Why Your Roof is "Eating Itself" This Winter (And How to Stop It)
Why Your Roof is "Eating Itself" This Winter (And How to Stop It)
The hidden danger of moss rhizoids and why scraping them is the worst thing you can do.
The hidden danger of moss rhizoids and why scraping them is the worst thing you can do.
The hidden danger of moss rhizoids and why scraping them is the worst thing you can do.
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In this post:
In this post:
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If you live in Vancouver, you know the look. You drive down a tree-lined street in Burnaby or North Van, and you see it: a lush, green carpet growing on someone’s roof.
It looks rustic. It looks like a cottage in a fairy tale.
But to a structural engineer, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen.
At Black Sheep Home Services, we don't just look at moss as an eyesore; we look at it as a biological infestation that is actively eating your home’s biggest asset.
The Science of the "Root" (It’s Not What You Think)
Most homeowners treat moss like dirt. They think, "I'll just blast it off with my pressure washer next Saturday."
Please, put the pressure washer down.
Moss is not dirt. It is a living organism. Unlike grass, which has standard roots, moss anchors itself using Rhizoids. These are microscopic, hair-like filaments that dig deep into the limestone filler of your asphalt shingles. They aren't just sitting on top; they are embedded inside the shingle.
When you use high pressure to blast moss off, or a stiff brush to scrape it, you are violently ripping those rhizoids out. And guess what comes with them? The protective ceramic granules of your roof.
Those granules are your roof’s sunscreen. Once they are gone, UV rays bake the asphalt, causing it to crack and curl. Irony: In an attempt to clean your roof, you just aged it by 10 years.
The "Frost Wedge" Danger
It’s not just the roots. It’s the water.
Moss acts like a sponge. It can hold up to 20 times its weight in water. In a Vancouver winter, that water sits against your shingles for months. When the temperature drops below freezing at night, that water expands.
This is called Frost Wedging. The expanding ice lifts the shingles, breaking the seal and allowing water to creep underneath. That is how a "little bit of moss" turns into a $30,000 roof replacement bill.
The Black Sheep Solution: The Scalpel Approach
We believe in Restoration, not destruction.
We use a specialized Soft Wash System. Instead of using force (PSI) to blast the moss, we use chemistry. We apply a specialized treatment that undergoes a process called Lysis—it attacks the cell walls of the moss and breaks them down on a molecular level.
The moss dies instantly (turning white). The rhizoids shrivel up and release their grip on your shingles gently. Over the next few weeks, the wind and rain wash the dead moss away, leaving your granules intact and your roof healthy.
Don’t Get on the Ladder
Roof work is statistically one of the most dangerous jobs in residential maintenance. Slippery moss + rain + a ladder is a recipe for a hospital visit.
Our technicians are WorkSafeBC compliant, fully harnessed, and insured with $5M in liability coverage. We take the risk so you don't have to.
Is your roof turning green? Don’t wait for the leak.
Click here to get an instant digital quote and restore your home’s defense today.
If you live in Vancouver, you know the look. You drive down a tree-lined street in Burnaby or North Van, and you see it: a lush, green carpet growing on someone’s roof.
It looks rustic. It looks like a cottage in a fairy tale.
But to a structural engineer, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen.
At Black Sheep Home Services, we don't just look at moss as an eyesore; we look at it as a biological infestation that is actively eating your home’s biggest asset.
The Science of the "Root" (It’s Not What You Think)
Most homeowners treat moss like dirt. They think, "I'll just blast it off with my pressure washer next Saturday."
Please, put the pressure washer down.
Moss is not dirt. It is a living organism. Unlike grass, which has standard roots, moss anchors itself using Rhizoids. These are microscopic, hair-like filaments that dig deep into the limestone filler of your asphalt shingles. They aren't just sitting on top; they are embedded inside the shingle.
When you use high pressure to blast moss off, or a stiff brush to scrape it, you are violently ripping those rhizoids out. And guess what comes with them? The protective ceramic granules of your roof.
Those granules are your roof’s sunscreen. Once they are gone, UV rays bake the asphalt, causing it to crack and curl. Irony: In an attempt to clean your roof, you just aged it by 10 years.
The "Frost Wedge" Danger
It’s not just the roots. It’s the water.
Moss acts like a sponge. It can hold up to 20 times its weight in water. In a Vancouver winter, that water sits against your shingles for months. When the temperature drops below freezing at night, that water expands.
This is called Frost Wedging. The expanding ice lifts the shingles, breaking the seal and allowing water to creep underneath. That is how a "little bit of moss" turns into a $30,000 roof replacement bill.
The Black Sheep Solution: The Scalpel Approach
We believe in Restoration, not destruction.
We use a specialized Soft Wash System. Instead of using force (PSI) to blast the moss, we use chemistry. We apply a specialized treatment that undergoes a process called Lysis—it attacks the cell walls of the moss and breaks them down on a molecular level.
The moss dies instantly (turning white). The rhizoids shrivel up and release their grip on your shingles gently. Over the next few weeks, the wind and rain wash the dead moss away, leaving your granules intact and your roof healthy.
Don’t Get on the Ladder
Roof work is statistically one of the most dangerous jobs in residential maintenance. Slippery moss + rain + a ladder is a recipe for a hospital visit.
Our technicians are WorkSafeBC compliant, fully harnessed, and insured with $5M in liability coverage. We take the risk so you don't have to.
Is your roof turning green? Don’t wait for the leak.
Click here to get an instant digital quote and restore your home’s defense today.
If you live in Vancouver, you know the look. You drive down a tree-lined street in Burnaby or North Van, and you see it: a lush, green carpet growing on someone’s roof.
It looks rustic. It looks like a cottage in a fairy tale.
But to a structural engineer, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen.
At Black Sheep Home Services, we don't just look at moss as an eyesore; we look at it as a biological infestation that is actively eating your home’s biggest asset.
The Science of the "Root" (It’s Not What You Think)
Most homeowners treat moss like dirt. They think, "I'll just blast it off with my pressure washer next Saturday."
Please, put the pressure washer down.
Moss is not dirt. It is a living organism. Unlike grass, which has standard roots, moss anchors itself using Rhizoids. These are microscopic, hair-like filaments that dig deep into the limestone filler of your asphalt shingles. They aren't just sitting on top; they are embedded inside the shingle.
When you use high pressure to blast moss off, or a stiff brush to scrape it, you are violently ripping those rhizoids out. And guess what comes with them? The protective ceramic granules of your roof.
Those granules are your roof’s sunscreen. Once they are gone, UV rays bake the asphalt, causing it to crack and curl. Irony: In an attempt to clean your roof, you just aged it by 10 years.
The "Frost Wedge" Danger
It’s not just the roots. It’s the water.
Moss acts like a sponge. It can hold up to 20 times its weight in water. In a Vancouver winter, that water sits against your shingles for months. When the temperature drops below freezing at night, that water expands.
This is called Frost Wedging. The expanding ice lifts the shingles, breaking the seal and allowing water to creep underneath. That is how a "little bit of moss" turns into a $30,000 roof replacement bill.
The Black Sheep Solution: The Scalpel Approach
We believe in Restoration, not destruction.
We use a specialized Soft Wash System. Instead of using force (PSI) to blast the moss, we use chemistry. We apply a specialized treatment that undergoes a process called Lysis—it attacks the cell walls of the moss and breaks them down on a molecular level.
The moss dies instantly (turning white). The rhizoids shrivel up and release their grip on your shingles gently. Over the next few weeks, the wind and rain wash the dead moss away, leaving your granules intact and your roof healthy.
Don’t Get on the Ladder
Roof work is statistically one of the most dangerous jobs in residential maintenance. Slippery moss + rain + a ladder is a recipe for a hospital visit.
Our technicians are WorkSafeBC compliant, fully harnessed, and insured with $5M in liability coverage. We take the risk so you don't have to.
Is your roof turning green? Don’t wait for the leak.
Click here to get an instant digital quote and restore your home’s defense today.
