Nearly everyone agrees that moss grows in abundance wherever moisture and shade are plentiful. If people could figure out how to make rain stop and encourage days of sunshine, then moss wouldn’t be a problem. Until then most of us are faced with choosing other methods of moss removal. Unfortunately, not all of these methods work. This includes copper zinc strips. Read on to find out why copper zinc strips don’t work efficiently and what you can do to better manage roof moss.
Overgrown Moss
Roofs with massive amounts of moss rarely see much improvement after copper or zinc strips are installed. The reason is because zinc and copper suppresses growth but doesn’t stop growth completely. If you do consider using copper zinc strips for moss suppression, then it is better to completely remove moss before installing the strips.
Limited Range
Zinc strips suppress moss growth due to metallic compounds in the strip. When rainwater falls on the strips these compounds wash down to the edge roof edge. How limited is the range? Moss growing below the zinc strip will be eradicated. Everything above the strip remains unaffected. Essentially this means that only the first two rows of shingles above the roof edge will be moss free. The rest of the roof will be a moss haven.
Environmental Considerations
Before using any copper-zinc powders consider the effects run-off will have on aquatic environments. Scientists from Oregon State University advise those using copper-zinc to “avoid runoff.”
Zinc strips, on the other hand, don’t interact as directly with the environment but experts from Oregon State add “Direct runoff from the zinc strips or flashing to surrounding vegetation, fish ponds, or water supplies should be avoided.”
Other Factors
Aside from moisture and lack of direct sunlight, moss thrives in debris-strewn areas. Homeowners improve air circulation by trimming back trees and bushes that touch the roof and keeping gutters free of leaves and other obstructions. In circumstances like this, it appears that zinc strips are not a magic bullet solution to a moss-free roof.
Copper zinc strips’ limited range, environmental factors and the need to have a moss-free roof prior to installation indicates that most homeowners are better off using a professional roof-cleaning service. Not only will moss be eradicated but other roof hazards can be dealt with as well.