Can a Messy Roof Cancel My Homeowner’s Insurance?

There are many good reasons to keep your roof clean in Minneapolis, MN—insurance inspections are one of them. The condition of your roof is a major factor in determining your coverage and premium. In extreme cases, a real mess can lead to a company denying you coverage altogether. One of the ways to avoid this scenario is to remove one of the larger threats from your roof: moss. Here is why moss is a bane to your insurance policy, and how to remove it.

The threat of moss

Moss thrives in moisture, and sometimes, that moist spot is your roof. As it grows, it retains more moisture, and that leads to structural problems.

Allowing a moss garden to develop on your roof leads to water damage, lower protection from bad weather and leaks in your ceilings. Moss supports conditions for mold and mildew in your home, which can be a bad situation if you or any of your household members have respiratory deficiencies. If you lose shingles and do not replace them soon, moss will grow under surrounding shingles and loosen them as well. As it retains moisture in these tighter spaces, it will eventually affect the structural integrity of your entire home.

Older roofs are more vulnerable to moss because they undergo more wear and tear, and that gives moss more spots to grow. Some materials are more susceptible than others, but keeping up with cleaning and maintenance can reduce that possibility. Roofs are designed to last 20 years or more, so it is important to know how to remove moss so you can enjoy that lengthy lifespan.

Removing moss

You should inspect your roof once a year for moss growth. It is easier to control a moss problem if you address it as it appears, rather than wait for your roof to have an extensive green carpet.

Purchase a spray-on hose treatment. Kits come with a spray that attaches to your hose and allows the spray to reach up to 30 feet. This will remove the moss on your roof, and you will not need a ladder to do so. The whole process takes just a few minutes.

Once sprayed, just leave it alone to do its work. Do not attempt to make your own cleansers—mixing bleach and water can kill moss, but it will also damage your roof further if you do not rinse it off. If you use a bleach-free formula, you do not have to worry about taking the extra step of rinsing your roof. Since this step must be thorough, needing to rinse inevitably means having to climb up on the roof.

Here up north in Minneapolis, treating your roof every three years often suffices. However, most homeowners never need to treat their moss issues more than once a year.

There are many reasons to keep your roof clean, and sometimes you need a little help. Diamond Roofing, Remodeling & Roof Shampoo cleans roofs throughout Minneapolis, MN. If you would rather outsource this task to us, call us today to schedule a visit.