Power Washing and Roof Cleaning Forum

I tell them that forcing moss off the roof can damage the roof and we just won't do that. If it falls off with a standard rinse then great but aside from that we stop.....same with ferns.

Some moss sticks to shingles worse than others. Where as some just rolls off like it was just sitting on top of the shingle,..other times it's rooted "deeply" into the granules. If it will just roll off,.I'd work with the customer and get as much loose stuff off as I could,..in fact that's what I usually do as part of a moss job anyhow,...but anything that is sticking really good and would need to be "picked" off,..I still wouldn't do it,..even for someone who's trying to sell. Leaving open asphalt on a roof is grounds for a potential home buyer to say,.."Well,..the roof is gonna need replaced" Of course it depends on the amount of damage done by physically removing the moss. Which is limited if done properly as I mentioned ,..but could be really bad if you start picking at rooted moss,..and especially lichen.

I've actually been in this scenario a few times,.and the best thing you can do is tell the customer that,..when someone inquires about the moss,..give them my name and number and have them call me if they choose,..and I can explain to the potential buyer the process and time they can expect,..and even other moss customers they could call and ask. But usually isn't necessary,...because once moss and lichen is treated,..by the time it dries out for the spraying,..it already looks like it's disappearing,...turns brown and begins to shrink up.

*I learned a long time ago not to sugar coat these jobs,..I say to the customer with as much respect and courtesy possible: " Well,..this was let go way to long,..If you wanted instant results,..it should have been taken care of way before this" Essentially letting the customer know it was there own neglect they are now dealing with.

*Kinda like taking care of automotive rust,.. fix the surface rust before it turns into holes,..because if it gets let go,..now we have holes,..there's a whole other process to fixing the problem.

Jeff