careful not damage the surface you are spraying.  The force of the power washer is strong enough to loosen the grout or mortar between bricks and cause damage to walls.  So do not linger at the spaces between the bricks or spray a wall that has already had damage done to it.

Scrub it out

Some moss will persistently cling to a corner or between bricks in such a way that the power washer’s spray doesn’t quite remove it.  Most people will simply repeat the process of bleaching and power washing, but if this is not possible, then scrubbing the area with a steel bristled scrubber may be the only solution.  Some people use this method for the entire job in order to save money on renting the power washer.  This is much more labor intensive method, although it can be more effective.

Be sure to wear impermeable gloves so that the bleach does not damage your skin.

When you are done, you will find that the area is much brighter and more colorful.  If you want to delay moss re-growth, then the best bet is to trim back trees and let the sunshine strike the surface.  Moss needs a cool, moist area.  The sun is nature’s power washer.